Guest Co-Hosts: Benjamin Buxton, Leon ChaseWe continue Black History Month with the 1980 film from director J. Terrance Mitchell, Get Rollin'! It’s the story of three very colorful people and their lives in and around a roller rink in Brooklyn; Vinnie Vinzerrelli of the "Jigaboo Jammers", Pat The Cat, and Inez Daniels. At some point the film becomes less of a documentary and more of a drama about Vinzerrelli and Pat the Cat taking their roller boogie skills to England.
Filmmakers Benjamin Buxton (On the Rink) and Leon Chase (Suzy Hotrod: Roller Derby Star) join Mike to discuss rollerskating, Brooklyn in the late '70s, and more.
Listen/Download Now:
Links:
Listen to Cinespia founder John Wyatt on Trailers from Hell
Read Meet Bill Butler, the Godfather of Roller Disco by Julia Carmel
Check out the Skategroove website and the National African American Roller Skating Archives Project
Subscribe to the Getyoursk8on YouTube channel
Music:
"Skate Dancer" - Vinzerrelli
"A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays" - De La Soul
Bonus Music Track by Grapefruit 45
Watch:
on the rink from benjamin buxton on Vimeo.
I just saw the film today (bootleg). That's what led me to your podcast. I loved the movie. It was bizarre how the film gets you into the whole roller disco culture. The timing of the film was poor. The roller disco era came and went very quickly, making the film dated when it was released. Released a few years earlier it might have hit or TODAY--the whole retro thing also might grab viewers.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting, though. The two leads of this docu-drama and their hopes and dreams to make it big in the roller disco world is both honest and sad (since the fad ended almost before this came out). The film obviously has some staged sections. But the two leads expressing their desires and having the film end with them heading out to make that dream a reality is on point. Knowing they are going to London to hit it big is great...but also knowing that roller disco died has me wondering what happened to them.
The Inez character isn't in the film that much. She's not the most eloquent speaker--but is interesting. I agree that her section is too short and so unrelated to the rest of the film to have been included. But it was still interesting.
I've had the poster for years. (A roller disco movie I'd never heard of? What?) I'm glad I got to see it finally. It exceeded my expectations.
Thanks for the podcast. I'm glad others found the film interesting.