Donnybrook reviewed films playing the Starz Denver Film Festival this week on a 100 star system. Why? Because our opinion counts 20 times more than most peoples'. Today we review this rowdy local darling of the film fest, Battle for the Boot.
Battle for the Boot: 80 Stars
Battle for the Boot is a documentary on the Denver Kickball Coalition, a group of lovable drunks, writers, and musicians who meet each week to prove they can do something other than drinking and smoking. Drinking and smoking are of course involved as part of the game, as are crazy hijinks, drama, fights, and fantastical kickball "uniforms" involving capes, mariachi hats, spandex, glitter, vagina vests, birthday suits, and hot pink snowsuits.
Battle for the Boot from Ryan Demers on Vimeo.
After introducing the colorful people involved in the kickball coalition, the doc follows teams in their competition to effortlessly beat more sober teams, as well their battle to win the Boot, which is the trophy they designated the first year when they found an old ski boot in the dumpster. Hilarity -- and more nudity -- ensues.
Angora says: Imagine my delight when I found that some of the zany characters in this documentary are actual real-life Donnybrook writers and friends of Donnybrook! Featured are our own Irving J. Silvertoad (allegedly "Robbie Bowman" in the film), Sid Pink, and other babes around town like Pam's husband Shane and Jessi and Kegan from Radio 1190. All these kickball-related status updates on Facebook that I ignored are making sense now, and I get why they're so into it! The soundtrack, and the playing field, are filled to the brim with excellent local bands.
Fritz says: Battle for the Boot is an ironic sports movie about sincere underdogs. It's great to see the mayhem and the laughs that follow DKBC as they beat up on the upper crust of Colorado's Kickball All-Stars. It's hands down the best part of the film. Battle for the Boot gets a little lost when the actual battle for the boot happens, but all in all this movie is good times, and seeing friends on the big screen is always a good thing.
Father Guido says: I went into it thinking I'd just be happy seeing some friends in a documentary featuring music from local bands. I would have been happy with just that, but, by the end, I got super into the subject. Who knew how rock n roll kickball could be? I think I'll go out for next years draft.
Antoine says: It joys me to know the mostly hammered-drunk cigarette-smoking DKBC Vanimals squad that destroyed the competition of ski bums and wilder-fitness resort-ers at the annual Kickball Classic held in Vail (one game by as much as 25 runs). The film was just alright, but watching people you know shotgun beers and run the bases is always great entertainment.
SHOWTIMES
Saturday, November 13, 9:15 PM @ Denver FilmCenter/Colfax
Sunday, November 14, 4:00 PM @ Starz FilmCenter