Hood To Coast Movie - Tonight (1/11/11) Only!! - Anyone Going?

Wish I could. It looks cool. I'll have to hope for a DVD.

Saw it at it's debut at SXSW last year. I bet at least two or three of the runners on 'Dead Jocks in a Box' post on LetsRun.

I won't mention the ridiculous typo. Oh wait I just did. Sorry.

You wouldn't be the only one there. Having seen 'Spirit of the Marathon' and 'Chasing Legends' (the Tour de France film that came out last year) at similar limited release showings, I can assure you there's going to be a good turnout.

I just got back. I kinda thought it was lame.

Just came back seeing it, thought it was kinda cool, actually. Took my wife (non-runner) and she enjoyed it too. Probably not for the hard core, but the majority of H2C participants are not serious runners neither.

I only found out about it this afternoon, which is disappointing in itself.

I went. A little better than I thought it would be.

A couple of heart-tuggers.

Sparse crowd at the theatre.

I enjoyed it. Didn't focus much on the competitive side, more on the spirit and teamwork (can't spell comeraderie) of the event.

I just got back and thought it was great - very well done. My quick impressions:

1) As I started watching the pre-film stuff and saw Bart Yasso, I was wondering, "Are all runners this geeky? Am I that geeky and don't realize it?" I thought he did a good job and his enthusiasm shined but it scared me a bit. I liked how they did the black tie stuff to lead in to get people excited.

2) I thought the stars of the film were the non-runners. Everyone in the audience loved them and the girl on their team was the star of the film in my mind. I loved them as well as the mom and widow of the guy that died. I thought the widow really came to live as the film progressed. I thought the heart attack survivor was a bit scary addicted to running and totally self-absorbed. Were the dead jocks totally sexist or what? I meant they were guys being guys but I'm not sure if I'm them if I want that on film.

3) The elite runner team barely had a roll which was good as I thought they came across as douchey and I thought again like I did at the beginning, "My god, is this how I was viewed back when I was obsessed with running fast? I hope not."

At the very beginning, I almost felt like I was watching a characterization of elites as douches. Dressed in all white they reminded me of Ben Stiller's team in that movie Dodgeball.

A non runner friend was pleased they included the elites and didn't think they came across too bad and pointed out that it was important they were in the film to show that side of it albeit briefly.

4) In the post-race stuff, I thought Alberto came across as great and think there is a human element to him that shined. I obviously was disappointed to see Mary Slaney in the post movie stuff and didn't listen to what she had to say.

5) I was impressed by the turnout. In tiny Ithaca, where I'd seen zero mention of it around town, there were probably 50 people in the audience. A friend of mine in DC said a huge theater there was sold out.

It was fun to go to a theater to see a 'live' screening. I think in this day and age of DVR, it's great as it gets everyone talking about stuff at the same time.

6) I'm impressed by artistic people. How that one girl could produce the film without ever having done the race was interesting as that part of my brain is just missing.

7) I now realize how my stomach/diet is much different than the average runner. Everyone in the audience couldn't believe that guy was eating a burger before running and laughed when they were eating cheetos. Like that guy, I love fast food and cheetos and would probably be eating cheetos for sure between runs.

Overall: Very much worth the $12.50 I spent tonight. A great night. Can't wait for Hood To Coast 2.

1) Runners who go see runner movies at the theatre are geeky. I didnt even go see Inception at the movies but would make more sense for $12. (you know with special effects and all)

SalukiAlum wrote: 1) Runners who go see runner movies at the theatre are geeky...

You got that wrong. Runners who stay at home to watch things and don't go out to a real theater are geeky.

Go out and have some fun, and learn how to socialize. That's a sure remedy for geekiness.

Thanks for the review! I didn't go to see it tonight in Portland (where the cheapest avaiable tickets - at the red carpet event - were $42.)

I've run it 12 times, but always on a competitive team. I think one year Dead Jocks took a picture of my butt/leg when I fell along the route and got road rash - they posted it on there van. I don't think it was 2008, though.

When Mary Slaney ran it, she had her own personal van escort her to the exchange zones - she didn't ride in the van with the rest of the Nike women's team. (I saw her briefly at an exchange zone) She ran the shortest available leg (other than leg 1).

The "elite" teams start last or close to it (7 pm). And after the first few legs just work their way through the field.

btw, It's not that elite as our mixed masters team usually starts in that wave and the highest we've ever finished was 11th -- and we are a LOT (!) slower than the fastest 3 or 4 men's elite teams (we average just over 6 min/mile and they are a min/mile faster). They usually start 20-30 teams a wave and those guys are out of sight very quickly.

And yeah, what some people can eat between legs is amazing and individuals vary widely. It depends on how long a break you get (elites might get 4-5 hours while slower teams have about 8 hours) and your stomach. One year, one of our guys ate smoked salmon soup, a "vat" of pasta salad, popcorn, a gallon of water, etc., though he said he felt a bit "bloated" on his (very fast) run. I'd have barfed.

Again--calling all 'dead jocks in a box.' We know you post on here, might as well out yourselves.

muddy girl wrote:

Thanks for the review! I didn't go to see it tonight in Portland (where the cheapest avaiable tickets - at the red carpet event - were $42.)

It was also at three screens at Lloyd Cinema for the regular price. Hopefully they'll make it available on DVD.

went to see it in Madison where it showed at 2 theatres. Moderate turn out on the east side. I found it entertaining. Looks like it would be really fun to run it. Other than the sleep deprivation it didn't appear too difficult. Mary Slaney looked terrible. I wonder if she even runs anymore.

stay at home runner? wrote:

SalukiAlum wrote: 1) Runners who go see runner movies at the theatre are geeky...

You got that wrong. Runners who stay at home to watch things and don't go out to a real theater are geeky.

Go out and have some fun, and learn how to socialize. That's a sure remedy for geekiness.

Yep, I with you on that. I wish I had seen it, why only for one night? Just found out we have a brand new theater that opened recently where they serve fine wine and cocktails. Too bad this movie was only for one night showing!

As a driver for an elite women's team and a one-time runner of this event myself (I escort the ladies most years), I thought they focused too much on the human element and too little on the course. In a sense, the course looked easy because very little was shown. That said, the Laika team member did a nice job emphasizing the size of some of the hills. I believe she was leg 5, which wouldn't make sense if she never runs.

I agree with an earlier post that the heart-attack survivor is definitely narcissistic.

I think the film would have been better if it had focused more equally on the elite teams (one men, one women's, for example), and contrasted that with the teams they showed. Maybe that was too much for one film, and maybe I'm slightly biased because the women's team I drive for is a hell of a lot of fun.

Did they change the title of the movie? I could swear that I saw a thread yesterday in which the movie was called "Hood to Coach."

rojo, i was also at the ithaca screening and was disappointed with the turnout. surely, the snowstorm with its not-yet-plowed roads was a significant factor, but notice of the screening had been blasted out to the various running-related listservs in town (the tri club, the running club, the noontime runners on campus, and the running store). when the movie about the leadville bike race screened last year, the turnout was MUCH greater.

thanks for your opinions on the movie; i also liked how rachel's clueless spirit coupled with her determination to gut it out and even enjoy it. i also found the heart attack survivor's story to be too much about her and not enough about her team members other than how they related to her (i consider this an editorial decision, rather than inherently reflecting her own self-centeredness). i thought the filmmakers got the balance right with the r howe memorial team. although they touched on it slightly, one story they could have delved into more was the experience of the driver -- at dances with dirt last september, our driver was the star of our little show.

muddy girl: very fun to hear your own reminiscences. i find those few comments entice me more to consider running the race than the movie did. keep me in mind if you're looking for another older gal next year, although it's way too early for me to commit.

Saw it at a new theater just outside of downtown Chicago that was sold out despite a snowstorm going on.

I enjoyed it and also the review above.

Also liked how it was photographed, it reminded me why I love Oregon so much. It made me want to do H2C again, my last was '99.