Winner of awards at both Boston and the Hamptons international film festivals, Jesse Moss's Speedo is an engaging documentary portrait of the demolition derby passions of Ed "Speedo" Jager. Following Jager through sundry demolition challenges at New York's Riverhead Raceway, the film captures his edgy competitiveness, conflicts with derby judges, and tensions at home (Jager's wife talks about having nothing in common with her husband's hobby, which sucks up all of his time and spare income). Not surprisingly, the marriage doesn't last, as Jager's ascendance to a national championship match (and dreams of shifting to stock car racing) is tied to his romantic involvement with a track official. The kind of documentary that begins in the middle of a person's life and simply follows developments wherever they may lead, Speedo is a constant unfolding of real-world drama and an entertaining profile of one man stumbling toward his destiny. DVD extras include an audio commentary with Moss and Jager, deleted scenes and updates, and a photo gallery. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
Speedo
(2003) 78 min. DVD: $26.95. Docurama (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. ISBN: 0-7670-6816-5. February 21, 2005
Speedo
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