Cookie Rumble Takes A Bite Out Of Hollywood
Posted on October 3, 2009
By Holly Hitsville
Take Two. October may be mustache month but in DDG land it’s movie month with Whip It debuting nationally. Our Cookie Rumble has been known to rock a fake ‘stache as well as steal some scenes. Sporting big bad hair and one particularly lovely asset, Cookie Rumble tells all.
What was your reaction when you first saw the Whip It poster and noticed your butt in the “W” of Whip It?
Tinja was the one who told me (and then proceeded to snag me a huge poster, thanks Tinja!) At first I didn’t get what she was saying but when I actually saw the poster I thought it was hilarious! After all, I’m known for my booty here in the D and now everyone can gaze upon its glory…just kidding, just kidding, just kidding. What really made me smile though was the fact that there is a DDG patch right there for the world to see. Hooray for DDG!!
What was it like skating on a banked track and how is the style different from your usual flat track ways?
OMG! I’m terrible on the banked track. My shins were killing me by the end of the first day. Thankfully, we had some really great girls to help us get acclimated to the different style of skating. Silly me, I thought I was hot stuff when it came to derby…..not so much when I can’t even stay on the bloody thing! It did, however, force me to learn how to cross over left.
You’re in the food fight scene (shot at the Lafayette Coney Island, Downtown Detroit). Was the fight filmed in one take or many? Describe your appearance after the director yelled cut. Did you nail anyone famous?
The fight itself was one take. One gloriously disgusting shot. I smelled like barf, I looked like I got barfed on, and it was one of my favorite memories from the movie. We were in Lafayette for a good long time so the tension leading up to the food fight was palpable. There were many a threat against my awesome hairdo (love you Stefani!) and a lot of goofing around. Did I nail anyone famous? I have no idea. It was hit or be hit. At one point I actually tried to crawl under the table, unsuccessfully.
If the Detroit Pistoffs had one draft pick out of all the Whip It actresses who would you draft and why?
I would have to say Kristen Wiig, Maggie Mayhem - she has a wicked sense of humor.
Are there any myths or misconceptions you’d like to dispel about roller derby before the film officially opens?
We aren’t allowed to fight or throw elbows. That, and I really don’t know how to pull off half of the sweet moves I did in the movie. Viva Hollywood!
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Racer McChaseHer Goes Hollywood
Posted on October 1, 2009
By Holly Hitsville
A large handful of Detroit Derby Girls (DDG) skaters have gone Hollywood. Perhaps you’ve heard of a little film called Whip It, based off of the book Derby Girl written by Shauna Cross, that was partially filmed right here in Detroit, Rock City? There’s a DDG skater in just about ever scene; blink and you might miss one. Our multitalented Racer McChaseHer answers a few of my questions about her Hollywood debut, her other nickname and the acting lessons she’s going to give Juliette Lewis after Nationals.
Most roller derby players skated in Whip It under their chosen skater name. You didn’t. Why the name change, Princess Slaya? How did it make you feel to have a fake skater name, an alias to an alias?
It wasn’t necessarily a name change. I was cast for the role of Princess Slaya who was a character on the team the Holy Rollers. There were a few other skaters cast as characters in the movie including Sarah Hipel as Mary Jane Pain and Sass Knuckles as Smother Theresa.I didn’t mind having a fake skater name since there is actually a “real” Princess Slay-ya from the Kansas City Warriors. I actually met her shortly after I was cast for the role. She was like, “Hey, you are going to be me?” It was pretty funny.
Word on the track is that your real nickname is Princess. Coincidence? How’d you get that nickname?
Not really a coincidence but a funny story nonetheless. It started back in the Fall of 2007 when we were at WFTDA Nationals in Austin, Texas. After having the airline hold the plane for me because I was running late (per usual), we had to go back to the airport the next day to pick up my luggage, which obviously didn’t make it on the plane since I barely did myself. I was on the phone with my dad trying to get him to stop and pick up something before flying to Austin. Rock Candy looked at me and said, “Are we all just pawns in your game of life, Princess?” And it stuck!
Some DDG skaters previewed the movie and told me about the scene where Drew Barrymore’s character, Smashley Simpson, passes you and then waves. Did the producers know that you’re actually a highly ranked speed skater at the national level? Did you find that scene particularly comical?
Yeah, that was pretty funny. They told me to skate fast but slow enough to let her pass me. I tried to fake it the best I could but anyone that knows me at all knows that I wouldn’t have just let her skate by me.
You obviously couldn’t hit in the scenes like you normally do at practice and in bouts. Did you secretly ever want to lay out one of the actress, just once, to let them know what it actually feels like when your spine cracks from a great hit?
Well…none of them did anything to make me want to hit them that bad. But when they kept asking the roller derby skaters to hit them harder, we just kind of chuckled and tapped them a little harder.
You coached Juliette Lewis, Iron Maven, on how to be a roller derby captain. What pointers did you specifically give her?
I just told her that she had to give us a little pep talk and pull the team together for huddles and stuff. You know, the basic captain stuff. By the end, she really did become like a captain and would get us drinks and snacks out in the middle of the track in between scenes. She’s awesome!
I also jokingly told her that if she needed acting lessons, I could probably help her out. A few of the girls couldn’t believe I said that to her but I just laughed because she knew I was kidding. When she signed my copy of Derby Girl, she mentioned how maybe she’ll take me up on those acting lessons. Ha ha!
If you had to give out a Rollie, that’s DDG’s equivalent of an Oscar or Grammy, for The Best Actress Skater, who would you give it to and why?
Ooo…that’s a toughie. I would probably say Ellen Page because she really got into her derby character, Babe Ruthless. From the very beginning when she was trying out to the time she makes it on the team to the Championship game, she did the part justice in showcasing what it’s really like to be a derby girl. Plus, she always wanted to try her stunts herself. My guess is that if you see her doing a stunt in the movie, it’s really her.
What do you hope the audience gets out of this movie regarding the sport of roller derby?
There are so many people out there that don’t even know that derby is going on in pretty much every major city across the country and everywhere in between. Once they find out about it, they usually make their way to a bout eventually but I think the movie really helps convey what derby is all about. Friendship, competition, confidence, and family.
Photos by Colin Johnson.
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