5th
John Darnielle wrote up the NHL All-Star Game! And Lalitree took pictures!
Wow. Nice one. (Especially since I am a shallow person who hasn’t taken well to Last Plane to Jakarta’s abstract makeover.) I am well familiar with Mac MacCaughan’s hockey fandom but didn’t realize it extended to his friend and colleague Mr. Darnielle.
Corny as it may be, the NHL All-Star Draft, Skills Competition and Game were all must-see TV in our house. (Blackhawks represent!) Although I had to watch most of the draft by myself since my husband was off doing his job or something.
I will use this opportunity to belatedly encourage you to watch HBO’s Winter Classic 24/7 doc if you haven’t already. Setting aside my interest in the sport, it ranks as some of the more powerful documentary filmmaking I’ve seen in some time. I would submit that some of the “folksy, low-budget charm” that Darnielle ascribes to Raleigh is also part of the game itself. Ok, “low-budget” is a stretch, but there’s a level of humility in hockey and its players that their counterparts in professional football and basketball have long since abandoned. Even the game’s TV announcers exude a sincerity and joy that’s increasingly rare. I don’t know whether it’s the sheer number of games per season, the (relatively) lower salaries, or something else, but there’s a difference and 24/7 captures it honestly.
And if you still need more indie cred to convince you of hockey’s charms, even a cursory glance at the TeenBeat Twitter feed will let you know where Mark Robinson stands.
