Cereal Killerz 2
Cereal Killerz 2, also known as CK2, is a 2009 American documentary film about professional paintball, directed by Patrick Spohrer and produced by Monkey With a Gun Productions. It is the sequel to Cereal Killerz (2004) and features ten professional players competing during the late 2000s.[1]
The documentary combines individual player biographies, interviews and professional tournament footage, including slow-motion sequences recorded using high-speed cameras.[1][2]
Cereal Killerz 2 premiered during the 2009 Paintball World Cup, organised by Paintball Sports Promotions (PSP).[1]
Production
[edit]Cereal Killerz 2 was produced by Monkey With a Gun Productions, the company established by filmmaker Patrick Spohrer and his wife Bonnie.
The production followed Spohrer's earlier documentaries Push, Sunday Drivers, Cereal Killerz and Heroes for a Day: The XSV Story.
Like the original Cereal Killerz, the sequel concentrates on individual professional players rather than following a particular team or tournament season.
Each featured player discusses their introduction to paintball, professional career and experiences within the sport.
The interviews are combined with tournament footage and music-driven action sequences.[1]
High-speed cinematography
[edit]A distinguishing feature of Cereal Killerz 2 was its use of high-speed cinematography.
Spohrer employed specialised cameras recording at approximately 500 frames per second, substantially faster than conventional motion picture cameras.
The footage was subsequently played back at normal film speed, producing detailed slow-motion sequences of players moving, shooting and competing.
Contemporary WARPIG coverage identified the technique as one of the production's principal visual features.[1]
Featured players
[edit]Cereal Killerz 2 features the following ten professional paintball players:
- Lucian Blackburn
- Konstantin Fedorov
- Brian Fow — known as LB
- Angel Fragoza
- Ryan Greenspan
- Tyler Humphry
- Travis Lemanski
- Brandon Mayo
- Justin Summers — known as Duder
- Thomas Taylor — known as Troll
The complete list is documented in contemporary WARPIG coverage and the film's official streaming description.[1][2]
The featured players represented different teams and generations of professional tournament paintball during the 2000s.
Their profiles address their playing backgrounds, competitive experiences and involvement in professional competition.
Premiere and release
[edit]Cereal Killerz 2 premiered during the 2009 PSP Paintball World Cup.
Contemporary WARPIG reporting documented the debut screening and reviewed the completed production.[1]
The film was distributed on DVD through specialist paintball retailers.
Its original DVD packaging included a fold-out case containing a booklet of portraits of the featured players.[1]
DVD bonus features
[edit]The DVD edition included additional material beyond the ten principal player biographies.
Documented bonus features included:
- A profile of Nicky Cuba
- Additional footage featuring Travis Lemanski using a fully automatic marker
- A profile of Bay Root Productions
- Promotional material from the film's sponsors
The Nicky Cuba segment was presented as an additional feature rather than one of the ten principal biographies.[1]
Soundtrack
[edit]Music was an important element of Cereal Killerz 2, continuing the editing approach used in Spohrer's earlier paintball documentaries.
The soundtrack featured punk rock, alternative rock and independent bands, with individual recordings accompanying particular player profiles.
On 8 November 2009, a user of PbNation published a chronological soundtrack list identifying the recordings used in the film and their associated player segments.
Patrick Spohrer, posting under the username MonkeyWithaGun, replied on 9 November 2009 to thank the contributor for compiling the list.[3]
Track listing
[edit]The following table reproduces the music identified in the November 2009 soundtrack discussion, in the reported sequence.
| No. | Song | Artist | Featured sequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crusades | Fucked Up | Opening credits |
| 2 | Turn of the Radio Age | Buckfast Superbee | Angel Fragoza |
| 3 | Proficiency Breeds Modernization | Buckfast Superbee | Angel Fragoza |
| 4 | Free Topless Party | Spell Toronto | Tyler Humphry |
| 5 | Radar | The Transit War | Ryan Greenspan |
| 6 | The Only Evidence | The Transit War | Brandon Mayo |
| 7 | Mayday | The Transit War | Justin Summers |
| 8 | Hidden passage following Pitch vs. Rotation | Buckfast Superbee | Thomas Taylor |
| 9 | We Will Not | Paint It Black | Thomas Taylor |
| 10 | The Bender | Buckfast Superbee | Travis Lemanski |
| 11 | Time to Run | Spell Toronto | Brian Fow |
| 12 | Nightime Enemy | The Transit War | Lucian Blackburn |
| 13 | Pitch vs. Rotation | Buckfast Superbee | Konstantin Fedorov |
| 14 | Everyone Was Nice | Spell Toronto | Closing credits |
The sequence is based on a contemporary soundtrack transcription rather than an independently verified DVD cue sheet. The track associated with Thomas Taylor was identified as a bonus passage following "Pitch vs. Rotation" on its album, rather than as a separately titled recording.[3]
The opening song, "Crusades", appeared on the 2006 album Hidden World by the Canadian band Fucked Up.[4]
Other albums represented in the soundtrack included:
- Turn of the Radio Age — Buckfast Superbee
- Be More Careful — Spell Toronto
- Miss Your Face — The Transit War
- Ah Discordia! — The Transit War
- New Lexicon — Paint It Black
Trailer music
[edit]The film's trailer used "The Only Evidence" by The Transit War.
Patrick Spohrer's PbNation account identified the recording in its contemporary profile signature. The song was also used during Brandon Mayo's segment in the completed film.[3]
Bonus feature music
[edit]The November 2009 soundtrack discussion separately identified the following recording in the Nicky Cuba bonus feature:
| Song | Artist | Featured sequence |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Trees | Rey Dub | Nicky Cuba bonus profile |
The recording was associated with Bay Root Productions.[3]
Reception and legacy
[edit]Cereal Killerz 2 continued Monkey With a Gun Productions' focus on documenting the personalities and experiences of professional tournament players.
The film retained the biographical structure of the original Cereal Killerz while incorporating more extensive slow-motion cinematography.
Contemporary WARPIG reviewer Bill Mills highlighted the film's high-speed camera work and combination of player interviews with tournament action.[1]
The documentary also reflected the development of paintball film production during the 2000s, when specialised cameras and digital editing techniques provided new methods of presenting tournament competition.
Availability
[edit]Cereal Killerz 2 was originally distributed on DVD.
The film was subsequently made available through Major League Paintball PLUS as part of its Monkey With a Gun documentary collection.
The streaming edition has a running time of approximately 63 minutes.[2][5]
Major League Paintball PLUS also provides the original documentary, the sequel's trailer, premiere footage and the Nicky Cuba bonus feature.[5]
See also
[edit]- Cereal Killerz
- Patrick Spohrer
- Monkey With a Gun Productions
- Push (paintball film)
- Sunday Drivers
- Heroes for a Day: The XSV Story
- 2009 Paintball World Cup
- Paintball media
References
[edit]- WARPIG, Bill Mills, "Cereal Killerz 2 DVD Review". Contemporary review documenting the 2009 premiere, ten featured players, high-speed cinematography and DVD bonus features.
- Major League Paintball PLUS, "Cereal Killerz 2". Official streaming description, featured players and running time.
- PbNation, "Full CK2 Soundtrack", 8 November 2009. Contemporary soundtrack listing with contributions from Patrick Spohrer under the MonkeyWithaGun username.
- Fucked Up, "Crusades", from Hidden World, released 10 October 2006. Official band recording.
- Major League Paintball PLUS, "Cereal Killerz 1&2". Official documentary collection, including trailers, bonus material and streaming editions.