Push (paintball film)

Push is an American documentary film about professional paintball, produced by Bryon Benini and Patrick Spohrer through Division One Productions. The film premiered at the 2000 Paintball World Cup in Kissimmee, Florida, following production during the 1999 and 2000 tournament seasons.[1][2]

The documentary follows professional teams including the Southern California Ironmen, Avalanche, Chicago Aftershock and Image, combining tournament footage with player interviews and scenes away from competition.[1][3]

Push became an influential production in paintball media, particularly through its use of documentary storytelling, music and cinematography to portray the experiences of professional tournament players.[4]

The film has a running time of approximately 69 minutes.[3]

Production

The film originated through a collaboration between Bryon Benini, a professional player with the Southern California Ironmen, and Patrick Spohrer, a filmmaker experienced in surf and skiing productions who played paintball with The Family.

Filming began during practice sessions preceding the 1999 Paintball World Cup and continued at the tournament itself.

Spohrer and Benini recorded extensive footage of professional teams competing at the event, subsequently following selected players and teams away from tournament fields.

Production continued throughout the 2000 season.[1][2]

The project was produced through Division One Productions, the company established by Benini and Spohrer.

The documentary incorporated tournament action, interviews, behind-the-scenes material and music-driven montages.

Its coverage included the experiences of several professional teams during the 1999 World Cup, with particular attention to the personal and emotional consequences of tournament competition.[1][4]

Content

Push follows leading professional teams competing in the National Professional Paintball League (NPPL).

The principal teams featured include:

• Southern California Ironmen
• Avalanche
• Chicago Aftershock
• Image

The film combines match footage with interviews and scenes showing professional players preparing for tournaments, interacting with teammates and reflecting on their results.[3]

One segment follows Chicago Aftershock during the 1999 World Cup, including the team's final match and the retirement of veteran players Gary Noblett and John "Spud" Jackson.

Contemporary reporting described this sequence as an important emotional element of the documentary.[1]

The film's presentation also placed emphasis on tournament culture, player personalities and the experiences of competing at the professional level.

Soundtrack

Music was a prominent element of Push, combining punk rock, post-hardcore, emo, alternative rock and instrumental recordings with tournament footage.

Contemporary coverage by WARPIG highlighted the film's use of music-driven sequences, while later descriptions of the documentary specifically identified artists including AFI, The Promise Ring, Hot Water Music and Jets to Brazil.[1][8]

On 10 February 2006, a member of the PbNation community published an 18-track soundtrack list in the forum's Monkey With a Gun section.

Patrick Spohrer subsequently participated in the discussion under the username MonkeyWithaGun, responding positively to the published list and providing additional soundtrack information for Sunday Drivers.[7]

The following table reproduces the 18 recordings identified in the 2006 list, in its reported order.

No.	Song	Artist
1	4/14/1976	Turing Machine
2	Flip Book Oscilloscope	Turing Machine
3	Get Higher (Lunatic Calm Remix)	Black Grape
4	Ugly	Cold
5	Just Go	Staind
6	Moonpies for Misfits	Hot Water Music
7	Bought Then Sold	Euphone
8	Malleus Maleficarum	AFI
9	Arms Can't Stretch	Hot Water Music
10	Floor	Hot Water Music
11	Pop Song 13	One Hit Wonder
12	Creatures of Habit	Swearing at Motorists
13	Arms and Danger	The Promise Ring
14	Sweet Avenue	Jets to Brazil
15	I'll Catch You	The Get Up Kids
16	Opening Theme	Swearing at Motorists
17	My Very Own Flag	Less Than Jake
18	Things Just Getting Good	The Promise Ring

This list is drawn from a contemporary community transcription supported by discussion involving the filmmaker. It has not been independently checked against the original film's end credits, and the sequence should not be treated as a verified official cue sheet.

Trailer music

The same 2006 soundtrack discussion separately identified the following recording as music used in the film's trailer:

Song	Artist	Release
Fall Children	AFI	All Hallow's E.P.

The trailer recording is listed separately because it was not included among the 18 tracks identified as appearing in the documentary itself.[7]

Premiere and release

Chicago Open preview

An unfinished version of Push was publicly screened during the 2000 NPPL Chicago Open, held from 21 to 25 June at Badlandz Paintball Field in Crete, Illinois.

Bryon Benini promoted the screening at the tournament venue using posters and promotional material.

The preview was held at a cinema in Lansing, Illinois, and attracted large audiences for two showings.

According to contemporary WARPIG coverage, the preview contained approximately 45 minutes of footage, with additional material planned for the completed production.

The report described a positive audience response, including a standing ovation.[1]

World Cup premiere

The completed film premiered during the 2000 NPPL World Cup in Kissimmee, Florida.

The screening took place on a Friday evening in October 2000 at Damon's, a sports bar near the tournament venue.

The establishment was reserved for the premiere, with the documentary shown on indoor television screens and an outdoor projection screen.

WARPIG reported that the venue was filled to standing room only and that the screening concluded with a standing ovation.[2]

Although contemporary records confirm the October 2000 premiere, the later official history of Push Paintball identifies the film's release year as 2001.

The distinction may reflect the difference between its original premiere and subsequent commercial distribution, although the exact date of its initial retail release has not been independently established.[2][5]

Legacy

Push is recognised as an important production in the development of dedicated professional paintball documentaries.

Unlike conventional tournament highlight videos, the film combined competitive footage with interviews, music and personal narratives concerning the players involved.

Its approach influenced subsequent paintball filmmaking during the 2000s.

In its coverage of the 2002 Paintball World Cup, WARPIG described Push as an important development in paintball video production, particularly for its combination of music, images and coverage of tournament life away from the field.[4]

Patrick Spohrer and Bryon Benini subsequently collaborated on Sunday Drivers, which premiered during the 2002 Paintball World Cup.

According to contemporary reporting, the second production placed greater emphasis on tournament action following feedback received about Push.[4]

Spohrer later established Monkey With a Gun Productions, which produced further paintball documentaries including Cereal Killerz and Heroes for a Day: The XSV Story.[6]

In 2017, Benini established Push Paintball, an equipment manufacturer whose name and branding drew upon the original documentary.[5]

Availability

Push has subsequently been 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 69 minutes and 9 seconds and is accompanied by a trailer.[3]

See also

• Bryon Benini
• Patrick Spohrer
• Sunday Drivers
• Cereal Killerz
• Heroes for a Day: The XSV Story
• Push Paintball
• Paintball media
• History of tournament paintball
• 2000 Paintball World Cup

References

1. WARPIG, "NPPL Chicago Open 2000", 21–25 June 2000. Contemporary coverage of the preview screening, production and featured teams.
2. WARPIG, "NPPL World Cup 2000", October 2000. Contemporary account confirming the film's premiere at Damon's in Kissimmee.
3. Major League Paintball PLUS, "PUSH - Monkey With a Gun". Official streaming listing, film description and running time.
4. WARPIG, "NPPL World Cup 2002", October 2002. Contemporary retrospective on Push and reporting on the premiere of Sunday Drivers.
5. Push Paintball, "About Us". Official company history identifying the film's creators and giving 2001 as its release year.
6. WARPIG, "Heroes for a Day: The XSV Story". Historical account of Patrick Spohrer's filmmaking career, Push and subsequent productions.
7. PbNation, "Sountrack List for Push and Sunday Drivers", 10 February 2006. Contemporary soundtrack discussion containing the 18-track Push list, separately identified trailer music and replies from Patrick Spohrer under the MonkeyWithaGun username.
8. World Classic Paintball League, Steve Davidson, "Today is Movie Day". Retrospective description of Push identifying AFI, The Promise Ring, Hot Water Music and Jets to Brazil among its soundtrack artists.

External links

• Push, Major League Paintball PLUS
• Push official trailer
• Push and Sunday Drivers soundtrack discussion, PbNation
• Push Paintball: Company history
• WARPIG: 2000 Chicago Open preview coverage