Runtime:
103 minutes
Directed
by: Barry W. Blaustein
Starring:
This is that pro wrestling documentary
From:
Several different companies
This documentary has its flaws; that said, what a blast from the past this was for me:
There
are a myriad of different reasons why I don't watch modern pro
wrestling and it'd take paragraphs to go in-depth on each issue I have,
but between storylines being terrible, wrestling becoming a stunt show
where there's guys flipping around like acrobats and/or big moves
constantly used to where it's just insulting to my intelligence... from
WWE and other companies shooting the matches as if Olivier Megaton is
the director to how there is too much dumb crap that exposes the
business... more often it's unwatchable garbage so I don't even bother; I
do follow what's going on via various websites and Twitter accounts,
but I can't standing watching it anymore for the most part and that is
pretty awful considering what my fandom used to be.
This documentary has been criticized in recent times; one complaint I heard was how it was just a bunch of random segments thrown together and they aren't really tied together aside from the overarching theme of how it's all various aspects of professional wrestling. It's true but for me it is a nice snapshot of how things used to be in the industry. I do not know how non-fans would think of the movie yet I never spent too much time pondering that thought. The WWF and ECW were looked at, along with independent wrestling and several different wrestlers at various stages in their career. The WWF was not happy with how the movie turned out-they had a litany of complaints and how negative pro wrestling is portrayed in Beyond the Mat... a valid source of contention. What happened to Mick Foley in the 1999 Royal Rumble and his family's reaction is a haunting moment for the movie to conclude with.
Things are quite different now from how it was in the late 90's when all that footage was compiled. WCW and ECW folding at around the same time did a lot of damage to the industry as the now WWE hasn't had serious competition since then and they turned into awful “entertainment” wrestling. I won't list what happened to all the people shown in the film... but I will mention that some of them passed away for vastly different reasons (Chyna due to years of substance abuse, sleazy promoter Roland Alexander due to health complications) and both the most fascinating and tragic moments were with Jake The Snake Roberts.
Roberts had substance abuse issues for years when his footage was shot and well, they continued off and on for years afterwards. It's a long story but one time at an Applebee's after an indy show, I saw him down many maragritas. Eventually I'll watch the documentary The Resurrection of Jake the Snake, as it chronicles how in recent years he tried to clean up for good and get in better health with the help of former pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page. He's also had muscular cancer and a bout with double pneumonia; thankfully as of late he seems to be doing fine. Mick Foley is also doing fine (and he is as nice as everyone says he is) and Terry Funk... his family wanted him to retire in the late 90's and believe it or not, he had some matches this past decade, the last one in late 2015! That was when he was in his early 70's, BTW.
Like I said I am not sure how non-fans would view this look at an industry that has had major changes in the last 20 years but for me it was a nice reminder of how things used to be and it does show how for something that is “fake”, pro wrestling is punishing on the bodies of those who wrestle and how it can be a demanding as being a rock star due to travel, groupies and other complications.
This documentary has been criticized in recent times; one complaint I heard was how it was just a bunch of random segments thrown together and they aren't really tied together aside from the overarching theme of how it's all various aspects of professional wrestling. It's true but for me it is a nice snapshot of how things used to be in the industry. I do not know how non-fans would think of the movie yet I never spent too much time pondering that thought. The WWF and ECW were looked at, along with independent wrestling and several different wrestlers at various stages in their career. The WWF was not happy with how the movie turned out-they had a litany of complaints and how negative pro wrestling is portrayed in Beyond the Mat... a valid source of contention. What happened to Mick Foley in the 1999 Royal Rumble and his family's reaction is a haunting moment for the movie to conclude with.
Things are quite different now from how it was in the late 90's when all that footage was compiled. WCW and ECW folding at around the same time did a lot of damage to the industry as the now WWE hasn't had serious competition since then and they turned into awful “entertainment” wrestling. I won't list what happened to all the people shown in the film... but I will mention that some of them passed away for vastly different reasons (Chyna due to years of substance abuse, sleazy promoter Roland Alexander due to health complications) and both the most fascinating and tragic moments were with Jake The Snake Roberts.
Roberts had substance abuse issues for years when his footage was shot and well, they continued off and on for years afterwards. It's a long story but one time at an Applebee's after an indy show, I saw him down many maragritas. Eventually I'll watch the documentary The Resurrection of Jake the Snake, as it chronicles how in recent years he tried to clean up for good and get in better health with the help of former pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page. He's also had muscular cancer and a bout with double pneumonia; thankfully as of late he seems to be doing fine. Mick Foley is also doing fine (and he is as nice as everyone says he is) and Terry Funk... his family wanted him to retire in the late 90's and believe it or not, he had some matches this past decade, the last one in late 2015! That was when he was in his early 70's, BTW.
Like I said I am not sure how non-fans would view this look at an industry that has had major changes in the last 20 years but for me it was a nice reminder of how things used to be and it does show how for something that is “fake”, pro wrestling is punishing on the bodies of those who wrestle and how it can be a demanding as being a rock star due to travel, groupies and other complications.
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