Ringside Remembrances

Jay Shannon draws upon his 37 years of experience as a devout wrestling fan to look at the past, present and future of professional wrestling

My Favorite Wrestling Movies

"It's clever, but is it art?" -- Rudyard Kipling

The leaves have turned here in Northern Nevada and we've had our first snow of the season. Around this time of the year, I usually end up going through the thousands of movies that I have on DVD and find a few guilty pleasures. This year, I'm in a wrestling movie mode. I'm not talking wrestlers that have gone on to acting careers, as much as I'm talking about movies about pro wrestling. Listed below are my favorites. A few are documentaries but most are dramas or comedies that highlight my favorite sport.

The Wrestler (2008)

This movie should have won the Academy Award. Hulk Hogan was considered for the character of Randy the Ram. Hogan has claimed he passed on the role. Some might say that the movie was very loosely based on Hogan's career. Randy's arch-enemy, The Ayatollah, could be seen as a thinly-veiled tribute to the Iron Sheik. It's definitely not a movie for little kids to watch. There is some rough language, a lot of blood, drug usage and tons of nudity (including Mickey Rourke's bare butt). This movie will definitely make the hardest of hardcore fans wipe the tears from the corners of their eyes. The film has a few actual wrestlers in it, most notably, Ernest "The Cat" Miller and Necro Butcher. This is an absolute must-see for any old-time wrestling fan.

No Holds Barred (1989)

It was the first film venture for the WWF/E. Hulk Hogan basically played himself, under the name Rip. He fought evil promoters and bullies to protect his family. His main rival was Zeus, played by Tiny Lister. The movie role led to a couple of short runs as an actual wrestler in both the WWE and WCW. Other familiar wrestling faces in the film include: Stan Hansen, Jos LeDuc, Rick Allen, Joey Marella, Bill Eadie (Ax of Demolition) and Jeep Swenson. This movie was nothing more than a vehicle to launch WWF/E Films and to push Hulk Hogan to a new audience. It worked. The movie was a minor success in the box office. It also led to a brief feud between Hogan and Zeus in the then-WWF.

The One and Only (1978)

This is one of my most favorite comedy films of all time. The story is set in the early days of televised wrestling. Henry Winkler stars as a self-centered actor looking for his big break. He gets it, as a pro wrestler. He goes through several characters that reflected the times (a Nazi sympathizer, an all-American good guy, etc...) He gets his biggest break when he becomes The Lover. This direct lift from the late, great Gorgeous George glides his way to the ring and irritates just about everyone in sight, including his wife (played by the lovely Kim Darby). The movie is chock full of wrestlers from the 1970s California circuit, including: Chavo Guerrero, Sr., Gene LeBell, Roddy Piper, and H.B. Haggerty. There also two of the most famous wrestling voices of the 1950s and 60s in the film: Dennis James and Jimmy Lennon, Sr.. It's just a silly little feel-good movie to watch on a snowy night, snuggled up next to the wife.

My Breakfast with Blassie (1983)

A year after his run-in with Jerry "The King" Lawler down in Memphis, Andy Kaufman made a trip out to California to have breakfast with the legendary Freddie Blassie. Kaufman brought along his little entourage of faithful friends, including Bob Zmuda and Lynne Margolis. This low-budget flick is a bit annoying at times but kind of fun, as well. Blassie explains things like why he didn't like to shake hands, especially with fans. Kaufman gets Blassie to open up about his days in the ring as they munch on toast and bacon. I warn you, it's bizarre but worth a rental. I keep my eyes open on the various cable channels. It tends to run there, once in a blue moon.

Body Slam (1986)

Milking the growing "Rock and Wrestling Connection" craze, this mid 80s sleeper film is a good laugh. Dirk Benedict is a down-on-his-luck music manager that is looking for a new angle to push his little Hair Band. He meets up with Quick Rick Roberts (Roddy Piper) and Tonga Tom (Sam "Tama" Fatu). They form an alliance to face off against the evil Captain Lou Murano (Lou Albano) and his forces of darkness. This movie is just bursting at the seams with wrestlers from The Samoans to Ric Flair and Bruno Sammartino. This movie also features Charles Nelson Reilly and Billy Barty. Hornswoggle could take lessons from Barty's character in this hidden treasure. You will be going "Wow, I didn't know He/She was in this".

Grips, Grunts and Groans (1937)

I'm a huge fan of The Three Stooges (go figure). In this classic short, the boys are hired to keep wrestler Ivan Bustoff out of trouble. Instead, they let him drink too much and then accidentally knock him out by dropping dumbbells and a locker on him. Curly, who looks somewhat like the wrestler, has to step into the ring and face Bustoff's opponent. It's cute, quirky and only about 18 1/2 minutes long.

Beyond The Mat (1999)

This documentary took a less-than-flattering look at the world of pro wrestling. Mick Foley, Terry Funk, Jake "The Snake" Roberts are the main focuses/targets of the film. Barry Blaustein chatted with everyone from Vince McMahon and Jim Ross down to jobbers and the ring crews in this film. Roberts would later claim that he was tricked into making some of the comments that he made in the film. This film is quite dark and disturbing, at times.

The Wrestler (1974)

Ed Asner stars as a honest man trying to promote wrestling, while dealing with gangsters, gamblers and greedy grapplers. The main thing that makes this a favorite is all the cameos by real wrestlers. The film maker basically used the entire AWA roster, as it was in 1973-74, to make this film. The plot is rather thin but the action is top-notch. This one's a little hard to find, but it's well worth the look.

Bret "Hitman" Hart: Wrestling With Shadows (1998)

The Canadian documentary chronicles Bret's wrestling career around the time he left WWE for WCW. The infamous "Montreal Screwjob" is one of the key parts of the show. A lot of Bret's anger towards the WWE is clearly understandable after watching this film. Bret comes across as both the wronged party and a bitter ex-employee, at times. I'm amazed that Vince McMahon didn't fight this film. It really shows the WWE in a bad light. This one runs on the Documentary Channel quite often.

Lipstick & Dynamite, P*ss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling (2004)

This movie is really a lot of fun to watch. Tons of female wrestlers from the 1950s and 60s, as well as modern female fighters, discuss the world of female wrestling. This film is a true treasure. Some of these women have left us since this film was made, so this is a way for them to say good-bye and share their special world with the fans. Fabulous Moolah, Mildred Burke, Mae Young, Diamond Lil (a female midget wrestler), Judy Grable and dozens more are showcased in this sweet little documentary. It's another favorite on the Documentary Channel, as well as IFC.

I Like to Hurt People (1985)

This semi-documentary is a look at The Sheik rampage of terror in the Detroit area. He is joined by a literal Who's Who of wrestling superstars. Just about every over-the-top brutal star in there: Ox Baker, Abdullah the Butcher, The Funks, Luke Graham and more. The Grand Wizard is even there, under his alter-ego of Abdullah Farouk. I haven't seen this one in quite some time but I remember thinking "how much is real and how much is made up?"

Heroes of World Class: The Story of the Von Erichs and the Rise and Fall of World Class Championship Wrestling (2006)

I like this movie, not just because I'm in it. I spent a great deal of my youth sitting on those hard wooden benches in the old Dallas Sportatorium. This film makes me homesick for my childhood days. As I type this, I'm looking at the very Texas flag that was waved by a wide-eyed young kid who cheered for his heroes (usually the heels). The tour of the abandoned Sportatorium, just days before it was torn down, was heart breaking. This documentary is slightly skewed by the World Class Inner Circle. Some of the dark aspects of the company are glossed over and some things are totally ignored. The DVD sits in the first position on my shelf of wrestling DVDs. The WWE World Class tribute is right next to it.

Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy (2006)

This movie is just goofy. It's mind-numbingly silly but that's what makes it so great. April Hunter and Don Frye are the parents to a young man who's looking for love. He gets wrapped up in the family business (wrestling) and tries to woo the girl he loves. He also runs afoul of Chyna and a few wrestlers along the way. This was one of those I found while searching through the rentals online. I've watched it several times and it always makes me laugh.

The Touchables (1968)

If you like the films of Terry Gillian (Brazil), you'll probably like this crime drama with a wrestling theme. The European film follows several pro wrestlers in the English countryside. The scenery is great, the story...not so much. I only recently came across this independent film on IFC. I haven't quite figured out all the twists and turns. Guess it's going back into the DVD player.

Forever Hardcore: The Documentary (2005)

Jeremy Borash of TNA worked with Shane Douglas and many of the original ECW stars to present this look at the Original Land of Extreme. The man and women in this film are often bitter and sometimes brutal in their comments towards the world of wrestling. This film also has some decent wrestling action, as well.

In Conclusion:

I've loved the fantasy world of movies since I was a little kid. The films that I've listed above just scratch the surface of good films to watch at 3 in the morning while the rest of the house is sleeping. I hope that if you haven't seen some of these, you get the chance to. They are a mix of fun and reality.

My e-door is always open for your comments and remembrances.

Jay Shannon

Jade89512@yahoo.com