Review of Beyond the Mat (1999) by Jack C — 02 Mar 2009

This film is very much uncompromising in the way it presents what it is to wrestle. This films gets to the nuts and bolts of what it truly means to take and hit and what it will cost you later on. The film most disturbing aspects about this film aren't how the wrestling profession affects the wrestler himself, but how it affects those closest to them.

I really was intrigued by the Jake The Snake Roberts and the Mick Foley parts of the doc as they were really the ones that got to my emotionally. After watching this film, I found a new respect for wrestlers who can keep this up into old age and why so many of them fail after a while.

You can also tell that this film inspired and is a companion piece to Darren Aronfosky's THE WRESTLER (2008) Overall, I think this is definitely a worthwhile documentary for those who like me enjoyed wrestling when they were kids.

I'd definitely give this one a solid matinee.