Cinema: Beyond The Mat
Pro wrestling is a business; it's an art; it's a pain. "The more you hurt each other," says veteran Terry Funk, "the more money you make." Funk is one of the stars of this straightforward documentary about a multibillion-dollar, sado-spectacular "sport." Blaustein, co-writer of Eddie Murphy's Coming to America and The Nutty Professor, puts no comic spin on his love of wrestling, but he does get his beefy athlete-artistes to reveal themselves as dedicated, complicated, twisted souls--like any other actors. They know that their punishment is our pleasure.
--By Richard Corliss
Most Popular »
- Five Things the U.S. Can Learn from China
- The H1N1 Pandemic: Is a Second Wave Possible?
- Facebook's Secret Code
- Tiger Gets Mulligan from the TV Networks
- Protests Mount Against Israel's Settlement Freeze
- Why Is SNL's Andy Samberg Nominated for a Rap Grammy?
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- The Troubles at Kroger: Frugal Consumers
- Uganda's Anti-Gay Bill: Inspired by the U.S.
- The FBI Probe: What Went Wrong at Fort Hood?
- The Job Market: Is a College Degree Worth Less?
- The H1N1 Pandemic: Is a Second Wave Possible?
- Remarks of President Barack Obama: Acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize
- Tiger Gets Mulligan from the TV Networks
- The Troubles at Kroger: Frugal Consumers
- Should Wild Animals Become Pets to Ward Off Extinction?
- Facebook's Secret Code
- Uganda's Anti-Gay Bill: Inspired by the U.S.
- Obama Shrinks the War on Terrorism
- Parents' Sex Talk with Kids: Too Little, Too Late
Top Stories on TIME.com
Quotes of the Day »
GUILLAUME MORAND, a Swiss businessman and non-Muslim who has built a minaret above his company building to protest his country's decision to ban the architectural features
RSS