The Iron Claw (wrasslin' film) (2023)

[Blue Jam]

Hmmmmm. Just saw this and think it may be the most expositiony film I have seen that wasn't a spoof.

On the plus side the fight choreography is excellent, but that may be why the trailer drew me in. Bit of a wasted opportunity. 2/5.

[Nice Relaxing Poo]

I liked it. I remember listening to a podcast about the family and finding it hard to believe just how fucked up everything was for them. The film wasn't quite as I expected but I still enjoyed it.

[sevendaughters]

It's a flawed film, certainly, but I enjoyed it. As someone who has listened to about 60 podcast hours on the history of the von Erichs I know there's a lot of bullshit in there, but I also think some of the changes are justified and make for a more satisfying tone poem about the contrasts between the performance and the reality. I don't know why they missed out

Spoiler alert

an entire also dead by suicide brother

[close]

Zac Efron keep getting weird, do a full Scott Walker

[Goldentony]

ala the lads above i've heard all 1000 hours of the Lapsed Fan covering the Von Erichs so i'll be heading into this unable to stop the critical part of my mind cryarsing about all the wrong details, but i'm really, really looking forward to a dramatised version of this story. I;ve yet to but I really need to get into the two WCCW documentaries again before seeing it.

[Stone Cold Steve Austin]

Tried not to be too pedantic about not matching the real story in this but there were too many things I didn't like about this. I think the real life counterparts of everyone involved are far more interesting and compelling than their portrayals. The reality of Kerry's amputation and aftermath could have been the movie itself. I know why Zac Efron was Kevin, he's the lead because he's the one who survives, but christ it would have been better if he and Jeremy Allen White switched roles.

Watch Heroes of World Class instead

[thugler]

The roids are strong in this one.

[cincoveces05]

Just watched this today, the Ric Flair took me out of the film more than anything has before. Ridiculous

[Memorex MP3]

There's way too much to cover for a film surely? It's also probably a bit too relentlessly one note to work as a series as well.

[ProvanFan]

Sid Justice, I've followed you across the great sea to present you with a gift. A gift that must be hand delivered.

The gift, is a tombstone.

Rest in peace ... Sid ... Justice.

[Goldentony]

There's way too much to cover for a film surely?

this came across like the case but I did really enjoy this.

I can understand watching it now why Chris was left out if they had to commit to the running time because you're basucally telling Mike's story twice which in a film where every cunt

Spoiler alert

dies

[close]

already.

I dunno, it's a weird one. I couldnt get my head around why so much of the wrestling was presented as a real athletic contest but thinking about it now I think the scene in the diner between Efron and his wife explains the approach a bit, you know where she asks if it's fake and Kevin gives a very good answer basically saying it is but you also do actually tend to rise based on merit like any other job, and again job rather than athletic contest there, but scenes like Kevin 'shooting' on Flair are a bit too into fantasy territory for me.

Flair thing was fine I thought other than the accent and face, no idea what the fuck everyones crying about.

Fritz could have been shown as so much more of a monster but I feel like Kevin might have had a bit of input in this but the decision to make him this ice cold uncaring absent cunt who early on is an Athletic Contest Exposition Machine but drops all trace of fatherhood and humanity like Doris does the minute any of the brothers actually need them definitely worked.

Docked a few stars for billing King Kong Brody as Bruiser Brody in the Texas territory, Simply unforgivable mistake. 0/10.

I liked it anyway and I feel like it might be too subtle with how horrible coping was for them and I don't think the drugs thing was focused on hard enough because the Von Erich boys were supposedly more drug than human. Legally though could you show Bruiser Brody flushing pills down a Japanese toilet and lying to bizzies?

[Moj]

I figure the filmmakers completely ignored all the brothers' druggy arseholery because the film hinges on you liking them.

They could have gone in harder on Fritz. Fritz doesn't come out of the film as markedly worse than Doris. I was expecting more from the toxic shock stuff, and I thought they were going to have Kevin being uncomfortable with the constant Parades of Champions and/or the Fritz heart attack stuff.

[Moj]

Legally though could you show Bruiser Brody flushing pills down a Japanese toilet and lying to bizzies?

They showed him being friendly and helpful to other wrestlers, and I'm pretty sure they also show him selling at some point, so they're already taking a few liberties with his characterisation.

[sevendaughters]

Fritz was far too played down. He is an absolute chode in real life. This is Kevin's misty eyed version where he plays everything down.

Thought all the depictions of historical wrestlers like Race, Hernandez, Brody, and Flair was well done. I had no issues at all with the presentation of World Class. The film seemed to oscillate between it being pure theatre and in-ring stuff being relevant to external material, which was probably not that true here, it's not Bret or something.

[Goldentony]

They showed him being friendly and helpful to other wrestlers, and I'm pretty sure they also show him selling at some point, so they're already taking a few liberties with his characterisation.

ha! although I see they didn't make him take the pin so marks for that at least

[Goldentony]

Fritz was far too played down. He is an absolute chode in real life. This is Kevin's misty eyed version where he plays everything down.

I replayed the first Lapsed Fan episode of the WCCW coverage and forgot Fritz pointed a gun at Kev once APPARENTLY and told him he wasnt man enough to kill himself

[Moj]

I replayed the first Lapsed Fan episode of the WCCW coverage and forgot Fritz pointed a gun at Kev once APPARENTLY and told him he wasnt man enough to kill himself

Out of all the shit they couldn't have put in the film (that, the cat story, Chris and the prostitute) I'm surprised they didn't use the "WWF tries to get Kerry banned because of the fake leg" bit, or maybe Kerry accidentally blading himself pre-match due to being out of it. It would have added more to Kerry's downward spiral.

Also, amongst the slightly dodgy casting, Holt McCellany is absolutely perfectly cast as Fritz.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Kevin and Kerry Go Large

This was pretty good. Not as good as the The Wrestler, but better than Fighting With My Family. I'd never even heard of the Von Erich family, so I've no opinion on how factual it is. It's probably for the best that they cut out the other brother, as it was a bit overstuffed as it is.

The cast all do fine work, although Lily James seemed a bit wasted. Maura Tierney was interesting as the mum but didn't get enough screentime (it's unclear whether she was a willing participant in the abuse, or also under Fritz's thumb). I did a double take when I saw Harris Dickinson in the credits, as I hadn't recognised him at all. If they ever do another Incredible Hulk film, they could save some money on effects by just painting Zach Efron green.

I was also confused by whether the matches were supposed to be fixed or not.

I think it's time to retire "Tom Sawyer" as a shorthand for the '80s.

[Stone Cold Steve Austin]

I think it's time to retire "Tom Sawyer" as a shorthand for the '80s.

It was Kerry's entrance music and The Modern Day Warrior was one of his nicknames, rather than just something thrown in for colour

[Keebleman]

The chemistry between the brothers was excellent, which was just as well as the film wouldn't have worked at all otherwise, it would just have been a litany of misery set in a ridiculous milieu.

I did like how the focus was so firmly on the family that it was really quite jarring when we got reminders that these guys were genuine celebrities.  It was like a movie about the Beatles where there was only the occasional interaction with fans or the media.

Other than the scene in the boat near the end, which was a serious tonal misjudgment, the emotional impact never felt gratuitous.  I was just talking to my mother about the film and tried to tell her about the

Spoiler alert

I used to be a brother

[close]

bit, but I just couldn't get it out, I kept choking up.

And like many others I was completely gobsmacked on consulting Wikipedia after watching the movie and learning about Chris Von Erich.

[Bernice]

I was surprised how much I loved this. Not a wrestling guy by any means, so was never going to be too upset with any lack of accuracy or whatever. It's not a great film but something about the bigness of it, the raw power of the thing (David Sims called it a 'thrumming power ballad of a movie' which is pretty spot on) carried it through what could have been a one note or needlessly depressing and broke through into something a little transcendent. And the boat scene at the end really worked for me.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

It was Kerry's entrance music and The Modern Day Warrior was one of his nicknames, rather than just something thrown in for colour

Fair enough. I don't think that comes up in the film though, so it's an in-joke at most.

[The Culture Bunker]

I'll watch this film if it goes on Netflix or one of the other platforms I can access - I remember Kerry for his WWF (as it was) run as the Texas Tornado, where he would run in wearing a "Kerry von Erich" glittery jacket, which I can imagine pissed Vince McMahon off big time.

[Hat FM]

Was quite surprised at the short amount of time Kerry was on the WWF roster. i suppose it was during the period i was massively into it so he was less of a fixture than i remember.

Spoiler alert

Think I was 11 when he took his life. back in those pre internet days you didn't even hear about that sort of thing

[close]

Mad that he kept

Spoiler alert

his amputated foot

[close]

a secret from everyone. apparently he used to shower with his boots on.

Really enjoyed the film. Thought the performances were great and Jeez Zak Efron must have been getting in shape for a couple of years for this one.

[Mobius]

Mad that he kept

Spoiler alert

his amputated foot

[close]

a secret from everyone.

I've always found this insane. Was everyone around him a fucking idiot? I know it seems to be a fact as I've heard it said countless times including on the Lapsed Fan podcast but how do you a) hide that b) have a fucking wrestling career whilst doing so like it's mental