A grueling snapshot of professional wrestling and the men that just can't walk away; be it the old dogs just hanging in til tomorrow (Jake Roberts, Terry Funk) or the self-destructive entertainer (Mick Foley). Barry Blaustein's camera lingers on its subjects, often unflatteringly; hard to stomach yet engrossing nonetheless. And even though I hate the way it zeroes in on the punishment (like the crying faces of Foley's family as the Rock lays into him with a steel chair ... borders on exploitative) I never stopped watching. You don't have to like it to be sucked in, and I think that's the film's real asset.
Review of Beyond the Mat
