Grunt! The Wrestling Movie

My review was written in November 1985 after a screening at a Loews theater in Coral Springs, Florida.

"Grunt! The Wrestling Movie" is an unfunny, amateurish feature, notable only as the first to be released of three recent productions tied to wrestling's new-found popularity.

Format slavishly imitates that of Rob Reiner's "This Is Spinal Tap". A documentary filmmaker, Lesley Uggams (Jeff Dial) is making a verite film about wrestler Mad Dog Joe Di Curso, who in 1979 accidentally decapitated opponent Skull Crusher Johnson in a match, after which he supposedly committed suicide. Six years later, a new "good guy" wrestler, The Mask, is thought to be Mad Dog Joe and Uggams boringly interviews anybody on the subject while incorporating old footage of Mad Dog in action and lensing The Mask's matches.

Screenwriter Roger D. Manning and director Allan Holzman err in merely presenting a series of cliches about wrestling, featuring unknown or relatively obscure wrestlers. The viewer may nod in recognition or perhaps nod off into slumberland, but for laughs the televised real matches are far more exaggerated and laugh-producing. Photography is alternately pretentious or incompetent, but mainly designed to lamely hide the fact (through low angle and smoked sets) that even at a massive 10-man elimination tournament are only about 20 extras in the audience for this low-budget opus, not the 20,000 who show up for the real thing. Artsy editing and other tech credit are way below par.

I'm surprised that I never heard of this movie before. Even though it's about wrestling, you don't need to like or even know anything about wrestling to enjoy it. There are a few things that don't make sense though. Georgia Wrestling having all it's title matches in California. The commissioner saying there will be 10 guys in the battle royale(and posters saying the same), then there were 12 guys in it. And being able to pin guys in a battle royale, not to mention the guy who goes under the bottom rope and is out. But those little details don't hurt the over all movie.

Its 1979 "Mad Dog" Joe Decurso accidentally decapitates his opponent in a championship match. After the match "Mad Dog" goes into hiding (many rumours say he killed himself by jumping off the golden gate bridge.) Years later the decapitation controversy comes up again and wrestling fans and promoters want a new champion. In comes "The Mask" a wrestler who's wrestling style is very similar to what mad dog use to wrestle like. Join documentary film maker Leslie Uhgums and the president of the "Mad Dog" Joe Decurso fan club as they follow "The Mask" and try to figure out, is Joe the mask? or is the mask, Joe?

Great, Great Comedy featuring many all time great wrestlers and the legendary Wally George.

I'm a wrestling fan, it's a not so guilty pleasure and I've always found it sad that wrestling hasn't been the theme of more movies over the years. I think the two go together really well and I think I was one of the half dozen people on the planet who actually enjoyed Ready To Rumble (2000).

Grunt is filmed like a documentary, it tells the story of a man making a film about a mysterious wrestler who fell off the face of the earth many years before. A new wrestler on the scene wearing a mask has a lot of similarities, are they one and the same?

The whole film is SO 80's and filled me with nostalgia. From the great soundtrack to the vhs appearance and the old school wrestling action!

Though not the best constructed (Or written) there is fun to be had here but I think it will only be appreciated by actual wrestling fans, the novelty will likely be lost on everyone else.

If you grew up with the spectacle of small town wrestling this might really appeal to you.

Though advertised as a comedy the laughs are few and far between, and when the laughs do occur they lack consistency. The film keeps a straight face then suddenly veers into Airplane (1980) territory.

There is fun to be had, but if you don't like grappling action you may not find it.

The Good:

Great soundtrack

Has some fun moments

The Bad:

Writing is patchy

Where is the comedy?

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Title reigns should not end due to decapitation

What happened was both horrifying and shocking

Wrestling needs more booby distractions!

People born on leap years only get birthdays once every 4 years

In this bizzare parallel universe folks who sport the confederate flag cheer minorities

This movie was great. Since I am a pro wrestler, I can honestly say this is exactly how a lot of the business is run! This movie is campy & strange at times but, hey, so is pro wrestling! I highly reccommend this movie to any pro wrestling fan.