You Cannot Kill David Arquette

Greetings again from the darkness. I'll admit to knowing very little about professional wrestling, so this was the first I had heard about actor David Arquette's scandal from nearly 20 years ago, as he promoted his movie READY TO RUMBLE (2000). Documentarian David Darg and Video director Price James collaborate here as co-directors to deliver a documentary on one of the strangest, most off-the-wall stories I've ever seen ... and one that fits well with the reputation of the professional wrestling world.

In a sport that thrives on good guy vs bad guy, David Arquette became the most hated man in wrestling. The power brokers in the industry determined a publicity stunt with his becoming WCW Champion would lead to a boon for the business. The fan and wrestler backlash was harsh and severe, and Arquette claims it made him persona non grata in both the sport and in Hollywood, though his math doesn't add up. He discloses his "10 years of rejections" for acting roles, when the wrestling brouhaha goes back 20 years. And on top of that, he has worked pretty consistently over those two decades - albeit mostly in projects that don't appeal to mainstream audiences.

So all these years later, here comes David Arquette in his attempt to re-enter the world of wrestling and gain respect from those that think he disrespected their beloved sport. The temptation here is to label the documentary and Arquette a joke, but he seems so sincere in his desire to find his way, that we catch ourselves following his journey with interest. And it's not always easy to do so. There is one moment in particular: Arquette is wearing a purple bedazzled wizard cape while sitting on a horse and vaping, when he states, "I'm sick of being a joke". Umm.

Arquette is likely best known for his role in the SCREAM movies, of which there were four between 1996 and 2011, and a fifth is on the way for 2021. Or perhaps he is best known as the ex-husband of "Friends" star Courteney Cox, with whom he has a daughter. Then again, maybe his fame is derived from being part of a family entrenched in entertainment. This includes his acting sisters Rosanna, Patricia and Alexis (who died in 2016), brother Richmond, father Lewis (a well-established character actor), and grandfather Cliff, who created the popular character Charley Weaver.

We meet Arquette's wife Christine McLarty (who looks like she could be Courteney Cox's younger sister), a career news reporter who is now a film producer, and she seems to share our confusion on why David is pursuing this at age 46 - after a heart attack, which resulted in stints and blood thinners. When he speaks of his previous alcoholism, anxiety, and other mental and physical health issues, we hope this is his way of improving his health. However, as we follow him on the road, we realize, it really is about the wrestling and redemption.

The journey leads to a "backyard wrestling" match where amateurs looking to humiliate the actor pretty much beat the heck out of him. It's at this point where he decides to train, and heads off to a facility in Virginia, followed by Cancun and Tijuana street wrestling, segments that prove quite entertaining. The pride of a wrestling match is mentioned, and we watch a ROCKY segment where Arquette chases a chicken, and is called "crazy white boy" while a Spanish version of "The Last Kiss" is played. I warned you this was a strange one.

At times we can't help but think this is a hoax in the same way in which Joaquin Phoenix parlayed his acting "retirement" into I'M STILL HERE, a mockumentary on his pursuit of a hip hop career. The difference is that Arquette really trains and really wrestles, ending with a match at the "Legends of Wrestling" in Detroit against Ken Anderson. This is a film that feels like a gag when it starts, but very real by the end. It's not enough to motivate me to go back and watch some of those terrible David Arquette movies, but it's enough to tip my cap to a man pursuing respect and redemption.

In the early 2000s, David Arquette entered the world of professional wrestling to promote 'Ready To Rumble (2000)'. After a few matches, he received the world title in a scripted scenario designed to draw attention to the sport. This didn't go down well with most wrestling fans, who saw it as a slap in the face to not only them but also the wrestlers who devoted their entire lives getting ready to rumble. Arquette's introduction to wrestling was already seen as a Hollywood handout, a bad joke played at the expense of the true fans, but his winning of the title was the icing on the cake. Arquette was the most hated wrestler, maybe even person, in the world... at least, that's what it felt like to him. It took twenty years, but Arquette finally decided he didn't want to be taken as a joke anymore; he decided to prove all of wrestling fandom wrong; he decided to re-enter the world of professional wrestling for real.

The result of that re-entry is 'You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020)', a documentary that details the actor's very real reintegration into the community he had been ostracised from. It's essentially a vanity piece, a portrait of a surprisingly likeable yet undeniably flawed would-be Hollywood star (that's right, Hollywood ostracised him too). Whether Arquette is picking at old wounds out of a genuine desire to finish what he started or out of a need to reactivate the relevance he believes was so cruelly stolen from him is almost irrelevant. As is the blurry line between scripted and sincere, which reflects wrestling's own sly subversions of reality. The only thing that matters is that the end result is an endearing and involving experience that takes you on a distinct journey along with its star. Arquette appears to have an honest passion for wrestling, able to list off a whole host of childhood favourites. His bitterness towards his career is balanced with his joy for the sport, the sense that he truly cares what the fans think and is only seeking to prove that he always took them as seriously as he wants them to take him. When his infectious energy is met with good faith, the wrestling sequences are surprisingly fun (unlike the stories they tell, the matches are real). When it's met with bad faith, however, they're downright upsetting. On two occasions, Arquette is subjected to a match in which his opponents seek to make an example of him, to do him harm for the damage they believe he did to their livelihoods. The worst of these sees Arquette in the hospital with a life-threatening wound on the neck, the result of a sadistic series of slashings that surely can't have been part of the plan. It's painful, unpleasant and impossible to look away from; you feel as though a friend is being hurt in front of you, but you can't do anything except will them to survive. Thankfully, these moments highlight Arquette's determination and genuine nature, while also portraying his opponents as petty and cruel. In the context of the whole journey, they're almost necessary dark points. That's because the narrative framing of the documentary makes sure to position it as a tale of redemption. Whether this reflects real life is, as always, debatable, but it sure makes for an entertaining affair. Though it sometimes lacks real drive and generally feels rather 'made for TV', the picture is an enjoyable and affecting affair throughout. It isn't overly vain or self-involved, painting Arquette and his journey in a good light (which I'm sure is its intention) without feeling false or shying away from the darker elements of either aspect. It's a good documentary that's entertaining even for those who are apathetic towards professional wrestling.

Enjoyable Documentary.. David is eccentric but very entertaining, wrestling fans should enjoy

At the center of this documentary it's all about a man just trying to earn the respect of his peers. I really love how you get this inmate look into David's life with his family and everything he goes through you can see he just wants to not be a joke anymore in the wrestling industry and earn the respect of his peers in the business. throughout this doc you see him put his body through hell to earn the respect of his peers as well as redeem his self to the fans. I really love the trials and tribulations of him dealing with janky promoters to wrestling convention signings to even god damn death match with Nick Gage. One of my favorite parts of the film is when he goes to Tijuana, Mexico to train with some wrestlers. Wrestling in traffic at red lights for change evening hitting a ladder spot. So if you a fan of David Arquette or heard about the death match or even watch WCW back in the day I think you'll like this documentary. not to mention its beautifully shot. Its a solid 9/10 for me. I also have a YouTube channel where we just dropped a review for this movie would love if you guys checked it out at Matt and Garrett take the movies dropping videos every Monday @6pm EST

Having been friends with people that actively watched wrestling-from WWE, WCW and even ECW-the very mention of David Arquette's name was not especially relevant. To my friends, there were far worse things than David Arquette winning a title. There was the mystery of Owen Hart, the Montreal Screw Job, Randy Savage turning his back on Hulk Hogan, Chris Benoit, and even a wide assortment of terrible costumes and ideas. There was even a one legged wrestler named Zach Gowan who took more punishment than any other fighter in history. "God" even headlined a match once. They even had a stereotyped handicap wrestler named Eugene. David Arquette was bad in the eyes of wrestling fans, but c'mon. Brock Lesnar threw a one-legged wrestler down a flight of stairs and even knocked over his stretcher once....in front of the wrestler's mom. Jay Leno won a fight for crying out loud.

For me, the absolute anger caused by Arquette was palpable. Who wouldn't want to be heavyweight champion? Anyway, the grudge carried by wrestling fans was real, so real that Arquette took it upon himself to bring pride and honor to his name....even if no one really witnessed the journey.

The documentary starts off weird enough. Arquette is a typical dad bod with multiple kids, including a daughter that is embarrassed by everything he does within a metric kilometer from her. An epiphany hits Arquette after getting beat up at a backyard wrestling "event." The road paved with fluorescent tube shards and push pins would have to be traversed, with or without shoes.

Arquette trains in Mexico, Virginia and even sets up a ring in his back yard (much to the chagrin of his wife) to prove this is for real. He goes through the motions, winning, losing and even nearly losing his life (which that entire part was eye popping). In the end, he is named one of the 500 best wrestlers in the world, earns respect from those that chastises him and even gets to live out a fetish fantasy.

Now the first half of the film is bizarre. It felt like this was a joke being played out for fun but when we see Arquette cry over a signed mask from a luchador fighter-which is an honor-we fully understand this is for real. Of course, the instant Harvey Levin shows up in TMZ clips, you know this is real life.

The second half of the film has some really deep life affirming stuff, and I will not ruin it for the reader. But be ready, for you will be surprised and saddened. I'm sure David Arquette thought this film would be just a fun idea and an interesting look into his own soul. Instead, it became a fascinating character study shaped in real life. Bravo Mr. Arquette...bravo.