4. The Unreal Story of Pro Wrestling
Produced by A&E at the tail end of the 1990's, this wrestling documentary is the best visual representation of sports-entertainment's elaborate history that I've ever seen. Tracing professional wrestling right back to the days of legitimate contests at carnival "at" shows, before bringing us bang up to date (for the time), this meticulously researched film features a slew of illuminating interviews with all-time wrestling legends like Harley Race, Lou Thesz, Dusty Rhodes, Killer Kowalski and Verne Gagne, as well as latter day legends like Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Big Show and many more. Entire sections dedicated to Ed "The Strangler" Lewis (arguably the most important wrestler who ever laced up a pair of boots) and Andre The Giant (the most beloved wrestler of all time), allow the viewer to trace wrestling's lineage from the carnival tent all the way to the sold out arena. Along the way, modern day fans have a chance to see some of the all-time legends in action, people like Argentina Rocca, Angelo Poffo (father of Macho Man Randy Savage), Nature Boy Buddy Rogers, Gorgeous George and Fritz Von Erich, who are all seen in their barrel-chested prime, fighting fit before unruly, fired up crowds. Academics, psychologists, amateur wrestlers and cultural commentators join in the fun, but far from being rendered as finger waggers or talking heads, their input is weighty and well considered. However, despite the sometimes academic tone of this film, it is the wrestlers who are given the last say on their business and their profession, with none other than Vince McMahon telling us "it's a magic show and we're not gonna tell you how we make our magic" as one of the bespoke academics takes his lumps from septuagenarian female wrestling legends Fabulous Moolah and Mae Young. Writer Chris Mortensen approaches wrestling as a piece of American cultural history, leaving no stone uncovered in his thoroughly objective and professional appraisal of wrestling as a captivating art form and/or guilty pleasure. Despite being (to the best of my knowledge) a made-for TV movie, The Unreal Story of Pro Wrestling is the kind of serious study that sports-entertainment not only needs, but also thoroughly deserves. Beginning with the first big World title bout between Georg Hackenschmidt and Frank Gotch and going up to today's packed pay-per-view events, wrestling has remained popular for over a hundred years, bookending the 20th century with huge surges in popularity. The Unreal Story of Pro Wrestling is a great piece of historical documentation. Possibly the best film of its kind ever made.