4. No Holds Barred
Director: Thomas J. Wright. Starring: Hulk Hogan, Kurt Fuller. In an episode of Monday Night Raw, commentator Jerry Lawler jokingly referred to WWE Studios first film as No Profits Allowed (!) Admittedly, No Holds Barreds mixture of wrestling promotion and low-budget action flopped at the box-office, proving that there were limits to Hulk Hogans appeal as a mainstream star. However, the film exists today as a reminder that the Hulkster once posed a physical threat to Hollywood, possessing the same level of momentum that the Rock would successfully capitalize on in the late 1990s. In No Holds Barred, professional wrestler Rip (Hulk Hogan) is roughed up by a promoter after refusing to sign to a rival wrestling company. The chaos which ensues is remarkably adult for a film aimed at a family audience: Hogans love interest is almost raped, his friends are threatened with death and the antagonist falls into an electrical panel and dies. Whats more the film actually tied into a WWE storyline, culminating in an execrable pay-per-view fight between Hogan and Zeus. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVi1JNohMdg The movie currently holds an impressive 0% on RottenTomatoes.com, which makes it a must-watch for connoisseurs of terrible cinema. Also, there are shades of Hogans own defection to WCW in the first half of the movie, which makes for some interesting viewing. A hidden gem, surely?