Part 1 of 3 of a long-form interview with Mikey Whiplash.
Social & External
The people behind it
Mikey Whiplash
Billy Kirkwood
Despite a lifetime of adversity, a blind high school wrestler attempts to win a State Championship before the end of his senior year.
Every year, Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine puts out a list of the top 500 wrestlers in the world. This is the story of number 500, the worst of the best. The pain of professional wresting meeting the reality of life.
In a world where the spotlight has long been dominated by men, five trailblazing women step into the ring to carve out their place in West Australian wrestling history — leaving behind stories of grit, triumph, rivalry, and legacy. The Femme Fatales of West Australian Wrestling is a powerful documentary that pulls back the curtain on a scene too often overlooked. Through the journeys of five extraordinary wrestlers — Chili, Harli Hyde, Layla Divine, Michelle K Hasluck, and Roxy Ryot — we explore the highs and hardships of carving a path in a male-dominated sport.
16-time World Champion and 2-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair is one of the most prolific and controversial superstars in professional wrestling history. Flair is a true American icon: from his famous “Woooo” that is still heard in stadiums and arenas throughout the US, to his influence on hip hop music. At 73 years-old Flair remains a constant in American pop culture, but who is the real man behind the outrageous persona? Finally, Flair reveals all, opening up about his storied career, inside and outside of the ring, over the last 50 years.
The rise and fall of wrestler Joanie Chyna Laurer, whose life was cut short in 2016. Her contributions to the WWE business and her pioneering work and her gripping tale of the "comeback" starting in 2015.
Following his infamous championship as part of a marketing stunt for the film Ready to Rumble, David Arquette is widely known as the most hated man in pro-wrestling worldwide. Nearly 20 years after he "won" the initial title, through ups and downs in his career, with his family, and with his struggles with addiction, David Arquette seeks redemption by returning to the ring...for real this time.
The story of the one of the most distinctive and storied championships in the world of sports entertainment and the men who held it.
"Wrestling's Last Rebel" is the definitive look at the life and career of Bruiser Brody told by the people who knew him best. Bruiser Brody was the most unpredictable and charismatic wrestler of all time. Independent, blood, guts, and box office, no one matched Bruiser Brody. Many have tried but there will never be another like him. From becoming a star in the United States to an international mega-star in Japan, Bruiser Brody marched to the beat of his own drum and did things his way. With a rebellious spirit running through his veins, Brody carved out a niche as an independent wrestler before the indies ever existed.
Wrestlers Shane Douglas and Chris Candino make their debuts in this television premiere of the XPW Wrestling League -- a concentrated explosion of hardcore wrestling action culminating in the XPW World Championship. Prepare for excitement in the ring from such intrepid fighters as Big Dick Dudley, Homeless Jimmy, "White Trash" Johnny Webb, Kristi Myst, Lizzy Borden, Supreme and the Messiah.
Hardy Boyz, Dudleyz and Edge & Christian have raised the bar on tag team matches to new heights. Their ladder matches are already the stuff of legend, and they've never met a table they didn't break. If you like over-the-top action and high-flyin' excitement, this show is for you.
A moving, inspirational story that gives viewers a rare glimpse into the world of high school wrestling at one of Los Angeles' most elite and highly touted prep schools. Filled with drama, laughter, and heart, "Junkyard Dogs" is an underdog story that captures the essence of what it takes to be a champion and sheds light on the power and importance of one of the world's oldest sports.
Go beyond extreme and join the unrivaled Paul Heyman for a unique look at ECW, featuring Tommy Dreamer, The Dudley Boyz, and Tazz!
Hear from the stars that worked for and with The Funks including Terry Funk, Dory Funk Jr., Bret Hart, Jim Ross, Gerald Brisco, Steve Corino, Bill Apter, Stan Hansen, JJ Dillon, The Blue Meanie, Bob Armstrong, Dr. Tom Prichard, Harley Race, Larry Matysik, Jimmy Hart, and Ricky Steamboat!
A journey into the lives of the famed Vachon wrestling family through the eyes of Paul “The Butcher” Vachon, the last living member of the dynasty.
Wilbur: The King in the Ring is a comedic documentary, which wrestles with the worldwide obesity plight. Wilbur McDougall, a former pro-wrestler, agrees to let his best friend J. Ollie Lucks make a documentary about his gastric sleeve surgery and subsequent transformation. But in order to stay literally half the man he was, Wilbur will be forced to maintain a healthier lifestyle while Ollie’s altruistic intentions verge on exploitative.
The documentary portrays the life and history of Mexican wrestlers who for various reasons have decided to participate in this contact sport characterizing exotic characters. The exotic refers to the strange, the mysterious, the weird, the unusual. Particularly in wrestling exotic style refers to refined athletes in their clothing, well groomed, with a very special walk, occasionally thin effeminate. Not rude, not technical, but not rare height or size, these mannered gladiators have represented a third option within the Mexican rings, some shamelessly displaying their sexual preference and thereby defying the homophobic, or secretly homophily, mood of the wrestling fans.
"619" isn't just San Diego's area code, it's WWE Superstar Rey Mysterio's signature move, recalling his hometown. Join Rey for this special journey from his humble "619" beginnings...to his days in WCW...to his high-flyin' WWE career. Rey takes us to Mexico, where he first began training. Get Rey's unique perspectives on his fiercest rivals in the business. For the first time anywhere, Rey's family members and WWE Superstars help profile the most acrobatic and unique performer in WWE today.
The most large-scale film ever made about Russian wrestling. The 20-year history of the Independent Wrestling Federation, the stories of its participants, archival footage, and much more.
Behold La Lucha, a "roller derby gone awry" type of sport -- but without the skates -- that calls drag queens, transvestites, mobsters and a menagerie of other characters its fans. But what is it, exactly? This fascinating documentary answers that burning question and more as it examines how this strange duck first came to be and how it grew to become a cult hit, capturing the imagination of audiences far and wide.
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
Ten of Muhammad Ali's former rivals pay tribute to the three-time world heavyweight champion.
9to5 - Days in Porn focuses on the people behind a controversial and multi-billion dollar industry "The Adult Entertainment industry". It depicts their stories, each one different, unadorned and authentic, without glorification or prejudice. It delivers deep insight into their personal lives - from glamorous to grotesque - strange, fascinating, offensive, absurd and sometimes funny moments all at once.
Alex Gibney explores the phenomenon of Stuxnet, a self-replicating computer virus discovered in 2010 by international IT experts. Evidently commissioned by the US and Israeli governments, this malware was designed to specifically sabotage Iran’s nuclear programme. However, the complex computer worm ended up not only infecting its intended target but also spreading uncontrollably.
Fueled by a raging libido, Wild Turkey, and superhuman doses of drugs, Thompson was a true "free lance, " goring sacred cows with impunity, hilarity, and a steel-eyed conviction for writing wrongs. Focusing on the good doctor's heyday, 1965 to 1975, the film includes clips of never-before-seen (nor heard) home movies, audiotapes, and passages from unpublished manuscripts.
This searing investigative work shadows a group of activists risking unimaginable peril to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ program raging in the repressive and closed Russian republic. Unfettered access and a remarkable approach to protecting anonymity exposes this under-reported atrocity–and an extraordinary group of people confronting evil.
An investigation of how Hollywood's fabled stories have deeply influenced how Americans feel about transgender people, and how transgender people have been taught to feel about themselves.
A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments.
A love letter from a young mother to her daughter, the film tells the story of Waad al-Kateab’s life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama, all while cataclysmic conflict rises around her. Her camera captures incredible stories of loss, laughter and survival as Waad wrestles with an impossible choice– whether or not to flee the city to protect her daughter’s life, when leaving means abandoning the struggle for freedom for which she has already sacrificed so much.
Documentary about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans, based on his famous 1994 autobiography.
In 1972, a seemingly typical shoestring budget pornographic film was made in a Florida hotel: "Deep Throat," starring Linda Lovelace. This film would surpass the wildest expectation of everyone involved to become one of the most successful independent films of all time. It caught the public imagination which met the spirit of the times, even as the self-appointed guardians of public morality struggled to suppress it, and created, for a brief moment, a possible future where sexuality in film had a bold artistic potential. This film covers the story of the making of this controversial film, its stunning success, its hysterical opposition along with its dark side of mob influence and allegations of the on set mistreatment of the film's star.
A detailed account of the life and artistic career of legendary filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, from his early days as a video club manager to the scandalous fall in disgrace of producer Harvey Weinstein. A story about how to shoot eight great movies and become an icon of modern pop culture.
The most famous murder scene in movie history comprises 78 camera settings and 52 cuts: the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. 78/52 tells the story of the man behind the curtain and his greatest obsession.
A funny, intimate and heartbreaking portrait of one of the world’s most beloved and inventive comedians, Robin Williams, told largely through his own words. Celebrates what he brought to comedy and to the culture at large, from the wild days of late-1970s L.A. to his death in 2014.
50 years after the legendary fest, Barak Goodman’s electric retelling of Woodstock, from the point of view of those who were on the ground, evokes the freedom, passion, community, and joy the three-day music festival created.
A documentary on the Z Channel, one of the first pay cable stations in the US, and its programming chief, Jerry Harvey. Debuting in 1974, the LA-based channel's eclectic slate of movies became a prime example of the untapped power of cable television.
Andrew Dominik's One More Time With Feeling is a remarkable black and white documentary which chronicles the creation of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds' album Skeleton Tree. Originally a performance based concept, the film evolved into something much more significant as Dominik delved into the tragic backdrop of the writing and recording of the album. The result is stark, fragile and raw, and a true testament to an artist trying to find his way through the darkness. It documents the writing, recording and performing of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ sixteenth studio album, Skeleton Tree.
In 1968, art students Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell made a trippy photo collage for their musician friends Syd, David and Roger. The resulting album and album cover, A Saucerful of Secrets, helped launch two careers: that of Pink Floyd, one of the 70s megabands, and of Hipgnosis, which, over the course of the next 25 years, designed a stream of iconic album covers.
Using archival footage, cabinet conversation recordings, and an interview of the 85-year-old Robert McNamara, The Fog of War depicts his life, from working as a WWII whiz-kid military officer, to being the Ford Motor Company's president, to managing the Vietnam War as defense secretary for presidents Kennedy and Johnson.
Using previously unheard audiotapes recorded shortly after John Belushi’s death, director R.J. Cutler’s documentary feature examines the too-short life of the once-in-a-generation talent who captured the hearts and funny bones of devoted audiences.