Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Last week on the Howard Stern show, The Wrestler director Darren Aronofsky mentioned he was going to hold a private screening of the film for WWE head Vince McMahon. For those who are wondering how he felt about the movie, I was told by several this weekend that he "hated it" which I am not surprised at. McMahon didn't like Barry Blaustein's Beyond the Mat documentary and this film touches on many of the same themes and points.
I saw the film for a second time over the weekend and remain extremely impressed with the documentary-like feel of it, as if Randy the Ram was a normal personality on the independent scene of the Northeast. As I mentioned in my Elite Hotline after I saw the film the first time during the New York International Film Festival, the performances of Mickey Rourke and Evan Rachel Wood as his daughter are incredibly captivating. Rourke is on screen for 99% of the film and is unbelievable as the broken down former star trying to find something to connect to when it appears he'll have to finally leave the business behind. Marisa Tomei, who's aging stripper character is something of a mirror to Rourke's haggard wrestler, adds a great dimension to the film and really, without that character in the script, "The Wrestler" would be missing a major ingredient. The story itself is a basic one that's been told before but the style of the film and the performances really impress.
Ben sent the following....Just a little side note from your news about the wrestler opening in cinemas in America, i was walking thru my home town today (Carlisle, UK with a population of around 150,000) and on all bus stops and phone boxes are posters promoting the Wrestlers release which is Jan 17th. In Carlisle we get most major motion pictures but not all - so the Wrestler being released here is a pretty big deal.
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
