Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Grunt! The Wrestling Movie Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 17, 2020

Perhaps inspired by the cult success of “This Is Spinal Tap,” director Allan Holzman (“Forbidden World,” “Out of Control”) attempts to mount his own faux documentary with 1985’s “Grunt! The Wrestling Movie.” Instead of sending-up the world of heavy metal music and band dynamics, Holzman turns his attention to professional wrestling, itself a product of manufactured interactions and results. It’s somewhat bold to poke fun at something that isn’t exactly real, but Holzman aims to please with “Grunt! The Wrestling Movie,” working to bring a level of comedic insanity to the screen, pounding viewers with matches and personalities, holding the whole thing together with a story involving one filmmaker’s mission to find the truth in the midst of madness. It’s not especially funny, but the effort is snappily paced and highlights a special time in pro-wrestling when regional organizations were king, about to be demolished by the domination of the World Wrestling Federation, who debuted their “WrestleMania” extravaganza that very same year.

Leslie Uggams (Jeff Dial) is an aspiring director who’s grown obsessed with the story of “Mad Dog” Joe De Curso (Magic Schwarz). Once a mighty name in the L.A. professional wrestling scene, De Curso’s career was quickly cut short after he decapitated an opponent in 1979, sending the him into obscurity, never to be seen again. When new wrestler The Mask begins to cause a stir, Uggams is curious to know if the silent man under the mask is actually De Curso, electing to make a documentary about the hunt for the missing man’s true identity. Helping with the search is Dr. Tweed (Robert Glaudini), a super fan of De Curso who’s convinced he’s The Mask. Using Dr. Tweed’s connections, Uggams meets with those who knew De Curso best, struggling to get a better understanding of his personal life and temperament. Along the way, the duo visits various gyms and wrestling matches, while De Curso’s title is finally put up for claim, with a battle royal involving a dozen local gladiators organized, including The Mask.

Leslie Uggams certainly has a Marty DiBergi-like vibe, introducing himself to viewers as a man on a mission to learn what happened to one of the most feared wrestlers of his time. “Grunt! The Wrestling Movie” opens with B&W footage of the 1979 match between Mad Dog and Skull Crusher, with the combatants tearing into each other in front of a delighted crowd. The sequence goes on for quite some time, but it climaxes with Skull Crusher literally losing his head while caught in the ropes, causing a tremendous scene. De Curso is quickly booted from the organization, left without work, eventually leading to a suicide jump off the Oakland Bay Bridge. However, business involving his belt isn’t solved for years, finally put up for grabs years later via a battle royal, inspiring the best of the best to step into squared circle and win the championship.

However, before such a spectacle begins, “Grunt! The Wrestling Movie” takes a ride with Uggams and his new friend, Dr. Tweed, an L.A. cabbie who also hustles with a De Curso fan club, keeping the name alive with trinkets to sell. The arrival of The Mask sends Dr. Tweed into a fury, convinced the man is actually De Curso, taking Uggams on an adventure through the seedy gyms and wrestling hot spots of the city. Their focus is on clues, with The Mask using the same moves as De Curso but sports different tattoos, inspiring Uggams to interview a doctor who shares information about limb transplants to get rid of unsightly body art. The pair also meet with De Curso’s high school wrestling coach, his profane ex-manager, and Lola, his ex-lover, who welcomes Uggams and Dr. Tween into her apartment, only to lose control while surrounded by memories of her missing loved one, throwing personal items at the guests, who can’t believe their good fortune.

While “Grunt! The Wrestling Movie” appears to be a mystery, Holzman doesn’t go deep with any sort of puzzle. In fact, the feature takes long breaks from the De Curso question mark to showcase actual wrestling matches with The Mask, giving fans what they expect from a film about “sports entertainment.” Nothing is shot with any sort of style (the production seems to be making it up as it goes), but there’s raw energy to the endeavor. Weird asides are welcome as well, including a visit to a talk show featuring Exotic Adrian Street, a glammy performer. And, for some reason, conservative commentator Wally George pop in for a cameo, challenging guests on his television show, with Holzman possibly equating the worlds of professional wrestling and political punditry. Adding some flavor to the effort are man-on-the-street interviews with wrestling fans, with some of the regular joes delighting in the violence of it all, while the regular janes are fixated on wrestler bodies.

Grunt! The Wrestling Movie Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Billed as a "Brand new 2K scan from the original interpositive," "Grunt! The Wrestling Movie" is pulled from obscurity by Scorpion Releasing, who deliver a decent AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation. A low-budget endeavor shot primarily with quaky handheld camerawork, "Grunt" isn't pretty to look at, but modest amounts of detail come through, surveying angry crowds and sweaty wrestlers, some wearing textured makeup and masks. L.A. street scenes are passably dimensional, and wrestling sets are open for inspection. Costuming is also varied but not distinctly fibrous. Colors enjoy brighter primaries on outfits, showing off bright tights and capes. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Source has some wear and tear, with a few rough reel changes, speckling, and mild scratches. Judder is detected as well.

Grunt! The Wrestling Movie Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix tries to manage the inherent chaos of "Grunt! The Wrestling Movie," which is often overwhelmed by the tinny noise of crowd activity, triggering crackly highs during the listening event. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, finding loud wrestlers intelligible, while the more frantic comedic beats of the picture are preserved. Scoring efforts are thin but acceptable, along with soundtrack selections, which emerge with clarity. Sound effects and atmospherics are blunt. Mild hiss is detected.

Grunt! The Wrestling Movie Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:14, SD) is included.

Grunt! The Wrestling Movie Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Grunt! The Wrestling Movie" offers silliness as it goes, never taking itself completely serious, and while Holzman doesn't have a firm idea how to create a working "mockumentary," he does have access to enough oddballs and wrestling matches. He saves most of his energy for the final act, which covers the battle royal event, with characters such as Captain Carnage, American Starship Eagle, and The Golden Greek competing with The Mask to claim the belt and Los Angeles glory. Again, camerawork is exceptionally low budget, with Holzman staying outside the ring, letting things happens without interference, hoping to create proper chaos befitting a tale about the madness that is professional wrestling. There have been other pictures made about the industry, showing more interest in technical achievements and journalistic integrity, but "Grunt! The Wrestling Movie" has the advantage of being bizarre (soundtrack selections are all wrestling-themed) and completely of its time, presenting completists with an era-specific look at a boisterous corner of the business.