Giving 1000%!
by Martin Hafer
Lucha Mexico is a new documentary from Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz and rarely would a documentary make it to my You Aint’ Seen Nothin’ Yet series…films that are so weird, so bizarre and so unbelievable that you just have to see them. And, regardless of what you think about pro wrestling, you really have to see this to believe it!
The film is about the Mexican pro wrestling industry and it’s quite different from the American version. Of course there is the same pageantry, bikini-clad girls and acting…but what makes the Luchadores so different is just how much they are willing to give as well as the strangeness of some of the characters. They are, in essence, like modern gladiators—and often wearing masks or very elaborate costumes! For example, the wrestler, Shocker, who claims to be ‘1000% guapo’ (1000% handsome), gives far, far more than the American wrestlers…and he shows you the injuries to prove it! The back-flips off the ropes into the crowd, the blood, the various broken bones, torn ligaments and even deaths are what sets this group apart from the American wrestling organizations. And, yes, I said deaths…as one of the famous wrestlers featured in this film actually died in the ring…all to entertain the crowds! In addition to incredible athleticism, you see a lot of other weird things that set Mexican wrestlers apart. My favorite is Kemonito…a very, very tiny man who sports a blue ape costume and who gets tossed about like a rag doll!! Again, you ain’t seen nothin’ until you see Kemonito taking more abuse than a human ought to be able to take! And, you certainly could never get away with that here in the States!!!
- Lucha Mexico
- Directed by
Alex Hammond & Ian Markiewicz - Cast
Perro Aguayo Jr., Jon Anderson, Matt Bloom - Release Date
15 July 2016 - Martin’s Grade: A
So why do I recommend you see this film? Of course, the wrestling action is intense and hard to believe….but I think you also should see it because Hammond and Markiewicz do something that I like in documentaries…they say nothing. There is no narration and instead the wrestlers talk to the camera—sharing their stories, injuries and experiences in the ring and out. They are a lot of interesting folks… like American wrestler Jon Strongman as well as Los Rudos, the Rude Guys who the anti-heroes of the ring. All have fascinating stories. But what you can’t help but wonder is why??? Why abuse their bodies this badly? Especially since audiences aren’t always that big and they can’t possibly get rich doing this to themselves. And, what do their families think of all this? The film is thought-provoking and never, ever is dull! Well worth seeing and, at times, shocking! And, it just became available through Netflix’s streaming service.
