Grunt! The Wrestling Movie (1985) User Reviews

Grunt! The Wrestling Movie: Wrestling fans should appreciate it

[Platypuschow · 6/10 · 21 November 2018]

I'm a wrestling fan, it's a not so guilty pleasure and I've always found it sad that wrestling hasn't been the theme of more movies over the years. I think the two go together really well and I think I was one of the half dozen people on the planet who actually enjoyed Ready To Rumble (2000).

Grunt is filmed like a documentary, it tells the story of a man making a film about a mysterious wrestler who fell off the face of the earth many years before. A new wrestler on the scene wearing a mask has a lot of similarities, are they one and the same?

The whole film is SO 80's and filled me with nostalgia. From the great soundtrack to the vhs appearance and the old school wrestling action!

Though not the best constructed (Or written) there is fun to be had here but I think it will only be appreciated by actual wrestling fans, the novelty will likely be lost on everyone else.

If you grew up with the spectacle of small town wrestling this might really appeal to you.

Though advertised as a comedy the laughs are few and far between, and when the laughs do occur they lack consistency. The film keeps a straight face then suddenly veers into Airplane (1980) territory.

There is fun to be had, but if you don't like grappling action you may not find it.

The Good:

Great soundtrack

Has some fun moments

The Bad:

Writing is patchy

Where is the comedy?

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Title reigns should not end due to decapitation

What happened was both horrifying and shocking

Wrestling needs more booby distractions!

People born on leap years only get birthdays once every 4 years

In this bizzare parallel universe folks who sport the confederate flag cheer minorities

Lots of fun for true pro-wrestling fans.

[ShiZ · 19 February 1999]

This film is shot as a pseudo-documentary about a wrestler who disappears after killing an opponent. If you are a big fan of pro wrestling, then I think you will get a kick out of this film. If you are not a big fan, you still might find this amusing, but it is mostly meant for the die-hard fans. I dig B-movies, so I bought this one. I recommend it.

Woof!

[BandSAboutMovies · 3/10 · 12 May 2020]

Once, years ago, "Skull Crusher" Johnson took on Mad Dog Joe De Curso for the title. Johnson got caught in the ropes, Mad Dog hit a dropkick and "Skull Crusher's" head went flying into the crowd. After being acquitted of manslaughter, Mad Dog attached the judge and bailiff, went to jail and then jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge.

But what about the world title? Well, seeing as how he didn't have a head, Johnson hasn't defended it in six years, which is the first of many cues that this movie doesn't understand wrestling all that well. But now, wrestlers from all over will appear in a battle royal to pick the next champ. And one of those wrestlers, The Mask, just might be Mad Dog.

We get to watch The Mask battle in a two on one match - again, this movie has no real idea how wrestling works and it's about wrestling - against Dick Murdoch and Richard Beyer, who are billed here as the Grunt Brothers. I'm assuming that Beyer is Dick Beyer, otherwise known as Mr. X and most famously, the Sensational Intelligent Destroyer. The Mask wins this match when his valet shows her breasts to the twosome, which seems to be a way beyond early 80's finish.

The movie episodically presents a mockumentary where we see The Mask battle against other wrestlers like El Toro (Mondo Guerrero, doing dives way before anyone else), American Starship Eagle (Dan Spivey, whose other partner in American Starship was Coyote, or Scott Hall; he went on to be Waylon Mercy and helped develop the Bray Wyatt character), Commie Warhead, Captain Carnage, "The Golden Greek" John Tolos and "Exotic" Adrian Street.

Old school - really old school - fans will recognize Victor River as Skull Crusher, Matilda the Hun from the original GLOW as Queen Kong, Steve Pardee, Count Billy Varga, El Goliath, "Irish" Pat Barrett, Bill Anderson and Pistol Pete Marquez in the movie.

Mad Dog is played by Magic Schwarz, who was Smasher in Over the Top and Poker in Stone Cold. The Mask is Steve Strong, who in addition to wrestling, was also in the Bo Derek movie Tarzan the Ape Man and Looker. Captain Carnage is played by "Man of Steel" Bill Grant, a weightlifter who is in Puming Iron.

Most interestingly, Wally George shows up. Yes, in today's conservative Fox News-style television world, Wally is forgotten. But at one point, "Mr. Conservative" was the innovator of combat TV, which was just as fake as pro wrestling, but made for some entertaining trash. He'd go on to appear in Repossessed and A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, as well as commentary on RollerGames, the sadly abortive 1990's attempt to bring back roller derby before it went from worked sport to real one, which is exactly the opposite trajectory of pro wrestling. George was married six times and before you say he contributed nothing of value to this world, know that he's the father of Rebecca De Mornay.

This all came from the mind of Allan Holzman, who made the absolutely deranged Forbidden World for Roger Corman. After knowing that, this all makes so much more sense.

Terrific Movie For Wrestling Fans Of Any Age And Especially The Veteran Fans.

[mikecanmaybee · 7/10 · 7 September 2020]

Grunt, is one of the best wrestling movie's I have watched with a fabulous performance by Robert Glaudini as the absurdly self assured (Dr. Tweed). Jeff Dial as a documentary film maker who's subject is the identity of undefeated wrestler the (Mask), played by real life wrestler Steve Strong, gives Dr. Tweed enough room to do his hilarious thing. The light hardheartedness of the film made with a number of entertaining Vignette's combined with some great old school wrestling action including legends Dirty Dick Murdock and the real life Mr.X Dick Beyer make for a great time. Lydie Denier as manager (Angel Face) does a fine job and is so beautiful that she drew my eye no matter who else was in the scene. I loved Dr. Tweed and the wrestling gang who have even topped the excellent "Body Slam" in the hierarchy of wrestling movies IMHO.

Pretty funny.

[13Funbags · 7/10 · 12 October 2019]

I'm surprised that I never heard of this movie before. Even though it's about wrestling, you don't need to like or even know anything about wrestling to enjoy it. There are a few things that don't make sense though. Georgia Wrestling having all it's title matches in California. The commissioner saying there will be 10 guys in the battle royale(and posters saying the same), then there were 12 guys in it. And being able to pin guys in a battle royale, not to mention the guy who goes under the bottom rope and is out. But those little details don't hurt the over all movie.

So bad it's good!

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 23 August 2020]

Grunt! The Wrestling Movie is so bad it's good. Being stuck home with Covid one needs escapism. With today's P C cancel culture, and the mix of Covid end of the world news I had enough of all the negativity and Grunt! The Wrestling Movie is the cure. There is always a heavy social message, and lecture in today's media and Grunt! The Wrestling Movie is the complete opposite and is just plan stupid. The story is stupid! A decapitated wrestler, and there is self exiled Mad dog has a mockumentary tries to figure out if Maddog is the mask makes my eye rolls for such a story. The films mix of Wrestling with rock music is a great gimmick! What works here is: The Wrestling tonight song is funny. The Wally George interview with the smuggled Russia tape is hilarious. The midget pyramid wrestling scene is awesome! The Adrian Street show is so over the top. Very 80's theme wrestling. Grunt! The Wrestling Movie reflects 80's wrestling in it's prime 80's with a style funny wrestling stunts, commentary, and promotions. The ending is memorable in a stupid way. Run don't walk and get your tickets today. 7 stars.

This is to wrestling what Spinal Tap was to music

[marcicw · 10/10 · 6 July 2003]

This movie was great. Since I am a pro wrestler, I can honestly say this is exactly how a lot of the business is run! This movie is campy & strange at times but, hey, so is pro wrestling! I highly reccommend this movie to any pro wrestling fan.

Awesome Flick

[nausler2 · 10/10 · 27 October 2004]

Its 1979 "Mad Dog" Joe Decurso accidentally decapitates his opponent in a championship match. After the match "Mad Dog" goes into hiding (many rumours say he killed himself by jumping off the golden gate bridge.) Years later the decapitation controversy comes up again and wrestling fans and promoters want a new champion. In comes "The Mask" a wrestler who's wrestling style is very similar to what mad dog use to wrestle like. Join documentary film maker Leslie Uhgums and the president of the "Mad Dog" Joe Decurso fan club as they follow "The Mask" and try to figure out, is Joe the mask? or is the mask, Joe?

Great, Great Comedy featuring many all time great wrestlers and the legendary Wally George.

This movie captures the classic image of American Wrestling in the 80's as cheap entertainment.

[rochfordsimon · 9/10 · 10 May 2020]

Mockumentary style 'B' comedy, that follows the world of regional Pro-Wrestling, as a reporter searches for a lost wrestler under the guise of 'The Mask'.

It's slap stick at times and set up to let you think wrestling is real (for the sake of the story), while making it entertaining.

If your a wrestling fan, view this as a tongue in cheek film made for non wrestling fans. If your a non-wrestling fan, this is made for the basic entertainment values of the time with no intention of converting you.

Loses by disqualification

[lor_ · 27 February 2023]

My review was written in November 1985 after a screening at a Loews theater in Coral Springs, Florida.

"Grunt! The Wrestling Movie" is an unfunny, amateurish feature, notable only as the first to be released of three recent productions tied to wrestling's new-found popularity.

Format slavishly imitates that of Rob Reiner's "This Is Spinal Tap". A documentary filmmaker, Lesley Uggams (Jeff Dial) is making a verite film about wrestler Mad Dog Joe Di Curso, who in 1979 accidentally decapitated opponent Skull Crusher Johnson in a match, after which he supposedly committed suicide. Six years later, a new "good guy" wrestler, The Mask, is thought to be Mad Dog Joe and Uggams boringly interviews anybody on the subject while incorporating old footage of Mad Dog in action and lensing The Mask's matches.

Screenwriter Roger D. Manning and director Allan Holzman err in merely presenting a series of cliches about wrestling, featuring unknown or relatively obscure wrestlers. The viewer may nod in recognition or perhaps nod off into slumberland, but for laughs the televised real matches are far more exaggerated and laugh-producing. Photography is alternately pretentious or incompetent, but mainly designed to lamely hide the fact (through low angle and smoked sets) that even at a massive 10-man elimination tournament are only about 20 extras in the audience for this low-budget opus, not the 20,000 who show up for the real thing. Artsy editing and other tech credit are way below par.