Wrestling Isn't Wrestling
| Wrestling Isn't Wrestling | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Max Landis |
| Written by | Max Landis |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | Max Landis Chloe Dykstra Ana Walczak Lola Blanc Andi Layne |
| Cinematography | Stephen Sorace |
| Edited by | Andy Holton |
| Music by | Evan Goldman |
Production company | Adjacent LA |
Release date | March 16, 2015 |
Running time | 24 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Wrestling Isn't Wrestling is a 2015 short film written and directed by Max Landis. Released for free on YouTube, the film retells the story of WWE professional wrestler Triple H. Like Landis's 2012 short The Death and Return of Superman, it consists of an unscripted monologue by Landis on the subject matter, accompanied by sequences with actors performing the parts in the story.
Plot
In response to the common saying that "wrestling isn't real", Max Landis says that its death-defying stunts make it "more real than any other show". He suggests that people who criticize wrestling on grounds of realism have probably never watched it, citing its outlandish and overtly fantastical storylines and clarifying that it is actually "a TV show about a wrestling show". In an effort to demonstrate wrestling's capacity to tell "interesting, diverse, and compelling stories", Landis recounts the story of his favorite wrestler, Triple H, and his journey from insecure aristocrat to champion and eventual corporate sellout.
Cast
Main
- Max Landis as himself
- Chloe Dykstra as Triple H
- Ana Walczak as Shawn Michaels
- Lola Blanc as The Undertaker
- Andi Layne as John Cena
- Lissy Smith, Clare Kramer, and Chloe West as DX Army
- Kandiss Lewis as Stephanie McMahon
- Nicole Stark as Randy Orton
- Anna Akana as Batista
- Sideara St. Claire as Ric Flair
- Anna Lore as Daniel Bryan
Cameos
- Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman as themselves
- Cat Alter as Chris Jericho
- Chris Bauer as a referee
- Jenny Becerra as Mankind
- Matt Bennett as a John Cena fan
- Shaun Brown and Moses Storm as friends watching Game of Thrones
- David Arquette as himself
- Graham Denman as Paul Bearer
- Rose Chirillo Road Warrior Hawk
- Charley Feldman as Road Warrior Animal
- Brittany Furlan as Goldberg
- Bill Goldberg as himself
- Morgan Krantz as Superman
- Hannah Landberg as Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Clare Lourdes as X-Pac
- Lissy Smith as Road Dogg
- Alita LaShae as The Rock
- Milana Vayntrub as The Ultimate Warrior
- Brad Gage and Matt Cohen as strip club crowd
- Chloe West as Billy Gunn
- Nicole Stark as Randy Orton
- Sam Witwer as Chyna
- Seth Green and Macaulay Culkin as DX fans
- Chris Spradlin, Darren Criss, Haley Joel Osment, Shad Gaspard, Stephen Ford, Josh Peck, Scott Colton, Nicholas Braun, Becky Bayless and David Blue as theater audience members
- John Landis as a therapist
Production
Funded entirely by Landis, the film was shot at thirty locations throughout Los Angeles over the course of three weeks. It features a cast of close to a hundred extras, with most people involved working for free.[1] Ron Howard was intended to make a cameo appearance, as he did in The Death and Return of Superman, but was unavailable for filming.[2]
Reception
Writing for the Wall Street Journal, Michael Calia said that Landis's characterization of wrestling as "packed with the stuff of fiction, both good and terrible" was "not exactly a new insight", but said that Landis "defends wrestling in a fun, inventive way".[3]
The video was praised by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, both of whom it depicts as characters.[4] The short earned Landis a position as a creative consultant on WWE Raw.[5]
References
- ^ Landi, Max (2015). "Wrestling Isn't Wrestling". Max Landis Writes. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ^ Lussier, Germain (March 17, 2015). "VOTD: Max Landis' Short Film 'Wrestling Isn't Wrestling'". /Film. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
- ^ Calia, Michael (March 17, 2015). "Max Landis Defends the Power of WWE Storytelling in 'Wrestling Isn't Wrestling'". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Killam, Mike (March 22, 2015). "Triple H & Stephanie Respond to "Wrestling Isn't Wrestling" Video, New WWE Creative Member on Ring of Honor TV This Weekend". wrestlezone.com. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
- ^ Sapp, Sean Ross (February 21, 2016). "'Wrestling Isn't Wrestling' Creator Says He's Been A Consultant For WWE For The Past Year". Wrestling Inc.