Iron Claw Review

On Tuesday night, me and my girl had a date night where we went to Red Lobster (had the Steak & Mashed Potatoes) and went to see the movie Iron Claw. I've been itching to see it since I saw the trailer back in November. It's the tragic story of the great Wrestling Family the Von Erichs. If any fan or student of the old school days of Pro Wrestling knows about this family, you get a sense of what this movie will be about. 

I've known or heard many stories about the Von Erichs for many years so I knew a bit of what I was getting into with this film. My wife is a fan of wrestling but knew very little about this family in particular. For the film itself, it was really well done and the actors (especially Zach Efron) did a fantastic job in their roles to the point I believe Zach should be a best nominated for a major film award like a Golden Globe or hell even an Oscar, out of all the roles throughout his career, this one really solidifies him as a powerful dramatic actor (even better than his role as Ted Bundy). 

The film depicts how close mainly the brothers of the family were (Kevin, Kerry, David & Mike) and the events that lead them all except for one to tragic endings. It also depicts how their father (wrestling name Fritz Von Erich) treated them and what was expected of his boys. Some of it was pretty accurate according to the stories I remember and interviews with the real Kevin. However, there are plenty of inaccuracies in the story and if anybody who grew up in Texas Wrestling or followed that family back in the 80's, you can pick up on them almost immediately off the bat especially timeline wise. 

Now when it comes to certain things when it came to inaccuracies, the biggest one was the physique of Zach's version of Kevin. In reality, Kevin was never that well built, he was lean yes but didn't look like a bodybuilder. Kerry however was the bodybuilder of the group and the biggest star of the family and they made Jeremy Allen White (who played Kerry) look more or less like Kevin back then. They did get a good idea on David who was considered the best performer and talker of the group but alas there was some things there that didn't add up. I understand the filmmakers needed to create certain aspects of the story to move the film along, I get that but if you're a wrestling fan and you knew some of the real stuff that went on, it does feel a bit off putting but that's just my opinion.

If someone wasn't a wrestling fan or didn't know a lick of that family, you might think this film has some boring scenes or moments of a tear jerker and shocking depictions of the family dynamic but some may also find it very moving and sad. The end game here is that this isn't your typical drama and it's not a fun go to movie. It is however, an amazing film that has some moments that are cool to watch and have a small chuckle. Whether you're a fan of 80's wrestling or just another movie goer it doesn't matter, it's still a great film to watch and put into perspective what pro wrestling can do to a family even when members were as close as those brothers were. It's a film of appreciation and outlook to what happened to that family and how one member in the end came out of it despite certain trauma physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically to break the cycle that no one thought was possible. 

I don't need to go into anymore details of how inaccurate some things are in the movie, I'll let you do research on that on your own. For us wrestling fans, it wasn't that difficult to find the scrambles. Overall, it is a must watch movie and learning to understand the strong bonds it depicts along with the events of what happened to those brothers. The Von Erich family is tragic in almost every aspect of the word but they left a mark on pro wrestling that still holds dear today for those who grew up in Texas in the 80's watching them closely at the Sportatorium and seeing even a World Title go into the family even for a very short period of time. When you see the legacy of the family that still continues today, you'll get a sense of, despite tragedy, something came out of it that's bittersweet but wholesome in a way that is incredible and triumphant. 

I would give this movie a 8.8/10. 

Having Fun With Your Brothers/Sisters In Physical Culture

            

           When you’re apart of a group that has great admiration for fitness and willing to help you in any way possible, they become more like a family sort of speaks. It’s that camaraderie that just has that special bond that you don’t get from other people in your life. It’s when some of us get together and you never know what’s going to happen. One of my best friends in this type of world is Logan Christopher and he’s one of the first guys that helped me shape up what I’ am today. Whenever I hang out with him, he always ends up putting me in some weird workout situation, one time he pretty much threw me into a kettlebell contest, he even got me on the rock climbing walls after kicking my ass in warm ups, even pushed me to get better at bridging. It’s all about making someone better and the right people will talk to you.

            Helping each other out is one of the coolest things in the world. Sometimes we struggle to make a goal or at times you doubt yourself, that’s when they give you that big slap in the face (figuratively and literally at times) to wake your ass up and make things happen. I had one of those experiences when I spent time with Bud Jeffries when he came around my town in Idaho. He helped me out by putting things in another perspective and from his knowledge and wisdom I learned a lot from him in a very short period of time. When you have someone or some people like that, it’s very rare to find and it be wise to be around those types of people. Even when they might try to hook you up with a couple girls at Wal-Mart (thanks Bud).

            There are people in your life that want to bring you down but they do what they can to hide about it and some are right in your face. When those people don’t believe in you, there will be people that will and they’ll go out of their way at times to tell you so and show you why they do. Being around positive people that share similar goals and want to help you in any way they can, those are the people you want in your life. There are plenty of men and women I've met and even more that I've chatted with more than being in person with but the principles are still the same. I love helping others because I had the opportunity to be helped out by those same people and want to pass that on. Doesn't matter what color your skin is, your background, religion, creed, passion you’re another human being like me who’s doing their best to make it in this world.

            In the world of Physical Culture, just like everybody else sometimes there’s a bit of chaos but in a good way, when you have a group of guys who train their asses off and then get together at a restaurant, its bound to get loud at times, telling stories, cracking jokes and even learn a few tips. Other times when you hang out with each other, they’ll push you like no one else will and at times there’s no remorse. You hear stories go around that are just plain strange and others are just funny as hell (Bud told me a story about Dennis Rogers that just made crack up). Even with all that shit going on, you’ll know when they have your back and give you that love and respect for one another even when one of them is a bit nuts but then again we’re all nuts in our special way.

            You are never alone and you’ll learn sooner or later who your brothers/sisters are in this wacky world because there comes a time when everything is in its place and you share things with other people that even your own family will never understand. It goes back to that bond you don’t see much in this day and age. Find them, learn from them and help each other out because eventually, success will be well in reach and you’ll soon find out how you got there.