Rating: 
Summary: Great documentary-- even and esp. for non-wrestling fans
Review: Chronicles the DIY Backyard Wrestling scene in the U.S. and England. Great characters-- funny, poignant, and violently hopeful. I couldn't care less about wrestling and I loved this film.
Rating: 
Summary: A very sad little film.
Review: For hours after watching this film, all I could think about was how hopeless some of these kids are.
This documentary on backyard wrestling is a truly great piece of work.
As a wrestling fan, I went into this film thinking that all backyard wrestlers are just stupid kids. I see now that there are definitely some different levels of stupidity.
They're all here. The kids who just want to learn some technique, to the kid who uses pain and backyard wrestling to feel better about himself, all the way to the 28 yr old who thinks that by doing body splashes through exploding tables he's assured a career in the "WWE".
This movie doesn't make me think about wrestling. It makes me think of pain and desperation in kids and adults too.
Rating:
Summary: ECW! ECW! ECW!
Review: Hell yeah! There's RVD. There's lightbulbs. There's mousetrabs. Baseball bats with barb wire. Light tubes. Blood. Gore. Deathmatch Wrestling. Awesome.
Rating:
Summary: 5 Star Backyard
Review: I absolutely loved this DVD. It shows how much some of these teenagers really want to become profesional. I also really hope the Lizard makes WWE. I reccomend this to anyone! Just makee sure a stupid idiotic nagging cousin isn't near you while your watching it.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth a watch but be warned...
Review: I consider myself to be a HUGE wrestling fan. However I have been raised on the WWF/WWE, I never really got into ECW all that much. I am much more into moves and storytelling and talent than that of the pure violence and bloodshed that is the Backyard Werstling set.This movie tries to follow a few backyarders around and sort of explain to an uninformed public the "meaning" for what they do. Many think it is going to lead to a shot in a major league of the WWF...I have news for you boys (and girls) Vince doesn't recruit his guys like this. Basically it a bunch of boys that idolize wrestling, that's all fine and good, but they are untrained individuals that are executing violent moves on either solid ground or homemade rings that can cause even more damage. Wanting to be a wrestler is cool, but the message is lost when you see these guys abusing themselves and each other with items like light bulbs, barbed wire, glass, thumbtacks or god forbid the occasional use of lighter fluid to set objects or each other on FIRE!. All this done in front of HUGE crowds sometimes as small as 4 people. While the WWF can be critized for many things, they are never this blanantly brutal. The WWF has always been about the show...not the violence. Most of the story focuses on a hopeful 26 year old guy named The Lizard, that dreams of entering the WWE. It's quite evident that after seeing him on camera, we as viewers know that will never happen. He lacks carisma and has such a bad command of the English language that it's laughable. His gimmick is horrible and he's skinny as all hell. For all the wantabes in this thing, that dream of being a professional wrestler, nothing is ever said about working out, and getting in shape. AND LEARNING THE CRAFT. If they are fans they obviously don't see that Triple H, The Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, have done a lot more than smash their high school buddies in the head with Flourcent light tubes. Even Rob Van Dam mentions on this video that no matter what you need to go professionally trained, however this is never brought up to many of the kids. The Lizard, he knows he has to go, but he's older and wiser than the rest of these guys. I think this video really explains it all when during the very first segment on 2 brothers that have a match vs. each other goes very wrong. Instead of landing on his back and shoulders, this guy gets dumped right on the back of his head and neck...OUCH! It is the furthest thing from professional wrestling you can get. This video makes me feel bad that I watch wrestling, becuse to people that don't know any better, they think it's all like this. I'll take my WWE over this crap anyday. I don't agree with the movie, but it's worth it to see kids destroying their bodies before they finish puberty. Leave this stuff to the professionals...Watch Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar from No Way Out 2004! or any match with Kurt Angle! That's profesional wrestling.
Rating:
Summary: Enlighting documentary
Review: I have always been a wrestling fan, and when I was younger, my friends and I would often stage video-taped "matches" in our backyards and basements. We weren't pros, but at least we were aware of that fact. Nor did we brutalize ourselves the way the kids featured in this documentary do. I think the film maker did a supurb job with showing these kids and what they do without using a judgemental slant, which could have been very easy to do. The film documents various backyard "wrestling" leagues. I think the saddest story is that of two brothers who violently torcher one another in their matches as an outlet for the pain of abuse they suffered when they were younger. Also featured is a 17 year old wannabe promoter who couldn't care less who gets hurt in his events. He comes off as heartless and power hungry in this film. Other leagues are featured, including some talented, although foolish boys in England. Their fun is stopped when a bystander calls an amulance when they see the blood of a kid who thought it would look cool to "blade" himself during a match (taking a razor blade and cutting a small nick in the forehead, producing just enough blood flow to look pretty nasty) The only group that seems to come out looking good in this film is a group of college kids in upstate New York that focus on working together and being safe. (In other words, they aren't cutting each other up, setting each other on fire, nor performing dangerously high risk maneuvers) The film primarily follows a 26 year old who uses the stage name "the lizard" in his quest to become a real professional wrestler. When he finally makes it a legitimate pro wrestling school, the film shows quite a few shots of them doing strength training and physical conditioning; thats what will save your body in the ring. I only give this video 4 stars and not 3 because of a special feature entitled "wresling Superstar", in which a professional wrestler talks in length about how to become a pro wrestler, the importance of a good education and following your dreams, and the foolishness of the brutality many of these backyard "wrestlers" put themselves through. I think any parent who's child participates in backyard wrestling should watch this film, know whether or not their children are putting their bodies at risk, and watch the "wrestling superstar" featurette.
Rating:
Summary: Enlighting documentary
Review: I have always been a wrestling fan, and when I was younger, my friends and I would often stage video-taped "matches" in our backyards and basements. We weren't pros, but at least we were aware of that fact. Nor did we brutalize ourselves the way the kids featured in this documentary do. I think the film maker did a supurb job with showing these kids and what they do without using a judgemental slant, which could have been very easy to do. The film documents various backyard "wrestling" leagues. I think the saddest story is that of two brothers who violently torcher one another in their matches as an outlet for the pain of abuse they suffered when they were younger. Also featured is a 17 year old wannabe promoter who couldn't care less who gets hurt in his events. He comes off as heartless and power hungry in this film. Other leagues are featured, including some talented, although foolish boys in England. Their fun is stopped when a bystander calls an amulance when they see the blood of a kid who thought it would look cool to "blade" himself during a match (taking a razor blade and cutting a small nick in the forehead, producing just enough blood flow to look pretty nasty) The only group that seems to come out looking good in this film is a group of college kids in upstate New York that focus on working together and being safe. (In other words, they aren't cutting each other up, setting each other on fire, nor performing dangerously high risk maneuvers) The film primarily follows a 26 year old who uses the stage name "the lizard" in his quest to become a real professional wrestler. When he finally makes it a legitimate pro wrestling school, the film shows quite a few shots of them doing strength training and physical conditioning; thats what will save your body in the ring. I only give this video 4 stars and not 3 because of a special feature entitled "wresling Superstar", in which a professional wrestler talks in length about how to become a pro wrestler, the importance of a good education and following your dreams, and the foolishness of the brutality many of these backyard "wrestlers" put themselves through. I think any parent who's child participates in backyard wrestling should watch this film, know whether or not their children are putting their bodies at risk, and watch the "wrestling superstar" featurette.
Rating:
Summary: Enlighting documentary
Review: I have always been a wrestling fan, and when I was younger, my friends and I would often stage video-taped "matches" in our backyards and basements. We weren't pros, but at least we were aware of that fact. Nor did we brutalize ourselves the way the kids featured in this documentary do. I think the film maker did a supurb job with showing these kids and what they do without using a judgemental slant, which could have been very easy to do. The film documents various backyard "wrestling" leagues. I think the saddest story is that of two brothers who violently torcher one another in their matches as an outlet for the pain of abuse they suffered when they were younger. Also featured is a 17 year old wannabe promoter who couldn't care less who gets hurt in his events. He comes off as heartless and power hungry in this film. Other leagues are featured, including some talented, although foolish boys in England. Their fun is stopped when a bystander calls an amulance when they see the blood of a kid who thought it would look cool to "blade" himself during a match (taking a razor blade and cutting a small nick in the forehead, producing just enough blood flow to look pretty nasty) The only group that seems to come out looking good in this film is a group of college kids in upstate New York that focus on working together and being safe. (In other words, they aren't cutting each other up, setting each other on fire, nor performing dangerously high risk maneuvers) The film primarily follows a 26 year old who uses the stage name "the lizard" in his quest to become a real professional wrestler. When he finally makes it a legitimate pro wrestling school, the film shows quite a few shots of them doing strength training and physical conditioning; thats what will save your body in the ring. I only give this video 4 stars and not 3 because of a special feature entitled "wresling Superstar", in which a professional wrestler talks in length about how to become a pro wrestler, the importance of a good education and following your dreams, and the foolishness of the brutality many of these backyard "wrestlers" put themselves through. I think any parent who's child participates in backyard wrestling should watch this film, know whether or not their children are putting their bodies at risk, and watch the "wrestling superstar" featurette.
Rating:
Summary: A GREAT DOCUMENTARY ABOUT BACKYARD WRESTLING
Review: THIS INSIGHTFUL DOCUMENTARY SHOWS THE RECKLESSNESS THAT MANY YOUNG WRESTLING FANS PUT THEMSELVES THROUGH IN THE WORLD OF BACKYARD WRESTLING. WHILE BACKYARD WRESTLING IS ENTERTAINING, IT'S ALSO UNNECESSARILY DANGEROUS AND IT ALSO GETS TOO MANY PEOPLE HURT. THIS DOCUMENTARY IS THE FIRST TIME I GOT TO SEE ANYTHING DEALING WITH BACKYARD WRESTLING. AND AS THE FILM SAYS, IF YOU WANNA BE A WRESTLER, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH A TRAINING SCHOOL, THERE'S JUST NO WAY AROUND THAT. ALTHOUGH IT WAS A MOVING PIECE OF FILM, IT COULD'VE AND SHOULD'VE BEEN A LITTLE LONGER. BUT ANYWAY, IT'S GOOD FOR WRESTLING FANS TO WATCH. FOR A GREAT DOUBLE FEATURE, GET THIS WITH ''BEYOND THE MAT''. INCLUDES SPECIAL APPEARANCES BY ROB VAN DAM.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it.
Review: This is a must-see for any wrestling fan. These kids seem all inspired by ECW and do really scary things. I loved Beyond The Mat and thought that this was just as good.
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