TAKE PWTORCH
WITH YOU! Get our iPhone App (FREE!): Click Here Or enter "PWTorch.com" on your Blackberry or other Smart Phone browser for mobile-version of PWTorch.
Other News
Other News: Mick Foley says whether "The Wrestler" is an accurate movie; how Vince McMahon will respond Dec 16, 2008 - 11:54:54 AM
TNA's Mick Foley has lived in the back of cars, worn shaggy clothes, and taken countless bumps in and out of the ring, so he can relate to the story behind Mickey Rourke's lead character in "The Wrestler" movie.
Foley recently saw the movie at a screening in New York and his cynicism was instantly removed within the first five minutes of the movie.
"I walked in something of a cynic, figuring there was no way an actor could ever really get a feel for what we do without having done it," Foley the New Yorker Magazine. "But within the first five minutes, I was completely sold. From an emotional standpoint, I found Mickey Rourke to be so believable."
Foley says he sees shades of Terry Funk and Jake Roberts in the character played by Rourke, with some of the extreme moments in the movie, such as wrestling in thumbtacks, inspired by him.
The movie is by-and-large authentic in Foley's eyes, except for one of the scenes involving a steroid transaction that was exaggerated to him.
Will WWE chairman Vince McMahon, who is getting a personal screening from director Darren Aronofsky, like the movie, though? Foley says he doesn't think so.
"I personally don't think Vince will like it, because Vince really believes in the philosophy of keeping wrestling as entertainment for the fans," Foley said. "And part of that is keeping up the mystique of what goes on behind the scenes. I'm not sure he would enjoy a film that shines a light on the hardships that some wrestlers go through."
Foley was also asked what he's up to these days and he discussed filming a reality TV pilot for A&E that wasn't juicy enough to be picked up for TV. No mention of TNA, by the way.
FYI: "The Wrestler" opens in New York City tomorrow and in limited release this Friday before opening across the country on Dec. 26.
[Jake Roberts art by Joe Borzotta (c) PWTorch]
Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
INCREDIBLE BENEFITS! Over 50 full-length audio updates per month (iPod compatible)... New weekly award-winning Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter (text and printable pdf versions) with latest exclusive insider news, new Torch Talks, great columns, Keller's cover story, much more... Hundreds of full-length back issues of PWTorch Newsletter from late-'80s to today... Ad-free access to PWTorch.com's Main Listing... VIP Forum with interaction with other subscribers and Torch staff... Torch Talk Library with text and audio of hundreds of interview installments from last 20 years... Great layout... Deepest archives on pro wrestling history anywhere... Keller's PWTorch Today PDF Bulletins with email alerts... VIP Email reports on major PPVs and TV shows... Staff Roundtable Reviews (text and audio) followiing major events... The best staff of writers and world class reporting since 1987... We'd love for you to join us and experience the most entertaining, authoritative, experienced staff of professional reporters and commentators in the business...
Compare the value of four or five months of PWTorch VIP content to the price of just one PPV. Can you cut 25 cents a day from your budget to make room for PWTorch VIP?
AND NEW FOR 2009! Monthly "Vintage Audio Torch Talks." We are releasing for the first time ever audio versions of our text Torch Talk updates, the historical first series of insider interviews ever. Wade Keller's newsmaking in-depth interviews with wrestling's biggest names are now being made available exclusively to VIP members. But you must be a member each month, as these are not archived, so they are replaced with a new one each month! This debuted in January 2009 with a 68 minute interview with the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Who's next? Hulk Hogan? Eric Bischoff? The Rock? Goldberg? Jeff Hardy?
