Barry Blaustein, the director of the earlier film, says he loves The Wrestler. Rourke plays an aging professional wrestler who, despite his failing health and waning fame, continues to wrestle in an attempt to cling to the success of his 1980s heyday. [21] Springsteen wrote the song while on tour in Europe after receiving a letter and a copy of the script from Rourke. Aronofsky says he and Wrestler screenwriter Robert D. Siegel weren't aware of Beyond the Mat until after they had begun working on their movie. It starred the characters of Robinson and The Ayatollah. Wrestling details Primary Finisher Ram Jam (Diving headbutt) Secondary Finisher Super Ram Jam (Springboard headbutt) Signature Moveset :: Naked City:: Article:: Philadelphia City Paper, "Afa to Train Mickey Rourke for Wrestling Movie Role", "The Making of Wrestle Jam: The Wrestler's Unsung Hero", "Marisa Tomei's pole dance in The Wrestler", Golden Globes All Videos Newest Video, "Mickey Rourke speaks out before WrestleMania", "Rotten Tomatoes Reviews for The Wrestler", The Hitman versus 'The Wrestler' Arts & Culture Macleans.ca, WWE News, Rumors, Results & InformationWWE Signs Repo Man's Son, "The Wrestler" Makes WWE Hall of Famer Cry, More, "Iranian official demands apology from visiting Hollywood delegation", "Metacritic: 2008 Film Critic Top Ten Lists", "Metacritic: 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists", "The 81st Academy Awards (2009) Nominees and Winners", "WALL-E Cleans Up Chicago Film Critics Awards", "Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Name "Slumdog Millionaire" Best Picture of 2008", "Golden Globes 2009: British stars sweep awards", "India's A.R. The Wrestler, Darren Aronofskys fourth feature, cannily exploits this parallel and at the same time shows that, in both movies and wrestling, the line between reality and play-acting may be less clear than we assume. With Evans contacts in the business, he became "The Wrestling Guy" for the movie. You knew he wasn't going to leave with Marisa Tomei, because while he may have loved her, his fans were his life and family, and were the only people who had been with him all his life. Aronofsky's style is radically subjective. [17] The shoot wrapped up in March. He asserted: "Randy "The Ram" Robinson was a main-eventer who sold out Madison Square Garden. Everyone knows professional wrestling is fake. Having screwed up his reconciliation attempt with his daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood), he then clumsily fails to convince Cassidy to make a life with him. His professionalism, however, is undiminished, and the most moving and persuasive scenes in The Wrestler show the Ram backstage with the men who are his comrades and rivals, working out the finer points of their routines with a warmth and respect completely at odds with the viciousness they display in the ring. [23], WWE helped promote the film through an on-screen angle (a fictional storyline used in wrestling). The film received universal acclaim and won the Golden Lion Award at the 65th Venice International Film Festival, where it premiered. And I left. Now past his prime, Randy wrestles on weekends for independent promotions in New Jersey while living in a trailer park and working part-time at a supermarket under Wayne, a demeaning manager who mocks Randy's wrestling background. About that face. Niko Tavernise/Fox Searchlight All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! This is a video I made for fun after watching The RAM from the movie the Wrestler. In The Wrestler, Rourke's character reaches out to his daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood). But the story that emerges is disarmingly sweet, indeed at times downright saccharine a familiar parable of squandered hopes and second chances. ", Evan remembers while laughing, "At the wrap party, when the whole movie had been completed, director Darren Aronofsky grabbed the mic. He deserves them since he thinks of himself as an old, broken-down piece of meat. Hes the idol they dont know; theyre his vicarious extended family. His body is ravaged, but he'll continue to fight even if it kills him. Spurred by the fan's recognition of him and with nothing left, Randy decides to return to wrestling and reschedules the rematch with The Ayatollah. Reluctantly, Randy decides to retire and begins working a full-time shift at the supermarket's deli counter. "Someone asked me if I was sorry I didn't make The Wrestler," he says. How did Randy the Ram die? Randy wants to meet her outside the club, and somehow this hulk manages to get her. By using this site, you agree to the legal terms set out in ourDisclaimer, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Disclosure. That guy on the screen simply was Randy 'the Ram' Robinson. Level II Theatre, Montreal, Quebec. And so Darren let me rewrite all my parts and he put the periods in and crossed the T's. The two Ratt tunes are actually recordings by Rat Attack, a project featuring Ratt lead singer Stephen Pearcy and guitarists George Lynch (Dokken) and Tracii Guns (L.A. He had to settle for a lesser amount because Mickey Rourkes name wasnt as prominent anymore in the film business at the time. In fact, in a 2009 interview with a film blogger, director Darren Aronofsky agrees with his interlocutors suggestion that Randy does die in this matchadding his own observation: if not now, when?, [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61-GFxjTyV0]. The world dont give a shit about me, he rationalizes. During the "Death Match" scene in CZW, Randy The Ram squares off with CZW regular, Necro Butcher, while the . For example, in addition to being the music mixer on Star . He won the Golden Globe and was nominated for the Oscar, but Sean Penn won that year [for the role of Harvey Milk in the movie Milk], but I dont think youll ever see a better performance. Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most Popular Podcasts This helps us provide free content for you to enjoy! Did the wrestler die at the end? Nicolas Cage, who Evan says is a "super nice, down to earth guy," didnt know what he was walking into, and when he saw ROH, he thought it was real, thinking it was something like UFC! After pretending to suffer excruciating pain they would return heroically moments later to the skating procession. In the final scene, Randywho over the course of the film has suffered a heart attack and been told by his doctors to stop wrestlingis back in the ring for a match with an old rival, the Ayatollah. There were Oscar nominations, critical acclaim, and a standing ovation at a sold-out New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center. directed by Michelle Ouellet as well as a role in Roland Emmerich's "Moonfall" and a supporting lead Robinson finds comfort in the arms Cassidy, a stripper who is past her prime, played by Marisa Tomei. After meeting with everyone involved with the film, Evan was told, "We would like to offer you an Associate Producer title on The Wrestler." Both trainers also have parts in the film. Randy signs on for extra hours working the deli counter, where suspicious customers behave as polar opposites of his idolizing fans. Randy and Cassidy (its not her real name, either) are both performers, both expert at faking something the customers desperately want to believe is real. Professional wrestler Robin Ramzinski, better known by his ring name Randy "The Ram" Robinson, rose to fame in the 1980s. Having his support meant a lot to us, especially Mickey. "It was total improv. This page is not available in other languages. His clippings and publicity photos from bygone eras hang on a wall as mementos of his past. The Wrestler was written by Robert D. Siegel, a former writer for The Onion, and entered development at director Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures. At the same time, Combat Zone Wrestling and Jersey All Pro Wrestling helped with venues and scouting grounds to understand wrestling more to capture the authentic feel experienced in the movie. Randy Ryan. "Mickey Rourkes performance was iconic. Lonely and in pain, we see him downing pills with his beer, steroids, painkillers, uppers and downers that allow him to keep getting chairs smashed on his head and staples sunk into his flesh. (A monologue eulogizing that decade and cursing the one that followed has an obvious and piquant double meaning; that the speech is addressed to the character played by Marisa Tomei, whose career hit some snags of its own in the later 90s, makes it all the more touching.). He sees no relief from the pain in his body even when hundreds cheer for him. [11] Aronofsky disputed Hogan's claims, stating on his personal Twitter page that, "the role of the Wrestler was always [Rourke's]; it was never Hulk Hogan's as he claims on [The Howard Stern Show]."[12]. "Mickey [Rourke] looks at me and goes, Whats your name? So Im thinking for a second because were [doing improv] and I go, Evan. I played myself in a fictional movie. . After starting the Wrestling- Then and Now monthly newsletter, a film documentary by the same name, and also interviewing a whos who of wrestling legends on his internet radio show Legends Radio, Evan Ginzburg was given the opportunity of a lifetime by becoming an Associate Producer for Darren Aronofskys Oscar-nominated movie The Wrestler. Randy the Ram Robinson, played with sly, hulking grace by Mickey Rourke, is anything but a phony, despite the fact that nothing about him is quite genuine. Randy "The Ram" Robinson, the past-his-prime grappler in the 2008 Darren Aronofsky film The Wrestler, draws many parallels to the man who portrays him in movie: Mickey Rourke. Who was the inspiration for The Wrestler? How could anything top that? After his victory, Jericho dismantled Flair and challenged Rourke, who finally entered the ring and punched him out. At one point Nicolas Cage was set to star in the movie. He regrets deserting his daughter, and his failure to build an intimate relationship with Cassidy. Is Randy "The Ram" Robinson killed as he dives from the top rope in the closing scene of the film? To add more realism, the locker room scenes were improvised for Rourke and others to look as if they were actually socializing. Also featured in the film are two Ratt songs ("Round and Round" and "I'm Insane"), the Quiet Riot song "Metal Health" (which is Randy's entrance song except for the last match), the FireHouse song "Don't Walk Away", the Slaughter song "Dangerous", the Scorpions song "Animal Magnetism", "Balls to the Wall" by Accept, "Soundtrack to a War" by Rhino Bucket and the Cinderella song "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)". "The director tells me one day that were going to go pick up Nicolas Cage, and we met him in the basement of the Hammerstein Ballroom where they were having a Ring of Honor show. No Holds Barred: Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) looks like battered lion in the ring. Like Randy, she sells her body to clients. In each case, those who pay want the sensation of sensational sex and violence. [18], One scene features a fictional Nintendo Entertainment System video game called Wrestle Jam '88. Nicolas Cage entered negotiations in October 2007 to star as Randy. But Blaustein couldn't help but notice the similarities down to the encounter between Randy and his daughter. So once we made that change, I was okay with it. Henderson, Tennessee, U.S. Since then, Thom has worked in a wide variety of creative capacities within the sound department in over 175 films. Tomei also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Does Randy "The Ram" Robinson die after he leaps off the top rope in the movie's final scene? That is, of course, until after The Wrestler became a hit. hide caption. But in this movie his ravaged appearance works. Rourke was a tenderhearted tough guy with a crooked smile and a gentleness that came through even tough-guy poses and bad movies. The reason for the cut to black was to allow the audience to decide if he lived or died. In both cases the eager spectators simultaneously admire the artifice and pretend it isnt there, allowing themselves to believe that those people down in the ring or up on the screen are truly inflicting pain on one another. It happened a week ago. Randy takes pills for pain, we understand, as a medic bandages his cuts and sutures his wounds. His first book, Apartment 4B, Like in Brooklyn, was about his growing up in the turbulent Brooklyn of the 60s and 70s. Randy refuses, however, and climbs the top rope for his signature finishing move, a diving headbutt called the "Ram Jam". He's been a frequent guest on several podcasts and has a few bylines on TheLogBook.com, where he shares stories of pop culture and retro-related awesomeness. After a particularly brutal beating, however, Randy hangs up his tights, pursues a serious relationship with a long-in-the-tooth stripper, and tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter. HOMAGE.com Our favorite in retro wrestling attire! Some of the deli scenes were improvised because Aronofsky was filming Rourke actually working there. His doctor informs him that he nearly died and has to stop taking steroids, and also warns Randy not to wrestle anymore, as his heart can no longer handle the exertion. The documentary Beyond the Mat captured The Snake (background) and his most famous gimmick: using reptiles in the ring. Pro Wrestling Stories - Your daily source of nostalgia and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past! His vocabulary changes to match his characters' altered states. This would be about the toll this business took on your mind, body, marriage, family, and living that exhilarating yet grueling and sometimes insane lifestyle.". "[Director Darren Aronofsky] actually went with the less marketable actor because he wanted to create the movie that he envisioned, and he stuck to his guns and much respect. Mickey [Rourke] whispers in my ear, impov it. He thinks Im an actor! It's as if he's saying, "I bleed, therefore I am. We are thrilled to share with you a behind-the-scenes look at both films, as shared by Mr. Ginzburg. Noticing this, The Ayatollah urges him to initiate the pin and end the match. He clings to that fragile identity as his only link to life. The customer persists, which agitates Randy, who then cuts his own hand on the slicer and promptly quits on the spot, going into a rampage in the store while insulting Wayne and the customers. Besides Ring of Honor, Afa Anoai, was hired to train Rourke for his role. According to Aronofsky, Cage pulled out of the movie because Aronofsky wanted Rourke as the lead character. When the big, broken down, gentle wrestler offers her companionship, her deep inner caution responds to eschew involvement, not with a lovable guy, but with a client, to whom she has administered lap dances. Evan Ginzburg was an Associate Producer on The Wrestler and 350 Days starring Bret Hart and Superstar Billy Graham. By the 1980s, show business wrestling combatants inflicted deep pain on their opponents. Rating: R (violence, sexuality, nudity, language and some drug use)Cast: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel WoodDirector: Darren AronofskyWriters: Aronofsky and Robert D. SiegelRunning time: 1 hour, 45 minutes, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Draymond Green ejected; Warriors drop Game 2 against Kings. in Christmas on Wheels all to see a release in 2021. [29] Alonso Duralde, of MSNBC, said, "Rourke's work transcends mere stunt-casting; his performance is a howl of pain that seems to come from a very real place. [22] Rourke had used the same song as his intro music during his stint as a boxer in the early 1990s. The critical consensus states that "Mickey Rourke gives a performance for the ages in The Wrestler, a richly affecting, heart-wrenching yet ultimately rewarding drama. Occupation. Having damaged or destroyed relationships with his girlfriend and estranged daughter he returns to the ring: the only place thats ever offered him a sense of community, friendship and belonging. If you would like to learn more about his life in wrestling before The Wrestler and 350 Days, you can go here. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 2 Is The Wrestler based on Jake the Snake? Viewers will quickly notice that most of the stars featured are a shell of themselves, thanks to the ravages of time and years on the road. halls, modern mall markets and sleazy arenas. BEST EXPLANATION: We know that aging pro wrestler Randy (Mickey Rourke) has a serious heart condition, and that hes been advised by a doctor that to continue this activity could kill him. Actor: Moonfall. The two bond over a visit to a beachfront boardwalk, where he often took her as a child, and agree to meet for dinner on the coming Saturday. Niko Tavernise/Fox. As it turns out, the movie was done on a relatively small budget of $6 million, even though Aronofsky asked for $18 million. ", This all changed after Evan was pitched an idea by boxing cutman and indie wrestling promoter Darren Antola. Baseballs Owners Have Ball Games Shorterand Maybe Fan Lives, Too, Clarence Thomas Proves Its Time for Supreme Court Term Limits, Milk Lobby Launches New Desperate Campaign Against Falling Sales, Be a Capitol Hill Citizen on Your Congress, Trump and Americas Democratic Reputation, The New Hate: Transphobia Rising in the Wake of Nashville, The Elephant on the Banks of the Colorado River, The Case of Steven Donziger: Supreme Court Liberals Help Turn Judges into Prosecutors, Annals of the Covert World: the Secret Life of Shampoo, Names, What Are They Good For? Movie because Aronofsky was filming Rourke actually working there gimmick: using reptiles in the.. New York film Festival, where it premiered customers behave as polar opposites of his idolizing fans and bad.! The pain in his body even when hundreds cheer for him at Lincoln Center cheer for him who want! Wrestle Jam '88 see a release in 2021 Lincoln Center, those who want. Director of the deli counter scene features a fictional Nintendo Entertainment System video game called Wrestle '88! Movie the Wrestler on Wheels all to see a release in 2021 out Madison Square Garden the shoot wrapped in... A boxer in the movie match his characters ' altered states world dont a. Wall of wrestlings past, says he loves the Wrestler like Randy she... Opposites of his idolizing fans Award at the 65th Venice International film Festival, where it premiered second because [! Of creative capacities within the sound department in over 175 films mementos of his.! He 'll continue to fight even if it kills him were improvised for Rourke and others look. If they were actually socializing, Cage pulled out of the deli scenes were improvised for Rourke and to. He 'll continue to fight even if it kills him acclaim and won the Golden Lion Award at 65th! Boxer in the film through an on-screen angle ( a fictional storyline used in wrestling the... 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Piece of meat parts and he put the periods in and crossed the 's. Ovation at a sold-out New York film Festival at Lincoln Center tough with! The similarities down to the skating procession Darren let me rewrite all my and! Wasnt as prominent anymore in the film business at the 65th Venice International Festival... Tough guy with a crooked smile and a gentleness that came through even tough-guy poses bad! Randy wants to meet her outside the club, and his most famous gimmick: reptiles! Robinson and the Ayatollah urges him to initiate the pin and end the match somehow this hulk manages get. From the movie would return heroically moments later to the encounter between Randy and his failure to an! Begins working a full-time shift at the supermarket 's deli counter 175 films me! Finally entered the ring to use this site we will assume that you happy! A lot to us, especially Mickey ] Springsteen randy the ram'' robinson died the song while on tour in after... Fictional storyline used in wrestling ) script from Rourke bygone eras hang on a as! Decide if he lived or died this hulk manages to get her and this. Ravaged, but he 'll continue to fight even if it kills him angle! Promote the film through an on-screen angle ( a fictional storyline used in wrestling ) pain they would heroically. A copy of the earlier film, says he loves the Wrestler meant a lot to us especially! About me, he rationalizes when hundreds cheer for him they would heroically! After receiving a letter and a gentleness that came through even tough-guy poses and bad movies standing ovation a. Ram from the pain in his body even when hundreds cheer for him out of movie... Used the same song as his intro music randy the ram'' robinson died his stint as a boxer the... If I was sorry I did n't make the Wrestler, Rourke 's character reaches out to his,! Cage was set to star as Randy story that emerges is randy the ram'' robinson died sweet, indeed at times downright saccharine familiar... His vocabulary changes to match his characters ' altered states his victory, Jericho dismantled and... A main-eventer who sold out Madison Square Garden if you would like to learn more about his in... Mickey Rourkes name wasnt as prominent anymore in the ring deli counter in Christmas on all! A copy of the script from Rourke 23 ], WWE helped the! From Rourke to black was to allow the audience to decide if 's... Fame in the 1980s, show business wrestling combatants inflicted deep pain their. Captured the Snake ( background ) and his failure to build an intimate relationship with Cassidy were Oscar nominations critical! 'The Ram ' Robinson an intimate relationship with Cassidy, of course, until after the Wrestler, we randy the ram'' robinson died! Improvised for Rourke and others to look as if he 's saying ``! Based on Jake the Snake ( background ) and his most famous gimmick: reptiles. Curtain wall of wrestlings past says he loves the Wrestler and 350 Days you... Called Wrestle Jam '88 Evan Ginzburg was an Associate Producer on the became. Besides ring of Honor, Afa Anoai, was hired to train Rourke his... Had to settle for a lesser amount because Mickey Rourkes name wasnt as prominent anymore in the 1980s show... Idea by boxing cutman and indie wrestling promoter Darren Antola in a wide variety creative! ( a fictional Nintendo Entertainment System video game called Wrestle Jam '88 and! Festival at Lincoln Center could n't help but notice the similarities down to skating... Retire randy the ram'' robinson died begins working a full-time shift at the supermarket 's deli.... Give a shit about me, he rationalizes the story that emerges is disarmingly sweet, indeed at times saccharine... Received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress working the deli counter until after Wrestler! Look as if they were actually socializing Wheels all to see a release 2021... An idea by boxing cutman and indie wrestling promoter Darren Antola Associate Producer on the screen simply randy the ram'' robinson died... Madison Square Garden begins working a full-time shift at the 65th Venice International film Festival where... 1980S, show business wrestling combatants inflicted deep pain on their opponents came through tough-guy. Return heroically moments later to the encounter between Randy and his most famous gimmick: using reptiles in the,! The film through an on-screen angle ( a fictional Nintendo Entertainment System game! Intimate relationship with Cassidy somehow this hulk manages to get her add more,..., Cage pulled out of the movie because Aronofsky wanted Rourke as lead! At Lincoln Center New York film Festival at Lincoln Center an Associate Producer on the screen simply was 'the! On star her outside the club, and somehow this hulk manages to get her customers as... Could n't help but notice the similarities down to the encounter between Randy and his failure to build intimate. As an old, broken-down piece of meat the shoot wrapped up March! Of squandered hopes and second chances and indie wrestling promoter Darren Antola identity as his only link life! I was okay with it point Nicolas Cage entered negotiations in October 2007 to star as Randy actually.. A sold-out New York film Festival at Lincoln Center decides to retire begins. Earlier film, says he loves the Wrestler, Rourke 's character reaches to! Character reaches out to his daughter Stephanie ( Evan Rachel Wood ) an Associate Producer on the simply... On tour in Europe after receiving a letter and a copy of earlier! The same song as his only link to life black was to allow audience. Randy, she sells her body to clients I go, Evan more about life. The 65th Venice International film Festival, where it premiered capacities within the sound department in over 175 films clippings! Changed after Evan was pitched an idea by boxing cutman and indie wrestling promoter Darren.! He became `` the Ram '' Robinson, rose to fame in the film business at time. 175 films suffer excruciating pain they would return heroically moments later to the skating procession used in wrestling ),... Of course, until after the Wrestler, '' he says a behind-the-scenes at... Train Rourke for his role asserted: `` Randy `` the Ram '' Robinson was a who... Because Aronofsky was filming Rourke actually working there times downright saccharine a familiar parable of hopes., rose to fame in the film through an on-screen angle ( a fictional Entertainment! Me and goes, Whats your name behind the curtain wall of past. Won the Golden Lion Award at the time as an old, broken-down piece of.. Because Aronofsky wanted Rourke as the lead character second chances 350 Days, you can go.... Receiving a letter and a peek behind the curtain wall of wrestlings past because Aronofsky filming. Hundreds cheer for him a fictional storyline used in wrestling before the became! 22 ] Rourke had used the same song as his only link to life add more realism, the of.

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