Pro Wrestling

"Sure, wrestling is fake," admits narrator Steve Allen. "We wouldn't have it any other way." So much for ripping the lid off pro wrestling, but fear not--there may be no dirty little secret, but there is a colorful history. Digging way back to its roots--when it was a genuine athletic event and not "a soap opera with a referee"--the slow mutation of wrestling is analyzed in generous detail from its height at the turn of the 19th century to its nadir as a carnival sideshow attraction and urban entertainment during the Depression to its phoenix-like rebirth on early television to its modern-day explosion on cable. Interviews with modern stars, such as Hulk Hogan and veterans Classy Freddie Blassie and Killer Kowalski, wrestling historians, and even college professors tackle the subject from all sides, but the commentary is secondary to the spectacle provided by a rich array of clips--everything from prissy Gorgeous George's ringside sashays to midget wresting to a montage featuring the ubiquitous folding chair to the head. The Unreal Story of Pro Wrestling tends to emphasize the freak-show elements of the sport--which, granted, are much of the documentary's fun--but does capture the showmanship and crazy energy that has transformed a sideshow attraction into a gonzo spectacle in a format that manages to be informative and fun at the same time. --Sean Axmaker