A24's "The Iron Claw" (Von Erich Family biopic starring Zac Efron)

[Bugzbunny129]

Btw mjf in movie for like 5 whole seconds. Lance is never even introduced. Its just like a speed by scene showing him there for people in the know but hes never even talked about whatsoever


Best wrestling film ever tho. On a pure historical basis. Lots of insider innuendos and shyt with fritz. I didnt know kerry lost his ENTIRE foot. I thought it was likr just his toes or he still had an ankle. I didnt know it was cometely gone. Props for him making it at all after that


They did a great job casting. I kean jerry jarrett is in it for 5 seconds and looks just like him. They did a great job idc what anyone says. The ric flair was ok but his backstage scene was way better and reminded me of real life ric for sure. Harley hitting kevin with the outside suplex outta nowhere as a test and fritz getting mad at kevin for not getting up and ruining his chance at the belt. Harley actor was DEAD on. Costumes all dead on. Brody was ok cause of height. Gino barely seen. Freebirds barely seen. Zac efron idk anything about him really but he got in great shape for this and gve it his all. Great job i almost cried myself at the last scene with his kids playing with each other. Ive heard the story a thousand times, seen every doc, but this made it hit home more. Guy who played fritz deserves a oscar nom imo.

 

[Killah Ray]

It’s weird to me, I recognize that it’s probably the best wrestling movie ever made, but I walked away hating how a lot of stuff was so far off from the actual timeline plus with Chris being omitted I kinda hated it at the same time….

One of the few times being a nerd of something took me out of enjoying a movie….only other times I get this annoyed is watching medical dramas…

 

[Cattle Mutilation]

It’s weird to me, I recognize that it’s probably the best wrestling movie ever made, but I walked away hating how a lot of stuff was so far off from the actual timeline plus with Chris being omitted I kinda hated it at the same time….

One of the few times being a nerd of something took me out of enjoying a movie….only other times I get this annoyed is watching medical dramas…

You work in medicine or something?

 

[Killah Ray]

You work in medicine or something?

Yup just got my masters and waiting for my licensure to come in so I can be a FNP…

 

[Cattle Mutilation]

Yup just got my masters and waiting for my licensure to come in so I can be a FNP…

Congrats!

I work in medicine too but in a non-patient care position. Not about to deal with that patient care stuff

 

[TheSuperkick!]

I look back at this movie and think it's good. It's real good. But I don't know if I can say it's great. Zac did good for playing the straight man of the family. And Fritz was great as the bad dad/coach type. Maybe they could habe played up the survivor's guilt angle with Kevin. I don't know. I feel there's a better movie to be made if the perspective was changed.

Maybe they needed to switch it up and Efron should have been Kerry and the story should have been from that perspective. I mean he's got the physique for it. Show how Kerry came in, rose up with his brothers and how he got worse and worse each time one died, all the while trying to make Fritz happy and be the mega star of the family. But you keep Kevin as his rock. His one true bright spot that's trying his best to hold him together. All the while the pressure, the drugs, alcohol and roids are killing him. Then you get to his motorcycle accident and his mental, physical, spiritual and finacial decline to him ending it at home under the old oak tree.

You get a better more focused and complete story that way. The only thing you lose is the......kind of somber silver lining ending with Kevin and the boys. But if you keep Kevin as a major secondary character then you can still get to that ending without sacrificing the overall story and film.

 

[MenacingMonk]

Great film. Good soundtrack. Dude that did Flair was a little goofy. My only complaint were the shytty cam angles for the wrestling.

The scene with Kerry crossing over may be one of the greatest scenes I’ve seen recently. The part with the coin on tails was so small but a big moment.

 

[MenacingMonk]

Checking some of this thread and the one in TFR. even wrasslin nerds are size queens for cinema play fighting.

Y’all weren’t satisfied with Zac Efron?

 

[Bugzbunny129]

Oh shyt i totally forgot that 3 bros killed themselves not 2. They mixed the mike and chris stories into one character. I understand why they did for timing issues but eh. For a family movie to leave out a whole brother.. they even mention the first kid.

 

[MenacingMonk]

. I understand why they did for timing issues but eh. For a family movie to leave out a whole brother.. they even mention the first kid.

if they added Chris into the movie it would be even more depressing. Only so much heartbreak an audience can take. 3 on-screen characters dying and knowing another one died off-screen. Too much already, man.

 

[Bugzbunny129]

if they added Chris into the movie it would be even more depressing. Only so much heartbreak an audience can take. 3 on-screen characters dying and knowing another one died off-screen. Too much already, man.

I get it, i just can see how it could feel leaving him out which is why he killed himself anyway cause he wasnt like the others and was left out.

 

[MenacingMonk]

I get it, i just can see how it could feel leaving him out which is why he killed himself anyway cause he wasnt like the others and was left out.

They pretty much added Chris’ story to Mike’s character.

 

[TheSuperkick!]

I get it, i just can see how it could feel leaving him out which is why he killed himself anyway cause he wasnt like the others and was left out.

Adding him only adds to the run time. Not the story or characters. And like Collector said, you had his same story with the Michael section. Physically unfit, injured, depression, Suicide.

 

[Paper Boi]

i just think Kevin always paints himself in a light a little too positive for me to believe is 100% reality, i also think things were probably even worse than gets presented in that family because a lot of the details for these things come from his version of events and if he paints himself in a positive light, who is to say he isn't also doing as much as he can to cover up how really fukked up his family was.

obviously he can't hide the historical record of the drug use, fukked up father, family deaths, but i think things were probably even more fukked up in that household/family. i think he was fukking up just as bad as the brothers and enabling even more than he paints himself too. he just got lucky and survived, which i think he has definitely addressed in the past his survivors guilt, and he has talked about his drug use and things too, but i still think he's cleaning shyt up to protect what little is left of his/his family/brother's reputation.

this movie included. it was still very good though and worth watching.

he claims he had nothing to do with the movie on Talk is Jericho, it’s still based a lot off his version of events from docs/interviews

 

[Trips]

Left work early to watch this today. I thought it was really well put together, but shouldn't be surprised given that it was an A24 production. Knowing how the story plays out, definitely got anxiety when things were about to go down. I wasn't sold on the choice for David going into the movie, but, I really thought that actor pulled it together for the film. I understand why they had Zac Efron be Kevin. But, given how popular The Bear is now and how their physiques came off in this movie. Jeremy Allen White should have been Kevin and Zac should have been Kerry. I think the story would have still been just as well crafted. I thought the brother that played Mike also really pulled off his role. **** made a great Fritz and really liked how he always appeared to tower over the boys.

The Ric Flair (and I'm a Flair fan), but they missed on that guy. Probably the one real knock I had and that is just simply cause I didn't think the guy understood who he was playing. He played Flair like a parody video or someone doing a spoof Flair like the nWo skit. The Harley Race guy though was sneaky good. Thought he nailed Harley's cadence and vibe perfectly. Definitely recommend it, but if you don't want to see it in theaters definitely watch it at home when it hits streaming.