The Backyard | |
---|---|
Directed by | Paul Hough |
Produced by | Paul Hough |
Starring | The Lizard Scar Chaos Heartless |
Edited by | Paul Hough |
Music by | Seth Jordan |
Production company | Paul Hough Entertainment |
Distributed by | Image Entertainment HiQi Media |
Release date |
|
Running time | 80 minutes |
Country | United States |
The Backyard is a 2002 American backyard wrestling documentary directed, produced and edited by Paul Hough and was scored by Seth Jordan. [1] It features the appearance of Extreme Championship Wrestling alumnus and World Wrestling Entertainment professional wrestler, Rob Van Dam. Although it had a limited theatrical release in the United States in 2002, the film was later released to Germany and Australia in 2004.
This documentary reveals the violent, bizarre depths of the world of backyard wrestling to the mainstream. Director Paul Hough was working on a syndicated wrestling program when an audition tape led him to discover the widespread phenomenon online. Males of different ages who cannot afford pro wrestling school tuition or choose to make their activities a lifestyle, turn to compete in the unsanctioned battleground of their backyard, with the use of deadly elements and weapons, such as barbed wire, light tubes, fire, glass and staple guns. The film showcases Hough's tour, as he tracks several underground wrestlers in Arizona, Nevada, California, New York and England. [2]
Most members of the cast go by their wrestling alias. The cast includes:
The film was released in select theaters in Germany and had a limited theatrical run in the United States. It was released on DVD and PSP, also later airing on television in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
The Backyard holds a 74% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 14 reviews, equating to an average rating of 6.6 out of 10. [3] Overall, it was met primarily with positive reviews. Dave Kehr, a writer for The New York Times , called it an "astounding anthropological study of that strange tribe known as the American teenager", and finished by claiming it is "strange" and "disturbing." [4] John Petrakis of The Chicago Tribune labelled it a "first-rate documentary." [5] Charles Martin chipped in for Film Threat, viewing the film as "a fascinating emotional rollercoaster", and that it "approaches the subject with genuine curiosity." [6] Contributing his thoughts, Michael O'Sullivan of The Washington Post believes it's not for the squeamish, but that its "bone-crunching message is worth hearing." [7]
Party Monster is a 2003 American biographical crime drama film written and directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, who are also producers along with Jon Marcus and Christine Vachon. It stars Macaulay Culkin as the drug-addled "king of the Club Kids". The film tells the story of the rise and fall of the infamous New York City party promoter Michael Alig. This was Macaulay Culkin's first film in nearly nine years since his starring role in the 1994 film Richie Rich.
Shannon Marie Kahololani "Shannyn" Sossamon is an American actress. She has appeared in the films A Knight's Tale (2001), 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002), The Rules of Attraction (2002), The Order (2003), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), The Holiday (2006), Wristcutters: A Love Story (2006), Road to Nowhere (2009), The End of Love (2012), and Sinister 2 (2015).
Troll 2, or Goblins, is a 1990 independent dark fantasy horror film written and directed by Claudio Fragasso under the pseudonym Drake Floyd. It stars Michael Stephenson, George Hardy, Connie McFarland and Jason Wright. The plot follows Joshua Waits as he tries to save his family after the spirit of his deceased grandfather warns him that the town of Nilbog, which the family are spending their vacation, is inhabited by goblins who turn people into plant matter to eat them.
Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things is a 1972 comedy horror film directed by Bob Clark. It later became a cult classic. This low-budget zombie film is the third film of director Bob Clark, who later became famous for directing the films Black Christmas, A Christmas Story, and Porky's. The film was shot in 14 days on a budget of $50,000. Clark employed some of his college friends on it.
The U.S. vs. John Lennon is a 2006 American documentary film about John Lennon's transformation from member of the Beatles to anti-war activist opposing the reelection of Richard Nixon as president in 1972. The film also details the attempts by the Nixon administration to deport Lennon from the US to end his anti-war and anti-Nixon campaigns. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was released in New York City and Los Angeles, California on 15 September 2006, and had a nationwide release on 29 September. A soundtrack composed of John Lennon tracks was released by Capitol Records and EMI on 26 September 2006.
Lipstick and Dynamite: The First Ladies of Wrestling is a 2004 documentary film about the early days of women's professional wrestling in North America. It was directed by Ruth Leitman, who interviewed The Fabulous Moolah, Mae Young, Gladys "Kill 'Em" Gillem, Ida Mae Martinez, Ella Waldek and Penny Banner for the film. The film premiered in 2004 in Toronto and was screened at various film festivals across the United States. The film also had a limited release in theaters in 2005. Reviews for the film were mixed.
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a 2007 American documentary film about competitive arcade gaming directed by Seth Gordon. It follows Steve Wiebe in his attempts to take the high score record for the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong from Billy Mitchell. The film premiered at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival and was released in U.S. theaters in August 2007. It received positive reviews.
Everything Moves Alone is a 2001 independent comedy film produced by Connecticut filmmakers Mike Aransky, Phil Guerrette and Thomas Edward Seymour. Everything Moves Alone is a largely forgotten film from the 90's independent film movement. This film is a dramatic comedy is in the spirit of Slacker and Bottle Rocket. The film follows the journey of a suicidal ex-soldier named Scotch (Guerrette) who tracks down his estranged and hostile brother (Aransky) in a small New England town. In this new surrounding, Scotch becomes involved in a strange and comically violent feud between a wealthy but misanthropic local (Seymour) and the easily excitable owner of a video store.
rakontur is a Miami-based media studio founded by Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman in 2000.
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage is a 2010 documentary film directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn. The film offers an in-depth look at the Canadian hard rock band Rush, chronicling the band's history and musical evolution. The film made its debut at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, where it earned the 2010 Audience Award. The film was also nominated for Best Long Form Music Video at 53rd Grammy Awards, losing to When You're Strange, a documentary about The Doors. A limited theatrical run began on June 10, 2010 and the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the US and Canada on June 29 of that year. John Rutsey, the band's original drummer, died in 2008; tape-recorded comments from him are incorporated into the film.
Wanderlust is a 2012 American comedy film directed by David Wain and written by Wain and Ken Marino, who also produced with Judd Apatow and Paul Rudd. The film stars Jennifer Aniston and Rudd as a married couple who try to escape modern society by finding themselves on a commune in Georgia, after the economy crashes down on their dreams in New York City.
The Square is a 2013 Egyptian-American documentary film by Jehane Noujaim, which depicts the Egyptian Crisis until 2013, starting with the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 at Tahrir Square. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 86th Academy Awards. It also won three Emmy Awards at the 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, out of four for which it was nominated.
Documentary Now! is an American mockumentary television series, created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas, that premiered on August 20, 2015, on IFC. Armisen and Hader star in many episodes, and Thomas and Alex Buono co-direct most episodes. Hosted by Helen Mirren, the series spoofs celebrated documentary films by parodying the style of each documentary with a similar, but fictitious, subject. The third season premiered on February 20, 2019. On April 8, 2019, the series was renewed for a fourth season, which premiered on October 19, 2022 and was also released on AMC+.
A Lego Brickumentary is a 2014 Danish-American documentary film directed by Kief Davidson and Daniel Junge, focused on the Danish construction toy Lego. The film was released on July 31, 2015. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its appeal but criticized the promotional tone of the film. It grossed over $100,000 against a production budget of $1 million, although it fared better in home media sales.
The Lost Arcade is a 2015 American documentary film about the influence of the Chinatown Fair arcade on the fighting game community and New York City as a whole. The film was directed by Kurt Vincent and produced by Irene Chin, with executive producers Evan Krauss, Kyle Martin, Jason Orans, Alex Scilla, and Joshua Y. Tsui. The documentary features multiple interviews with professional players, in addition to players connected with Chinatown Fair and the new arcade Next Level.
Strange Weather is a 2016 American drama film written and directed by Katherine Dieckmann. It was screened in the Gala Presentations section at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. The film was released theatrically on July 28, 2017.
Minding the Gap is a 2018 documentary film directed by Bing Liu. It was produced by Liu and Diane Moy Quon through Kartemquin Films. It chronicles the lives and friendships of three young men growing up in Rockford, Illinois, united by their love of skateboarding. The film received critical acclaim, winning the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 91st Academy Awards.
David Crosby: Remember My Name is a 2019 documentary about the musician David Crosby. It was directed by A.J. Eaton and produced by Cameron Crowe. The title is a play on the title of Crosby's 1971 album If I Could Only Remember My Name.
The World Before Your Feet is a 2018 American documentary film directed by filmmaker Jeremy Workman about Matt Green's mission to walk every street of New York City, a journey of over 8000 miles. The film also marked the producing debut of actor Jesse Eisenberg.
Time is an Academy Award-nominated 2020 American documentary film produced and directed by Garrett Bradley. It follows Sibil Fox Richardson and her fight for the release of her husband, Rob, who was serving a 60-year prison sentence for engaging in an armed bank robbery.