The Sheik
Studio: Dark Sky Films
Directed by Igal Hecht
Mar 01, 2016
Web Exclusive
Khosrow Vaziri, a.k.a. The Iron Sheik, has always had heat. Good or bad, the legendary wrestler gets a reaction. Igan Hecht’s documentary The Sheik is an overarching look at the wrestling champion’s career over the past 50 years, from his start in Iran as the Shah’s bodyguard, to his early days in the U.S., coaching the U.S. Olympic team, to his WWF heel heyday, through to his present-day incarnation as a Twitter celebrity.
From a filmic perspective, The Sheik isn’t much. A parade of talking heads, augmented by stock footage and photomontage for the bulk of the Sheik’s wrestling days, switching over to a reality-TV style for the present-day storyline. There are some compelling historical threads regarding Iranian and wrestling world politics, but to be honest, the film’s success comes entirely from The Sheik’s undeniable likability and constant presence. Larger than life, wild, weird, warm, and vulnerable, Vaziri allows access into his world without limit. His constant outlandish proclamations in and out of the ring are hilarious. In the same degree, his struggles with substance abuse and familial drama are heartbreaking. Appearances from Hulk Hogan, Jake the Snake, The Rock, Mick Foley, and other pro-wrestling legends are icing on the cake. The final third of the film struggles from an often irritatingly promotional tone imparted by the Sheik’s manager and orchestrator of his social media presence, but even though that guy is something of a jabroni, the film is a welcome check-in on an iconic personality.
Author rating: 5/10
Average reader rating: 0/10
Most Recent
- Fontaines D.C. Announce New Album, Share Video for New Song “Starburster” (News) — Fontaines D.C.
- Yannis Philippakis of Foals Announces New EP with the Late Tony Allen, Shares “Walk Through Fire” (News) — Yannis & The Yaw, Foals, Tony Allen
- Premiere: Meli Levi Shares New Single “Close to You” (News) — Meli Levi
- Hana Vu Shares New Song “22” (News) — Hana Vu
- John Grant Shares Lyric Video for New Song “The Child Catcher” (News) — John Grant
Comments
Submit your comment
There are no comments for this entry yet.