241: The Iron Claw

Welcome to the latest edition of At The Flicks – this is one where we try something different for our movie reviews. Regular listeners to the show will know that contributor Darren is a wrestling aficionado, what he doesn’t know about the sport isn’t worth knowing.  As for the rest of us, you could write our knowledge on the back of a 2nd class postage stamp.  The exception to that is of course Neil, who is often seen about town in a series of flamboyant costumes some of the more outlandish wrestlers would wear.  However, fighting is the furthest thing from his mind when he is in his gear!  I digress and apologise for the image I have now imparted.  Back to the show and Darren’s challenge.  He asked (well, instructed), Graham and Jeff to go watch The Iron Claw without reading anything about it beforehand.  After which he could chat to us about Von Erich family and their unique story.  The dynamic duo followed Darren’s instructions (not easy for this pair of overage lefties) and went to see the film “cold”. As you will find out in this intriguing review show, it was an experience for both of them, fascinating and shocking at times.  Although Jeff, having not read any film news for a week to ensure he learnt nothing about The Iron Claw was annoyed when the UK certificate card, giving trigger warnings, spoilt three important plot points before the movie even started.  As Jeff says, enough with the woke sign posting – we never had it in my day. Thankfully after that, and a pacifying bucket of popcorn, Jeff settled into the spirit of the viewing.  We will not reveal any further details of the plot here.  Suffice to say, please watch The Iron Claw before listening to this podcast.  Not only do the three At The Flicks members discuss the film in detail, Darren uses his encyclopaedic knowledge to enhance the experience, such as addressing the questions   What were the Von Erichs really like?   What does the movie leave out?  What impact did the tragedies that befell this family have on the local wrestling scene? All of these questions and many more fascinating facts are provided by Darren.  So, if you are a fan of movies or wrestling, or both, then this episode is definitely for you. What do you think listeners of our new approach to reviewing movies? As always please write to let us know. Who knows, we might all meet up at the flicks for the next wrestling feature.  Bye for now.