Making Kayfabe

A figure skater seeks wisdom from a local sage to cure her diabetes.

The definitive documentary about wrestling legend Dynamite Kid and his impact in the world of professtional wrestling. What resulted was a very emotional journey into a career cut short by the abuses of steroids, alcohol, drugs, and a complete disregard for his own physical limitations. Dynamite Kid started as a young Englishmen trained in the infamous Snake Pit by Ted Betely and turned an opportunity given to him by the Hart Family in Calgary into a phenomenal worldwide wrestling career. Dynamite Kid was on the front lines of changing professional wrestling from a big man carnival act into an exciting action based entertainment industry where lightweight and physically gifted performers were the focal point of the show. He dazzled an international audience with matches against Tiger Mask that are still a bench mark today.

Raising Bertie is a longitudinal documentary feature following three young African American boys over the course of six years as they grow into adulthood in Bertie County, a rural African American-led community in Eastern North Carolina. Through the intimate portrayal of these boys, this powerful vérité film offers a rare in-depth look at the issues facing America's rural youth and the complex relationships between generational poverty, educational equity, and race. The evocative result is an experience that encourages us to recognize the value and complexity in lives all too often ignored.

Filmmaker Theo Anthony offers a far-ranging look at the biases in how people see things, focusing on the recorded image.

Hercules is sent from Mount Olympus to modern-day Manhattan, where he takes up professional wrestling before getting mixed up with a gang of mobsters.

Wrestling with Manhood is the first educational program to pay attention to the enormous popularity of professional wrestling among male youth, addressing its relationship to real-life violence and probing the social values that sustain it as a powerful cultural force. Richly illustrating their analysis with numerous examples, Sut Jhally and Jackson Katz - the award-winning creators of the videos Dreamworlds and Tough Guise, respectively - offer a new way to think about the enduring problems of men's violence against women and bullying in our schools.

Markus Becker is hit by a car, dragged along, his head bashed on a curb and he falls into a coma. The doctors don’t believe that the 45-year-old will survive the next five to ten days. His father makes preparations for the funeral. Markus’ brother Michael refuses to accept this fate and begins an extraordinary battle. In his brother’s apartment he seals Markus’ clothes to preserve the smell. He records the neighbors’ voices. Every day, Michael exposes his brother to things that are familiar and films everything that is part of Markus’ life with a DV camera. He wants to keep him in his world and to bring this world to his bedside. He documents every step of Markus’ development, risking his own life in the process, wishing that his brother will one day regain the ability to lead a normal life. This full-length documentary accompanies Michael Becker for 10 years on his unwavering and creative mission to bring his brother Markus back to life.

Go inside the build-up to Wrestlemania 2 with King Kong Bundy, and and his headlining match in Los Angeles against the legendary Hulk Hogan in a big blue steel cage.

Today much is made about wrestling wars, but how much do wrestling fans know about the “war for Atlanta?” It was very real, and saw the biggest stars in wrestling being utilized by the NWA to protect what was seen as an assault on one of its major territories. Standing opposite the Alliance and Jim Barnett was Ann Gunkel, widow of promoter and wrestling star Ray Gunkel. Join host Jim Cornette and Bill Eadie, The Masked Superstar, one of the Georgia territory’s huge stars and bookers, for a trip down Atlanta way. Go inside the Georgia wrestling operation before TBS, Black Saturday, and the Crocketts. Hear the stories surrounding the area’s colorful stars like Tommy Rich, T Bolt Patterson, Freebirds, Mr Wrestling I and II, Ole Anderson, and so many more. Jump in, we’re heading to Hot-lanta!

After legendary wrestler and promoter Rikidozan conceded operations of Japan’s wrestling landscape, two men were given the keys to that kingdom. Those men, Antonio Inoki and Shohei Baba, would work together both in the ring as a team and also running the promotion. That is until Inoki and Baba parted to form their own respective promotions. American “gaijin” made fortunes and often swore allegiance to one or the other promoter, touring Japan for either All Japan or New Japan. And tonight’s guest worked for both and became Japan’s most famous gaijin. Join Stan Hansen as he and host Jim Cornette trace the history of Japanese wrestling from Rikidozan up through Inoki and Baba’s split, and through Hansen’s amazing run in All Japan Pro Wrestling. Get ready to hit yet another territory and hop on the bus with Stan, Abby, Brody, DiBiase and head Back to the Territories!

When Eddie Graham took control of pro wrestling in the state of Florida from Cowboy Luttrel, one of the most significant developments in wrestling history was being put in place. Graham would go on to make Florida a premiere breeding ground for talent and future bookers alike. His mastery and genius are universally recognized. Join Jim Cornette and Kevin Sullivan, a product of Eddie Graham's genius and a booker that learned at his feet. Kevin worked Florida as a top heel and then as a booker. But more importantly to this discussion, Kevin was close to Eddie the man. Eddie confided in Kevin, sometimes before even his own son Mike, placing a strain on Kevin and Mike's friendship. We will take you back into the glory days of Florida, from the birth of The "American Dream," to the Jack Brisco/Dory Funk Jr feud. This is your ticket inside Eddie Graham's legendary territory during its fiery NWA reign. Hop in with Corny and Kevin and head Back to the Territories!

From Klondike to Stampede, Stu Hart's Canadian territory saw many changes, more than just in name. There were ups and downs, successes and challenges, but Stu built a legacy and a family in front of Calgary Stampede Wrestling's backdrop. In this edition of Back to the Territories, join Jim Cornette and guest Lance Storm as they delve into the history of Stu Hart's territory and the Hart family itself. Go inside the Hart Brothers' training camp where Storm was trained and hear about the dynamics of the family. Learn the names that built the territory and the names that Stu built. There are great stories about legends like Archie Goulding and the Dynamite Kid and their roles in Calgary. Head up north and add Calgary to your scholarly trek through wrestling's great territories with the always entertaining and informative Jim Cornette and his guest Lance Storm and head Back...to the Territories!

We're off once again...back in time to the years of regional territories in pro wrestling. For this edition, host Jim Cornette sits down with the venerable J.J. Dillon for a comprehensive examination of the Crocketts' Mid Atlantic Wrestling. In what can best be described as a tale of two territories, you'll see the style and formulas used by Jim Crockett Sr, and then the direction and decisions that his family implemented after his death in the 70s.

Get ready to head back to a time when the wrestling landscape was filled with regional promotions, each with their own stars, their own television product, and their own identities. In this edition of Back to the Territories, join host Jim Cornette and his guest Hacksaw Jim Duggan as they undertake an in-depth analysis of Mid South Wrestling. Mid South was the brainchild of legendary promoter Cowboy Bill Watts, a character as rich in lore as his territory. The stars that blossomed in Mid South would go on to captivate wrestling fans for years, long after their tenure with Watts had ended. The names Duggan, DiBiase, Reed, and Junkyard Dog were only a handful that can be traced back to the territory.

As the golden age of wrestling TV came to a close, many stars of the black & white found comfortable spots running territories around the U.S. And one of the biggest up and comers of the 50s and early 60s settled into a decades-long role at the helm of The AWA. Verne Gagne became the face and the soul of the powerhouse territory from Minnesota, and the closest person to him, his son Greg Gagne, joins Jim Cornette for a walk through Verne’s life and the history of the AWA. Greg’s inside information will blow your mind, from the hilarious — Mad Dog Vachon opening a plane door at 10,000 feet … to the intriguing — the alleged skullduggery at the hands of Eric Bischoff. Greg goes with Corny as the earliest days of the company are explored, then the heartbreak and blown opportunities at the hands of Hulk Hogan, and up through the run at Vince in the 80’s. You may think you have heard the whole story of The AWA. But there’s more that Greg has stayed silent on…’till now!

The mysterious and enchanting island of Puerto Rico is home to possibly the most passionate wrestling fans the sport has ever known. Wrestlers from the States have told many a story about dodging the occasional fist, rock, and spark plug while getting the best of a local babyface. Yet so little is known by most fans of the culture and history of the Puerto Rico territory. Today, Jim Cornette and guest Savio Vega hope to change all that. Join them as they head all the way back to the territory’s inception and guide us through the years to today. You will hear about the legends like Carlos Colon and hear Savio’s first-hand account of the darkest night in the territory when Bruiser Brody was murdered. Savio was there and goes into great detail about not only that night, but what he saw after the trial in a stadium dugout hours before belltime. Get ready to head BACK TO PUERTO RICO!!!

From the days of Morris Sigel to the unprecedented success of Paul Boesch, the story of Houston wrestling is fascinating for not only its importance to the NWA, but also the sheer length of its reign and influence. The Texas powerhouse promotion had no equal in the Lone Star State, and its might yielded both prosperity and controversy. The territory saw gates that crushed those of the other Texas promotions. It was center stage for the Funk/Brisco family feud, hosting the switch of the NWA title to Jack Brisco. Join Bruce Prichard and Jim Cornette as they dissect everything possible about the classic territory. Bruce was a young acolyte, cutting his teeth in the territory and his closeness to Boesch and the entire operation put him front and center for much of what is discussed. Get in and head BACK IN TIME once again!!!

In 1983 World Class Championship Wrestling and its franchise stars, the Von Erich brothers, were known around the world. A small Dallas based promotion running out of a shack of a venue, the Sportatorium, World Class was one of the most syndicated television programs in America, making the Von Erichs household names. Run by legendary wrestler Fritz Von Erich, a.k.a. Jack Adkinsson, World Class made his oldest sons, Kevin, David and Kerry, three of hte biggest stars in the world of wrestling. Little did anyone know that just as the Von Erichs and World Class were reaching worldwide stardom they would begin a downfall that would cast a full eclipse on their meteoric rise to fame. Directed by Brian Harrison who, as a ten year old in 1983, watched on television as wrestling's world of staged combat between good and evil took a sharp turn into a surreal and tragic reality.

Eldest son Lance, of the Loud family profiled on PBS in 1973, became the first openly gay man on television and a gay icon for his generation. When Lance entered hospice in 2001 with a terminal HIV and hepatitis C co-infection, he asked original filmmakers Susan and Alan Raymond to film a final episode of the series. Lance reflects upon his days with Andy Warhol, his band The Mumps, a career as a writer and the experience of being the first reality TV star. It is a celebration of life and a cautionary tale.

The story of Nigel McGuinness, a man with lifelong aspirations of becoming a WWE Superstar, whose career was unceremoniously cut short