I decided to have fun with the WordPress daily writing prompt and list my 10 favorite movies. The listings are in no particular order. These are primarily movies that always stop me while channel surfing.
1. The Empire Strikes Back (1980): “Do. Or do not. There is no try”
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994): “Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best of things and no good thing ever really dies.”
3. The Boondock Saints (1999): “We’re sorta like 7-Eleven. We’re not always doing business, but we’re always open.”
4. Forest Gump (1994): “Lieutenant Dan got me invested in some kind of fruit company. So then I got a call from him, saying we don’t have to worry about money no more.”
5. Independence Day (1996):“We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!
6. Remember the Titans (2000):“Alice, are you blind? Don’t you see the family resemblance? That’s my brother.”
7. Goodfellas (1990):“Never rat on your friends and always keep your mouth shut.”
8. The Usual Suspects (1995):“How do you shoot the devil in the back? What if you miss?”
9. Lilo & Stitch (2002):“Oh good. My dog found the chainsaw.”
10. The Truman Show (1998):“Good morning, and in case I don’t see ya: Good afternoon, good evening, and good night!”
Since I primarily cover professional wrestling, here are my favorite films regarding the operatic undertakings of the Squared Circle.
1. The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019): “Tyler, I am going to give you all of my wishes for my birthday.“
2. Body Slam (1986):“You don’t need music to wrestle. You need Balls”
3. Vision Quest (1985):“Have you done everything you came to do?”
4. Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows (1998): “There was no choice but to get up and punch Vince one time.
5. The Wrestler (2008): “The only place I get hurt is out there.” As Randy points away from the ring.
6. Man on the Moon (1999):“You don’t know the real me.”
7. The Iron Claw (2023):“It’s okay Dad, we’ll be your brothers.”
8. Beyond the Mat (1999):“I think he could be Denzel’s friend.”
9. Ready to Rumble (2000): “Sal Bandini! Wanna wrestle?”
I hope you are all having a safe, healthy, and happy New Year. 2024 hasn’t been kind, which is unusual for even-numbered years that are typically fantastic!
I have been in and out of the hospital since New Year’s Day. Along the way, I simultaneously got COVID-19 and the flu.
I’m taking some time off to focus on my health as I feel exhausted and unable to think clearly at times.
Surgery is scheduled for the end of March, but the doctor says the flare-ups I’ve been experiencing will continue until the procedure.
I love writing and it’s the one thing I wanted to keep on my plate. However, that not thinking clearly thing answered that question for me.
There are a few blog posts already in the can that I will either publish during my absence or hold off until I’m back into the swing of things.
Ringside Logic will return. Until then, be well and be excellent to each other.
PS:
Cody Rhodes winning the Royal Rumble was perfect. I loved the finish where CM Punk shouted, “I’m not losing to Dusty’s kid,” only for Cody to reply, “I’m not that kid anymore,” before throwing him out for the win.
The words tragedy and triumph famously encompass the story of the legendary Von Erich family within pro wrestling circles. Sean Durkin wrote and directed the latest A24 release, The Iron Claw, which chronicles the life and times of the Texas-born and Texas-proud Von Erich brothers and their overbearing father.
It’s time to gear up for another Scooby-Doo adventure with Mystery Inc. as they join forces with Krypto, the Superdog, to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the Justice League.
Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! is the latest collaboration between Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics.
It’s part spiritual successor and another part straight-up sequel to the famed ensemble cartoon of the 70s and 80s, Superfriends.
There’s plenty of Easter eggs to gawk at for old-school fans.
There is a moment early in the film where the titular character is sulking in the locker room after another stinging but expected loss in the ring. A fellow wrestler gets cute and nonchalantly yells to Saúl, “You should be an exotico.” Saúl defiantly says no because “Exotico’s always loose.”
What seems like another case of someone looking to improve their station from perennial loser to superstar riches is a journey searching for much more.
Cassandro tells the inspiring true story of Saúl Armendáriz, a gay Mexican wrestler from El Paso, Texas, who rises to fame after becoming ‘Cassandro’ the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.” In the process, he upends the macho wrestling world and his own life.
Gael García Bernal (Marvel’s Werewolf by Night) rounds out a stellar cast, poignantly delivering engaging performances that serve the story unrestrainedly. Gael García Bernal is powerfully sensational as Saúl/Cassandro, and equally remarkable is Perla De La Rosa as Yocasta,
Saúl’s mother. The mother/son relationship between Saúl and Yocasta is the heart of the film. De La Rosa exudes a mother’s love as Yocasta fiercely loves her son, but that doesn’t stop her from throwing a painful truth in Saúl’s face from time to time. One might ask themselves how she could constantly remind her son of so much pain.
It’s love, and it’s not perfect. It’s an example of the depth that Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams produces nearly from moment to moment.
Saúl’s trek to stardom begins as a jobber named El Topo, a wrestler whose job is to lose while making the stars look good. Eventually, he blossoms into the international sensation, Cassandro.
An Exótico wrestles in drag and has an androgynous flair to their performance in the ring. It’s nothing new in Lucha Libre. However, it’s always been considered a subgenre in Mexico that is good for a laugh but rarely dignified.
The dignity of the role is what Saúl is talking about when he says they always lose. It’s not that exóticos are winless in the ring, but they are easily cast aside, almost considered second-class citizens, like the struggle many LGBTQIA+ individuals have found themselves in throughout their lives. When Saúl finally decides to wrestle as Cassandro, he initially has some trepidation and quietly assumes responsibility for the role.
“I’m going to be the exótico that wins” is more than a cash grab or a way to glisten under the bright lights; but a mission to flip the script on art imitating life. Roger Ross Williams and co-writer David Teague take a superb hand with how this aspect of the movie unfolds.
Cassandro’s path to dignified superstardom is not a bombastic call to arms but a quiet personal voyage that inspiringly sets the stage for something more, and how it resonates with people who identify with Cassandro, who is a proud gay man who is being himself.
The pro wrestling element of the film does a good job of conveying how Lucha Libre is ingrained in Mexican culture. Lucha Libre translates to free fight, and Cassandro often refers to his in-ring encounters as fights instead of matches, bringing authenticity to how wrestling is talked about south of the border.
Similar to the independent wrestling scene in the U.S., the lower levels of Lucha Libre can be a dirty grind, even more so due to its cultural significance.
While how Bernal and the other wrestlers lock up to start the match could use some improvement in this former wrestler’s opinion, it’s a minor detail that only diehard wrestling enthusiasts would notice. Bernal handles wrestling’s physicality well, augmenting his performance as he brings Cassandro to life inside the squared circle.
Cassandro’s match with El Hijo del Santo was a pivotal moment in his career and the life of Saúl Armendáriz. It’s a balancing act that simultaneously brings tragedy and triumph, excellently told through William’s lens and masterfully conveyed by Bernal’s performance. El Hijo del Santo is a big deal in Lucha Libre, and he’s the son of the legend El Santo, whose cultural significance in Mexico dwarfs Hulk Hogan and The Rock’s popularity combined.
Having the real El Hijo del Santo appear in the film to help tell Cassandro’s story was a treat. Cassandro was gaining momentum as an attraction, but his match with del Santo made him a star, proving that Cassandro and exóticos are more than worthy of reaching for the stars.
International megastar Bad Bunny performs as a fixer for a local promoter who books matches for Cassandro. Bad Bunny might be the biggest star on the planet right now, and his first on-screen kiss, while not super crucial to the narrative, could be seen as a strong statement from someone considered a great LGBTQIA+ ally.
While William’s balancing act between Cassandro’s life in and out of the ring prevents the narrative from diving further into the Lucha Libre of it all, what we get is more than enough. Cassandro’s personal life does the bulk of the heavy lifting narratively. Williams often lingers on silent moments in a fashion that often has the loudest voice in the film. Bernal speaks profoundly through quiet smiles, cries, party, and pain.
Part of that pain deals with love on two fronts. Saúl is looking to win over a fellow wrestler who is closeted and married while also looking for his father’s approval. One ends in heartbreak, while the other brings a rousing finality that exemplifies Cassandro’s growth along this journey. Like some of my favorite wrestling matches, I cheered when the moment occurred, and Bernal handled it gracefully.
Revisiting, uplifting, and inspiring will be some of the words used to describe Cassandro. All of the above is correct, but there is more here. It’s a resounding message that doesn’t hit the viewer on the nose. Williams doesn’t go for cheap laughs at Cassandro’s expense, which honors the story and accomplishments of Saúl Armendáriz, highlighting his fearless embrace of his identity.
Cassandro won’t be for everyone, as drawn-out moments of silence might feel like a chore for some. One thing that is undeniable is that Williams leaves it all in the ring with his ability to tell and shape a story, and Gael García Bernal is a name we’re going to see in lights a lot more.
Cassandro is now playing in select theaters and available on Amazon Prime Video on September 22nd.
Cassandro
Directed By Roger Ross Williams Written By David Teague & Roger Ross Williams
Cast Gael García Bernal, Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, and Raúl Castillo, with special appearances from El Hijo del Santo and Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio
Consultant Saúl Armendáriz Produced By Gerardo Gatica, Todd Black, David Bloomfield, Ted Hope, Julie Goldman
Executive Produced By Gael García Bernal, Paula Amor, Mariana Rodríguez Cabarga, A. Müffelmann, Matías Penachino, David Teague, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch
Prime Video has released the first trailer for Gael García Bernal’s charismatic performance in Cassandro, a wrestling biopic based on the true story of Saúl Armendáriz, a gay amateur wrestler from El Paso, who rises to international stardom after he creates the character ‘Cassandro,’ the “Liberace of Lucha Libre.”
In the process, he upends not just the macho wrestling world, but also his own life. Based on a true story. Directed by Academy Award® winner Roger Ross Williams. The film is receiving stellar reviews due to Bernal’s stellar performance and holds a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Cassandro stars Gael García Bernal (Marvel’s Werewolf by Night), Roberta Colindrez, Perla De La Rosa, Joaquín Cosío, and music megastar Bad Bunny, who is no stranger to the squared circle, who earned acclaim for his match at WrestleMania 37 and stole the show in May at Backlash defeating Damian Priest in a San Juan Street Fight.
El Hijo del Santo, son of the legendary Mexican cultural icon El Santo is set to make a special appearance in the film. El Hijo del Santo’s career was better than most second generation wrestlers, filled with memorable moments, including his feud with Negro Casas, and was instrumental in the careers of Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio.
There is a harrowing bridge to cross midway through the film where Regé-Jean Page’s knight in shining armor, Xenk, explains the precise formula to avoid the bridge’s Gnomish trap.
One must begin at the center, using odd number blocks only, moving forward with each step, except for every fifth step, which must be a lateral move.
The “quite simple” formula represents everything I loathe about the D&D game.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is an adventure film based on the popular roleplaying game of the same name that follows a charming band of unlikely heroes who embark on an epic heist that goes dangerously awry.
The subgenre of exorcism horror films has made its mark in cinema. Some might conclude that if you’ve seen one scary movie with crucifixes, holy water, and contorting heads, you’ve seen them all. The subject of Director Julius Avery’s latest film, however, promises a different and higher-stakes version of possession-filled chaos.
The Pope’s Exorcist follows Father Gabriele Amorth, whose occupation is precisely what the title says. Academy Award winner Russell Crowe plays the Vatican’s leading exorcist, investigating reported possessions around the globe.
Myles Bullock’s Renzo states in a baffled tone when the crowd at a basketball tournament erupts as Jack Harlow’s Jeremy unleashes a dunk during a pivotal juncture in the big game.
In many ways, Renzo’s perplexed statement is a commentary on the past and present this film represents.
White Men Can’t Jump is a remake of the beloved 1992 sports comedy starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. Fast forward 31 years, and now Sinqua Walls (Power) and fast-rising rap star Jack Harlow are the lead hoopers.
Jeremy (Harlow) and Kamal Allen (Walls) are two people who are hard up for money and team up to use their considerable basketball talents to make ends meet.
The means, however, is unstable, and a big win by the pair is needed to set things right for them and their loved ones.
Return of the Jedi turns 40 years old this month, and Lucasfilm celebrated the anniversary of the iconic finale of the original Star Wars trilogy with a limited theatrical rerelease of the film. Fans had from April 28 to May 4 to experience Episode 6 on the big screen, whether it was for the umpteenth viewing or for the very first time.
I was too young to see the original trilogy in theaters upon its initial release. However, my mother told me the first time she felt me kick was when my father took her to see The Empire Strikes Back. Maybe it was premature or unconscious jealousy as my parents were seeing something I knew I’d love.
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