SPX
06-22-2011, 06:45 PM
I'm working on an article right now about MMA documentaries and had to track down 8 of them to write about. It hasn't been incredibly easy. The are plenty of vids out there, but not high-quality, professional docs on the sport.
Anyway, in anyone's interested, I though I'd list the ones I came up with. Feel free to add to the list. I'm curious about what I may have missed.
My list:
The Smashing Machine -- I know everyone's seen it. No explanation needed.
Choke - Probably most of you have seen this one too, but if not, it's a pretty interesting look at Rickson Gracie's involvement in the Vale Tudo 1995 tournament in Tokyo.
Jens Pulver | Driven - A good indie doc that extensively explores the effects of childhood abuse on Pulver's psyche and follows him as he prepares for the Javi Vazquez fight.
Cage Fighting Women - A 60 minute BBC special on Rosi Sexton and Lisa Higo, as they prepare for an upcoming bout and upcoming tournament, respectively. One of the few (only?) docs on female fighters.
Rites of Passage - Old school documentary on MMA released in 2002 that profiles the sport around the turn of the millenium when it was still kind of underground. Features guys like Couture, Inoue, Coleman, Frank Shamrock, etc.
Renzo Gracie: Legacy - Excellent doc on Renzo's career, tracing it from his early fights in Brazil to his IFL fight with Pat Miletich. Lots of good behind the scenes footage, apparently accumulated over the course of several years.
The Reem - Online documentary that basically just shows Overeem doing his thing: traveling around the globe, training, terrorizing little Japanese bitches, and preparing for the Rogers fight, the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix, and the SF HW Grand Prix.
Pride Fighting Decade - A Pride love fest that covers the org from its beginning to the point where it was sold to Zuffa. Disappointingly sparse when it comes to any sort of behind-the-scenes footage or info, but there's a ton of good fight footage and good interviews with fighters of the era.
Anyway, in anyone's interested, I though I'd list the ones I came up with. Feel free to add to the list. I'm curious about what I may have missed.
My list:
The Smashing Machine -- I know everyone's seen it. No explanation needed.
Choke - Probably most of you have seen this one too, but if not, it's a pretty interesting look at Rickson Gracie's involvement in the Vale Tudo 1995 tournament in Tokyo.
Jens Pulver | Driven - A good indie doc that extensively explores the effects of childhood abuse on Pulver's psyche and follows him as he prepares for the Javi Vazquez fight.
Cage Fighting Women - A 60 minute BBC special on Rosi Sexton and Lisa Higo, as they prepare for an upcoming bout and upcoming tournament, respectively. One of the few (only?) docs on female fighters.
Rites of Passage - Old school documentary on MMA released in 2002 that profiles the sport around the turn of the millenium when it was still kind of underground. Features guys like Couture, Inoue, Coleman, Frank Shamrock, etc.
Renzo Gracie: Legacy - Excellent doc on Renzo's career, tracing it from his early fights in Brazil to his IFL fight with Pat Miletich. Lots of good behind the scenes footage, apparently accumulated over the course of several years.
The Reem - Online documentary that basically just shows Overeem doing his thing: traveling around the globe, training, terrorizing little Japanese bitches, and preparing for the Rogers fight, the 2010 K-1 Grand Prix, and the SF HW Grand Prix.
Pride Fighting Decade - A Pride love fest that covers the org from its beginning to the point where it was sold to Zuffa. Disappointingly sparse when it comes to any sort of behind-the-scenes footage or info, but there's a ton of good fight footage and good interviews with fighters of the era.