I LIKE TO HURT PEOPLE

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Original Title: I Like to Hurt People
Year: 1985
Director: Donald G. Jackson
Writer: -
IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0261742/
Genre: Documentary, Wrestling

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Synopsis:
The Shiek wreaks havoc throughout the sleaziest locales of the American wrestling circuit, maiming, mauling, and living up to his life's code: I like to hurt people!

It's funny. As I was watching I Like To Hurt People, I couldn't help but be reminded of Ed Wood: the infamous (that's when you're MORE than famous!) shlockmeister who would use random stock footage in his movies to fill time. Well, that's sort of what we get here with Donald Jackson's entry into the wrestling world. And upon looking at his wikipedia page, I find that apparently he was referred to in the media as the Ed Wood of the video age!

Please, please check out the titles in Jackson's filmography. Wow...

Here in I Like To Hurt People, we have random acted parts from wrestlers that almost have zero significance, including a hilarious bit with Andre the Giant getting out of a Jeep Wrangler and picking up this poor guy and sitting him on the roof.

Most of the film though is footage of various wrestling matches I believe are from the late 1970s when The Sheik was NWA USA Heavyweight Champion (the Detroit Territory version). Jackson has seemingly created a story in which various opponents line up to try to knock down The Sheik who has gone extra wild - attacking all his opponents with forks and pipes and other objects during the matches. In reality, this is how The Shiek wrestled all the time!

This guy was a pretty sick fucker as far as professional wrestling goes. The true originator of "hardcore wrestling" as it came to be known in the 1990s, The Sheik all the way back to the 60s was known as an over the top rule breaker, stabbing people legitimately with forks in the arms, chest, and head to draw blood in a hurry. I would have hated to work with this guy.

ECW's Sabu is the nephew of The Sheik,

Jackson touched on a story in which Dusty Rhodes was going to meet The Sheik in the ultimate showdown or some shit, but then it doesn't actually happen outside a very brief highlight. Really it makes the first 10 minutes or so of the film completely useless. The Funks feuding with The Sheik and Abdullah the Butcher is given far more time.

There are also side stories with a fat woman (Heather Feather) wrestling a man, and with another wrestler discussing his home life and the fact that he just likes to hurt people.

Awkward Family Photo!

There is another pointless side story of a little nerdy man who has started an organization called Stop The Sheik, or STS. There's so much filler in here that has nothing to do with each other. It all "comes together" in the closing scene where The Sheik and his new manager are riding in a car, babbling on about something to do with Muhammad Ali making an appearance, then it just ends. Nothing resolved! Sorry for the spoiler I guess...

At times it feels like a documentary, at times a mockumentary, at times a fucking terrible comedy. It's a mess of a fucking movie that is obviously guided mostly by what wrestling footage was available, but still interesting nonetheless... maybe in its ineptitude. It was hard to tell at times what was stock footage and what was filmed new for the movie.

I'm keeping this review short as well - there's not a lot here as far as acting, filming techniques, or even quality of documentary filmmaking. It is worth a watch, particularly by fans of professional wrestling, for the footage of such legends as Dory and Terry Funk, Andre the Giant, Dick the Bruiser, Bobo Brazil, Abdullah the Butcher, Ox Baker, and a few others.

Ox Baker looks like Genghis Khan and Jesse Ventura had a love child.

I Like To Hurt People ends up being kind of boring because it doesn't really make sense, but I liked it anyway

Score: 5.5 / 10