By Phil Allely
Wrestling was once the thing of smoke filled sports halls and almost underground status. It is an adrenaline filled area of sports that somehow through clever marketing and PR has become a mainstream form of sports entertainment over the last few decades. Making millions of dollars and selling out arenas.
Stars such as Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair have become household names and numerous wrestlers have been fortunate to be able to forge successful careers in TV and movies since they stepped out of the ring.
Whilst the big leagues (such as the WWE and TNA) continue to bring big name stars to fans across the globe via live shows and monthly pay-per-views, some smaller promotions are still plying their trade in tiny venues to minimal but rabid fans.
A new documentary called ‘One Fall’ by first time U.S. filmmaker Carl ‘The Mail Man’ looks at one of such promotion, the NWWA in Ogeron. Phil Allely caught up with Carl to learn more about this project and what he hopes it will achieve.
So Carl tell me about the movie One Fall?
One Fall is a character-driven piece following Dan Closser: By day, a tow truck driver in Portland, Oregon, but by night, a struggling wrestling promoter on the brink of financial collapse. Dan “The Man” pulls out every move, while chasing his hopes and dreams of turning his bush league promotion of wannabe professional wrestlers into a roster of world renowned superstars.
His journey is cut short at every turn: family hardships, endless injuries, a wrestler suicide, leaving Dan “The Man” with only one way out: To lead 16 wrestlers in breaking the Guinness Book record for the longest, non-stop wrestling event.
Sounds interesting Carl, so what exactly inspired it?
I am not sure if any one thing inspired the film. It just kind of happened. I drove by this wrestling promotion one evening and was intrigued by the notion of professional wrestling happening in a warehouse, just miles from my home. Having never heard of these events happening around town I had to take a closer look. That ‘closer look’ turned into almost 3 years of filming, and countless hours in post production.
I heard it’s taken almost three years to complete, so how did you fund One Fall?
The film was already “in the can” so to speak, when we (The One Fall Production Team) started adding up the cost of post production. The sum of money that is required to finish a film is astounding. We wanted to raise enough money to have the freedom to hire the best possible talent to complete the post production process. After doing our research on the many ways that someone can fundraise, with the help of an awful lot of people, we raised $25,000.00 on Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.com). This is an ‘all-or-nothing’ fundraising website designed for artists of all media; Paint, Music, Film, Photography etc…
Just how involved were you in production, were you hands on with everything i.e. actors, script, direction?
The bulk of the film was shot by me. When you get to Act 3, The World Record Attempt, the shooting was handled by four of us. My wife, Kimi Kolba, and my two Producers, Russ & Annie McGarry (all of which make up the aforementioned Production Team.) I would go out to film wrestling for hours on end, every Saturday night. After about 6 months of shooting only wrestling, the guys began to trust me enough to start filming backstage/behind the scenes. That is where the story of One Fall started to unfold. Often times I would just shoot as a ‘fly on the wall’ observer. There were no directions given. After several more months of me shooting behind the scenes the wrestlers would forget that I was rolling tape & really be themselves. This is how I was able to capture so many amazing candid moments with these wrestlers, I slowly proved by worth & was accepted as part of their family. I truly have a lot of love and respect for each and every one of them.
Did the production go well once you got friendly with the wrestlers and crew?
The production went very smoothly. For a long time, I didn’t really tell anyone just how much I was filming, and what I was capturing. My wife, Kimi, was the only person that had an understanding on just how heavy some of the footage was. After being introduced to Annie & Russ McGarry, who have years of television production experience between them, I slowly opened up, and shared with them the gravity of the story I was unfolding.
Where or when may we expect to see One fall on the big screen?
We will start submitting One Fall to film festivals in September. I look forward to traveling with the film & showing it in as many cities as possible.
Why should we (wrestling fans) see it?
Until it blew up on such a global scale, wrestling was very much a regional sensation, with each town having its local wrestling celebrities. I think that there is a piece in each wrestling fan that longs for the ‘good old days’. The NWWA wrestling promotion, in Portland, Oregon, has managed to take me back to when wrestling was fun. Moving away from the big promotions, and watching some of the local wrestlers trying to make it to the big time, may help you appreciate just how much work it takes to make a name for yourself in this business.
Will it appeal to UK fans, or is this more of a U.S. friendly film?
This film will appeal to anyone who has ever dared to chase down a dream. The wrestling becomes secondary to the story behind each of these wrestlers pursuing a career in professional wrestling. We follow the men and women behind the “gimmick” that you see in the ring. The storylines of each of these wrestlers happen to parallel my story. By day I am a mailman. By night, I dream of becoming a successful filmmaker.
So Carl do you still watch wrestling on TV?
I have not watched wrestling on TV since the late 90’s. I would highly encourage people to seek out their local wrestling promotions. Here in Portland, Oregon, we occasionally get a group of 15-20 of our friends together & make a night of it. Its fun to put my camera down, and get into the show. Mind you, these wresters are my friends… but I still heckle & yell at them with no abandon.
So who is/was your wrestling hero?
I don’t think I have a wrestling hero. Maybe if I can tweak the question and answer as to which wrestlers (alive or dead), if I had my choice, would I have over for dinner…
-Andre The Giant
-Rowdy Roddy Piper
-Jesse The Body Ventura
-Ric Flair
-Mean Gene Okerlund (I know he’s not a wrestler.)
Like it, so is this a one-off film, or wil there be more?
With this being my first feature length film, I can assure you that there will be more. I have a few ideas for the next documentary, but it will be on another subject. I have a profound respect for everyone involved in making this film. I would like to let One Fall be whatever it turns into. I can’t imagine trying to top some of the moments I have witnessed with any other wrestling themed films.
May I ask what you thought of the movie the Wrestler, how does One Fall compare to that?
It’s funny that you ask that. I think I am going to have to get a t-shirt made that says: “No, I have NOT seen The Wrestler.” It started with me resisting the urge to see the film, because I do not want anyone to ever say that I copied, or stole from it, even though the topics covered couldn’t be any more different. My wife has seen it, but both of my producers have not. I have not watched any wrestling besides the wrestling shot for One Fall. I don’t want any influence from any other sources besides that coming from NWWA (the promotion featured in the film.) I have avoided a few other wrestling promotions in Portland, just so there is no outside influence.
Cool, so what plans do you have for the future now that One fall has been made?
One Fall will be finished in a matter of months. I hope that the film will open doors, both for me, and the One Fall Production Team. I think we will have an awful lot of fun showing this film to audiences. I would love for this film to bring a crowd back to wrestling in Portland. There is a lot of talent here, and they certainly deserve to have the house packed every week.
Would you like to see One Fall gain mainstream recognition, or is it more of an Indy style piece for smaller audiences?
We are trying to make this film appealing to a wide range of audiences. The idea of showing it to large crowds, and seeing and hearing their reactions to it is kind of what its all about. There is a story to be told. I want to tell that story to as many people that will listen. It really will be fun to watch, even if you have no interest in wrestling at all.
Will you be having a big US premiere?
What filmmaker hasn’t dreamed of having a big premier? Realistically though, I know that we are a small production team, with a high hopes for an indie documentary. If you were to have told me three years ago that I would have a feature length documentary to show, on even ONE big screen, I wouldn’t have believed you. I will be happy with the results even if it is only shown to the people involved. Of course though, I want to play every film festival know to man.
Why should a non wrestling fan go to see (or buy) One fall?
One Fall will speak to anyone who is living a life of which they wish they could improve, by succeeding in that thing that they are passionate about. How many people actually get to do for a living what it is that they really want to be doing? This is the story about a whole locker room filled with passionate men and women chasing down this dream of becoming a professional wrestler. And on some scale… they have already accomplished it.
Visit www.onefallthemovie.com for more details and information.
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