[WWW] Alex Marvez 11.20.03 column

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By ALEX MARVEZ
November 20, 2003

Paul Hough's documentary has finally completed the journey from the
"backyard" into the houses of wrestling fans.

"The Backyard," which is a 78-minute documentary chronicling the
backyard wrestling phenomenon that flourished during the wrestling
boom of 1998 to 2001, was released last Tuesday on DVD and videotape.

Such a mainstream breakthrough for what began as an obscure niche film
was the result of positive reviews from critics and word-of-mouth
praise from grappling aficionados. The Backyard played at more than 30
film festivals and enjoyed a theatrical release at 10 venues in the
past 18 months, which is exposure that exceeded Hough's expectations.

"Obviously, there is a huge stigma against backyard wrestling," said
Hough, who became involved with the project in 2001. "It's really
tough to try and tell people this isn't a backyard wrestling
compilation. It's a documentary."

Hough chronicles various aspects of the backyard craze from teenagers
trying to emulate their grappling heroes to those who risk injury by
using objects like light bulbs, mousetraps and thumbtacks as part of
their matches. Such antics have drawn heavy criticism from parents
concerned about their children putting themselves at risk of serious
injury.

But as brutal as some of the performances are, Hough also managed to
unearth some touching stories from the hundreds of backyard tapes he
watched while researching the project.

Two of those characters are Matt "Scar" Haugen and Andrew "The Lizard"
Cook. Haugen was a hearing-impaired teenager who made friends through
his wrestling exploits, while Cook managed to live out one of his
dreams by getting a tryout for World Wrestling Entertainment's Tough
Enough 2 show. Haugen and Cook have since abandoned backyard wrestling
to concentrate on working for legitimate independent promotions.

"What the film tried to do was present the subject from the point of
view of the backyard wrestler as opposed to mine or anyone else's,"
Hough said. "Most people hate it and think it's dangerous, which is
totally understandable. But to see a documentary that says that is
kind of boring.

"For wrestling fans, it was a fun film to watch. Non-wrestling fans
were really repulsed by it in general or they took a more intellectual
look at the film, which is probably why it got good reviews."

Hough said he is finished with wrestling projects and is instead
focused on trying to produce a horror film he has developed. But Hough
still follows backyard wrestling closely and believes interest in the
genre hasn't waned even though WWE's popularity has.

"It really still is as popular as it was," Hough said. "I think it's
probably because of the Best of Backyard Wrestling compilations and
computer games that have come out. It gives people an outlet for it,
which I don't think was there before. In many ways, it has encouraged
backyard wrestling."

A list of retailers selling The Backyard ($19.99 on DVD; $14.98 on
VHS) is available at www.image-entertainment.com.


-Another excellent documentary recently released on DVD is The
Smashing Machine, which chronicles the tumultuous careers of Mark Kerr
and Mark Coleman in mixed martial arts competition. Cost is $24.95.
Information, visit www.docurama.com.

-Slumping heavyweight Tank Abbott vs. Wesley "Cabbage" Correira and
Matt Hughes vs. Frank Trigg headlines Friday's Ultimate Fighting
Championships 45 pay-per-view show emanating from Uncasville, Conn.


QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

Q: Is there a chance Jeff Hardy will return to WWE? - Andrea Falcon,
Boca Raton, Fla.

A: Although he recently visited backstage at a WWE show, Hardy
reportedly has no interest in returning. Hardy, who has wrestled
infrequently for independent promoters since being fired in April by
WWE for drug-related reasons, appears focused on pursuing a music
career. However, Hardy's band Peroxwhy?gen was forced to cancel its
debut concert slated for Friday in Covington, Ky. because of a
scheduling conflict at the venue.

More of the Paul Hough interview can be found at
www.wrestlingobserver.com. Questions can be sent to Alex Marvez c/o
the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort
Lauderdale, FL 33301, or e-mailed to amarvez(at)sun-sentinel.com.
Please include your full name and city of residence. Because of
volume, no phone calls will be accepted and letters will not receive a
written reply.

(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service)