Sylvester Stallone directs himself, Lee Canalito and Armand Assante in this drama about three brothers in post-war New York who hustle themselves into the wrestling game.

A weird tone – kinda like a Depression era Sixties Batman episode (sans superhero vigilantes) but set in the decade in between both those strong flavours. It is also quite similar in family dynamic to Visconti’s Rocco And His Brothers. The whole vanity project mish-mash was quite alienating to begin with, Stallone even croons a miserable theme song. Yet it coalesces into something quite sweet and the wrestling stuff is as rousing as a Rocky’s boxing. A sleazy treat.

6

Perfect Double Bill: Over The Top (1986)

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