''Pushed to the Limit'' is a 1992

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

pro wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

written by

Mimi Lesseos Mimi Diane Lesseos (born February 25, 1964) is an American female professional wrestler, actress, model and stuntwoman also known by the ring name Magnificent Mimi. Early life Lesseos was raised in Hollywood, California. She is the youngest of f ...

and directed by Michael Mileham. Starring

and Verrel Lester Reed, the film is about a wrestling queen who finds out that a gangster is responsible for her brother's death and trains in kickboxing to avenge his death.

Development

Prior to starting work on ''Pushed to the Limit'', Mimi Lesseos was an experienced professional wrestler and she had experience working in

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, acting and

stunt work A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery spe ...

in a number of productions. She has stated that her interest in making a film of her own was in part a reaction to the exploitative roles which she had accepted in her earlier work, as she wished to portray a fit and strong female character who was not "sleazy or muscle-bound". Lessos wrote, starred in and produced the work. Half of the $600,000 budget was provided through an investor, while she provided the other half, selling property and, at one point, traveling to

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to raise money through her professional fights. While in Japan she found a distributor, and worldwide distribution was gained after taking the movie to the

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Cast

*Mimi Lesseos as Mimi *Henry Hayashi as Harry Lee *Verrel Reed as Vern (as Verrel Lester Reed Jr.) *Barbara Braverman as Mom *Greg Ostrin as John Cordon *Rick Shaw as Fred *Frank Trejo as Frank *Michael M. Foley as Nick *Amy Barcroft as Sheeba *Christl Colven as Inga *Terrance Curtis as Tony *Alex Demir as Mike *Alfons Giodano as Fernel *Lorraine Hawkins as Terri

Critical reception

''Girls With Guns'' gave the film a poor review, writing "Lesseos makes for a decent fighter and a tolerable actress, though the subplot which has her as a showgirl in Vegas is irrelevant, inane and positively wince-inducing ... it's the story that really kills this ... having a female lead is a nice idea, but much more effort is needed, rather than thinking this is sufficient in and of itself. ''

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'' also panned the film, offering "a film of the calibre of PUSHED TO THE LIMIT defies criticism by its multitude of mistakes, from Lesseos's self-aggrandizing screenplay to Michael Mileham's bungled direction—rendering it not good, not bad, but gleefully awful ... Thankfully, Michael Mileham's incompetent direction blunts any glorification of Lesseos. Mileham directs with his eyes closed--scenes are jumbled and the point of scenes obscured by characters who block the camera lens", and concludes with "as a truly bad film, you can't get any better--or worse--than this shoddy and cheapjack ego". Despite the film itself having poor reviews, star Mimi Lesseos received recognition when the film was screened at the 2006

Action On Film International Film Festival The Action On Film International Film Festival, also known as the Action On Film Festival, was founded in 2004. It was held in California until 2017 when it moved to the Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. As a hub for many returning filmmakers ...

14 years after its initial release and she received nominations for both "Breakout Action Star" and "Female Action Performer of the Year".

References

External links

* {{Women's professional wrestling 1992 films 1990s action films American martial arts films Women's professional wrestling films 1992 martial arts films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films