''The Resurrection of Jake the Snake'' is a 2015 American
documentary film
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...
directed by Steve Yu chronicling the life of professional wrestler
Jake Roberts
Aurelian Smith Jr. (born May 30, 1955), better known by the ring name Jake "The Snake" Roberts, is an American professional wrestler and actor currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs as manager to Lance Archer. He is be ...
(also known by his
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
of Jake "The Snake" Roberts). In particular, the film focuses on Roberts' life from 2012 to 2014, during which time he undergoes a rehabilitation program led by his friend and former professional wrestler
Diamond Dallas Page
Dallas Page (born Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr., April 5, 1956), better known by his ring name Diamond Dallas Page (often stylized as DDP), is an American actor and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. In the course of his wrest ...
with the aim to break his
alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...
and improve his overall health. Numerous other wrestlers are interviewed about Roberts throughout the film, and
Scott Hall
Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and under the ring name the Diamond Studd and with the ...
(another professional wrestler and friend of Page and Roberts) joins the rehabilitation program several months after Roberts, having similarly struggled with alcoholism.
The film debuted at the
Slamdance Film Festival
The Slamdance Film Festival is an annual film festival focused on emerging artists. The annual week-long festival takes place in Park City, Utah, in late January and is the main event organized by the year-round Slamdance organization, which als ...
on January 23, 2015 and experienced a limited theatrical run starting on September 2 of that year. The film has received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics.
Plot
The film begins with an overview of the career of
professional wrestler
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 or ...
Jake Roberts
Aurelian Smith Jr. (born May 30, 1955), better known by the ring name Jake "The Snake" Roberts, is an American professional wrestler and actor currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs as manager to Lance Archer. He is be ...
, intercut with interviews from other professional wrestlers discussing his career. Starting from his successful career working as a top performer for the
World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
in the 1980s (including performing at
WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III was the third annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). The event was held on March 29, 1987, at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. The ...
in front of over 90,000 attendees), Roberts suffered from
alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol (drug), alcohol that results in significant Mental health, mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognize ...
and personal issues that caused his popularity and career to decline. At an
independent wrestling
In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor league for pro wres ...
show in 2008 (attended by 700 people), Jake is presumably drunk and disorderly during his match, struggling to last 30 seconds and becoming irritable towards the audience. The incident was covered by the online
tabloid TMZ
TMZ is a tabloid news website owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, originally as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested AOL in 2009. On September 13, 202 ...
.
The film then jumps to August 2012, when professional wrestler
Diamond Dallas Page
Dallas Page (born Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr., April 5, 1956), better known by his ring name Diamond Dallas Page (often stylized as DDP), is an American actor and retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. In the course of his wrest ...
(DDP, whom Roberts had mentored in the 1990s) travels to visit Roberts at his home in
Gainesville, Texas
Gainesville is a city in and the county seat of Cooke County, Texas, United States. Its population was 16,002 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Texoma region and is an important Agri-business center.
History
Founded in 1850, the city of Gain ...
. Roberts is out of shape, struggling with alcoholism, and reveals that he had used
crack cocaine
Crack cocaine, commonly known simply as crack, and also known as rock, is a free base form of the stimulant cocaine that can be smoked. Crack offers a short, intense high to smokers. The ''Manual of Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment'' calls ...
a month prior. In October of that year, at DDP's behest, Roberts moves into DDP's house in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
(which he calls "the Accountability Crib"), where he starts a rehabilitation program led by DDP. Over the course of the program, there are several instances of relapse, but Roberts improves his physical health, develops a better relationship with his estranged family, and gradually breaks his alcoholism. Several months into the program, Roberts requires shoulder surgery to treat his
shoulder impingement syndrome
Shoulder impingement syndrome is a syndrome involving tendonitis (inflammation of tendons) of the rotator cuff muscles as they pass through the subacromial space, the passage beneath the acromion. It is particularly associated with tendonitis of t ...
, and as he has no
health insurance
Health insurance or medical insurance (also known as medical aid in South Africa) is a type of insurance that covers the whole or a part of the risk of a person incurring medical expenses. As with other types of insurance, risk is shared among ma ...
, they decide to raise the money needed through
crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over was raised worldwide by crow ...
. They soon reach their goal of $9,200 within two days on
Indiegogo. Fifteen weeks into Roberts' program, professional wrestler
Scott Hall
Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and under the ring name the Diamond Studd and with the ...
joins the Accountability Crib, as he had similarly been struggling with addiction and was physically out of shape.
Throughout the program, Roberts stays active by participating in
fan meetings,
podcasts, and other activities, and he is also inducted into the
Cauliflower Alley Club
The Cauliflower Alley Club is a non-profit fraternal organization, which includes a newsletter and website, comprising both retired and active professional wrestlers and boxers in North America.
Established in 1965 by Mike Mazurki and Art Abram ...
. After 47 weeks, Roberts moves into a house next door to DDP and continues the program. Throughout the documentary, a goal of Roberts is to become healthy enough to compete in the
2014 Royal Rumble
The 2014 Royal Rumble was the 27th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on January 26, 2014, at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first Royal Rumble to b ...
, and while he does not compete in the event, Roberts is invited onto a special "Old School" episode of ''
WWE Raw
''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television show, television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. Eastern Time Zone, ET on the USA Networ ...
''. Additionally, both Hall and Roberts are inducted into the
2014 WWE Hall of Fame, with DDP inducting Roberts. The movie ends with a short clip of DDP, Hall, and Roberts in a
wrestling ring
A wrestling ring is the stage on which a professional wrestling match usually occurs. It is similarly constructed to a boxing ring and is traditionally square-shaped.
Configuration and construction
The configuration and construction of the trad ...
discussing their lives and the program and facing off in a lighthearted match as the credits roll.
Wrestlers featured
In addition to DDP, Hall, and Roberts, who are the subject of the film, several other professional wrestlers and individuals who had worked with Roberts were interviewed for the film, including:
*
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ...
*
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...
*
Jim Duggan
James Edward Duggan Jr. (born January 14, 1954), better known by his ring name "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE on a Legends contract. His best-known character is that of an American patriot, which ...
*
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
*
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jeri ...
* Jerry Mires
*
Gene Okerlund
Eugene Arthur Okerlund (December 19, 1942 – January 2, 2019), better known by his ring name "Mean Gene" Okerlund, was an American professional wrestling interviewer, announcer and television host. He was best known for his work in the World Wres ...
*
Dustin Rhodes
Dustin Patrick Runnels (born April 11, 1969) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Dustin Rhodes. He is best known for his multiple tenures with WWE f ...
*
Jim Ross
James William Ross (born January 3, 1952) is an American professional wrestling commentator currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator, analyst, and senior advisor. Ross is best known for a long and distinguished career as ...
Release
The film debuted at the 2015
Slamdance Film Festival
The Slamdance Film Festival is an annual film festival focused on emerging artists. The annual week-long festival takes place in Park City, Utah, in late January and is the main event organized by the year-round Slamdance organization, which als ...
,
held on January 23, 2015 in
Park City, Utah
Park City is a city in Utah, United States. The vast majority is in Summit County, and it extends into Wasatch County. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City' ...
.
Following this, the film became the first to be distributed under Slamdance Presents, the newly-created distribution arm of the film festival. The film began its nationwide release on September 2, 2015 with a premiere at the
Portland Film Festival
Portland Film Festival is a non-profit organization which hosts events and programs in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2013 by Joshua Leake with the help of Jay Cornelius. Their main event called the Portland Film Festival is an annual indep ...
in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...
. This was followed by releases in several major cities across the United States.
Reception
The film received generally mixed to positive reviews from critics. In a review for ''
Vice
A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...
'', Ian Williams wrote, "''The Resurrection of Jake the Snake'' is currently garnering a bit of
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology), ...
buzz, primarily by dint of it not being rejected out of hand by the Academy upon its submission. That reads snarky, but it's not. That mere consideration is an achievement in its own right, and while ''Resurrection'' doesn't quite achieve the heights of the great pro wrestling films in history—its moments of greatness come almost despite themselves—there is some greatness in it."
A review in ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' praised the raw emotional moments captured in the documentary, but stated that the film (Yu's directorial debut) was "a bit rough around the edges".
Additional positive reviews were given by
Den of Geek
''Den of Geek'' is a US and UK-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gan ...
,
IndieWire
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Hollyw ...
,
and ''
FilmInk.''
Multiple reviews noted the similarity between the film and ''
Beyond the Mat
''Beyond the Mat'' is a 1999 American documentary film directed, written, produced and narrated by Barry W. Blaustein. The film focuses on the lives of professional wrestlers outside of the ring, primarily Mick Foley, Terry Funk, and Jake Rober ...
'', a 1999 wrestling documentary that featured Roberts.
Robert Abele of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'', however, gave the film a negative review, calling it "voyeuristic" and "ragged and routine". He also accused the filmmakers of self-promotion instead of objective filmmaking and ended his review by stating, "Though the central story is built to inspire, and surely will for the many followers of wrestling who love a comeback (and know the ending given away by the title), the whole enterprise smacks of a pilot for something that might be called "Celebrity Wrestler Rehab.""
Another criticism of the film pertained to its portrayal of DDP Yoga, a yoga course created by DDP that features heavily in the documentary as part of Roberts' recovery. In the same review for ''Vice'', Williams criticized the fact that Yu is the current president of DDP Yoga and was possibly president at the time of the filming. While he states that Yu was personally concerned about this and tried to avoid excessive branding in the film, Williams called it a "touch sketchy".
Additionally, Jon Jackson in Den of Geek stated, "At times, the film feels a little like an advertisement for “DDP Yoga,” which Page sales
'sic''.html" ;"title="sic.html" ;"title="'sic">'sic''">sic.html" ;"title="'sic">'sic''videos of online."
References
Further reading
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Resurrection of Jake the Snake, The
2015 films
2015 documentary films
American documentary films
Films shot in Georgia (U.S. state)
Films shot in Texas
Professional wrestling documentary films
2010s English-language films
2010s American films