TYSON

Starring Mike Tyson and 1000 leeches



Directed by friend and fearless film maker James Toback, Mike Tyson agreed to this film while completing a recent stint in rehab and worth noting, he did it for free.
That's not to say that there wont be an eventual pay day as the movie has gone on to sell quite well for a documentary, but at the point of its origin, this film was made by a couple of buddies and the genuine return is evident.
Having been a fan since his humble beginnings, there really wasn't much here that I didn't already know. That being said, no one has ever heard Mike Tyson's own personal account of his now legendary career and infamous personal life. With shocking accounts and tearful sentiment, Tyson takes us back to the beginning of it all as an over weight nothing of a kid living in one of the dirtiest and most dangerous ghettos in New York. He watches women get smacked for speaking out of turn. He watches men get killed for a few dollars. He watches helplessly as bullies take his glasses from him and push him around. He cant do anything to stop these scenarios. Or can he?
Mike Tyson is the closest thing to a modern day Frankenstein that society could make. He was indeed shaped, created and made into the man that became Iron Mike. If he had grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth and had lived in the suburbs, we would have never seen the youngest champion ever and Japan would have never made a comic book about him, nor would Moscow have thrown him a parade.
James Toback was so convinced that people especially women would be a hard sell for his film that he set out to basically do some hard selling of his own. He took 35 women and made the following offer, watch the first 10 minutes and I will give you a hundred dollars to walk away after that. Or stay and watch the entire movie, but then you get no money at all. All 35 stayed and left without a penny.
That damn Tyson almost made me cry as he talked about his relationship with his mentor and trainer Cus Damato and as he struggled holding back his own tears, I was sold on the movie myself.
TYSON is a sad story, funny story, shocking story and a very well made film. Brilliantly photographed and peppered with poetry!! I said it, poetry.
Well worth a look. And I'm not just saying that because I'm afraid of him. Well maybe just a little.

Rating 3 1/2 comebacks out of 5