Tough Guys

2017 1h 16m EN

🙌

7.5

BANGER

★7.5TMDB · 2

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

10 years before the debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In 1979, Bill Viola and Frank Caliguri dreamed up a contest pitting barroom bigmouths against wrestlers, martial artists, boxers, bouncers and brawlers, billed as no-holds-barred new type of competitive fighting. When the fights succeeded beyond their wildest expectations, they were swept up in a chain of events that ended in the first mixed-martial arts ban in the nation. “Tough Guys” chronicles the inception of Caliguri and Viola’s first bouts and the colorful, crazy cast of fighters who made them a hit as well as the politicians who brought it all crashing down. The film brings to life a moment when the national martial arts craze was building to a crescendo as the economies of Pennsylvania steel towns were plummeting to levels of unemployment never seen, breeding desperate men looking for a chance to prove their worth and make some money in the ring.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Bill Viola
Himself
Frank Caliguri
Himself
Dann Carr
Himself
Jacquet Bazemore
Himself
Jimmy Cvetic
Himself

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Henry Roosevelt
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 76-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

Did you know

Released 9 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Bill Viola and Frank Caliguri and Dann Carr carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt5023566 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Henry Roosevelt directs. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 76-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 9 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Bill Viola and Frank Caliguri and Dann Carr carry the top of the cast.
5IMDB entry: tt5023566 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Only 2 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
7Classified under 11 themes, including "sports", "competition", "wrestling", "karate".