[Weekly Netflix Fix] The Sheik, New 30 for 30 Added
Let's all be honest here: no matter how many great titles were recently added with this new Netflix Instant Update, we're all waiting for Daredevil's release this Friday. We'll have a lot more about Daredevil in time, but there are still some solid choices in this new slate, including the The Sheik documentary on former WWE Champion The Iron Sheik, the fourth season of Wilfred, and the amazing 30 for 30 documentary, I Hate Christian Laettner. Take a look at the full list of new additions below.
Moto 6: The Movie
Vanilla Ice Goes Amish: Season 1
Flip or Flop: Season 1
Hitler and the Nazis: Season 1
The Layover: Season 1
Food Network Star: Season 10
Buying & Selling: Season 2
The Layover: Season 2
Property Brothers: Season 4
Property Brothers: Season 5
Food Network Star: Season 9
Monarch of the Glen: Series 7
The Sheik
Sinbad: The Fifth Voyage
Halt and Catch Fire: Season 1
Transformers: Rescue Bots: Season 3
Actress
America: Imagine the World Without Her
The Code
The Invisible Front
Monk with a Camera
Preservation
The Code: Season 1
Legit: Season 2
Wilfred: Season 4
Road to the NHL Winter Classic: Season 1 2014 NR 2.7 new Apr 7 HD | play
30 for 30: I Hate Christian Laettner
Bandolero!
Delta Farce
Cutthroat Kitchen: Season 2
Charlie Bartlett
The Circle
Nfinity Champions League Cheerleading...
Derek: Season 3
Starry Eyes
Flip or Flop
Food Network Star
Good Eats Collection
Hitler and the Nazis
Iron Chef America Collection
The Layover
Life Partners
[Review] The Sheik
The wrestling community is one of the most loyal circles of fandom I've ever experienced. Regardless of the behind-the-scenes nature of predetermined match outcomes, wrestling is one of those things you can't ever shake off. Like most adults in their late-20s, I grew up watching WWF, but drifted away from the sport as I got older. Over the summer, however, I fell back into the swing of things thanks to the nostalgia offered through the WWE Network, and it's with this newfound sense of nostalgia over the old WWF that many others like myself have fallen back in love with our real-life superheroes of yesteryear.
One such man, Khosrow Vaziri, better known by his wrestling name The Iron Sheik, has found himself at the forefront of social media with his viral tweets that are both "works" that reflect his wrestling persona, but also "shoots" that may just reflect who he really is. The Sheik is an intimate look at Vaziri's career before, during, and after his time with the WWF. As anybody familiar with wrestling knows, it enters very dark territory, but thankfully, this is one story that has a bright and happy ending.
[youtube id="mFtjwz0J7ik"]
The Sheik
Director: Igal Hecht
Rating: N/A
Release Date: December 2nd, 2014 (VOD)
Like many documentaries, The Sheik follows a loose timeline that tracks Vaziri's career from his amateur days as part of Iran's army, a member of the Shah's personal bodyguards, and his success as an amateur wrestler and coach in the United States. However, it wasn't until his initial run with the WWF that Vaziri was elevated to new heights. Under the guise of The Iron Sheik, Vaziri played a pivotal role in not only shaping both Hulk Hogan's career and the trajectory of the WWF's future success, but also shaping the mainstream success and pop culture viability of pro wrestling.
The Sheik offers an inside look into Vaziri's life outside of wrestling, including his family life, his struggles with drug addiction, and the general strife most old wrestlers have faced once they stopped actively wrestling. The Sheik is the most in-depth look at arguably the WWF's biggest heels to ever step into the ring.
However, while the documentary does detail some of Vaziri's life outside of the squared circle, it doesn't go as in-depth as most documentaries would. This could be due to the fact that one of his managers, Jian Magen, played an active role in writing and shaping the documentary. This is fine, but obviously it doesn't allow the project to be an objective look at Vaziri's life and character; rather, it serves as a means of illuminating upon his life beyond what the public may know, but in a way that is promotional. Again, there's nothing wrong with it (and I had no problems with it), but some might want an unbiased account of Vaziri's history.
The Sheik still stands as the most comprehensive documentary of The Iron Sheik, and fans of the wrestler, whether it's due to nostalgic memories of him facing Hogan or more modern fans who know of him through his social media presence, will enjoy it thoroughly. It was great to see so many other wrestling icons, like The Rock, Mick Foley, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Jim Ross, and others share some of their thoughts and memories about The Iron Sheik, but again, a little more in terms of insight and going beyond the surface level would have been more exciting and entertaining for fans.
[Trailer] The Sheik
[youtube id="mFtjwz0J7ik"]
I can't quite explain how it happened, but wrestling has somehow invaded my life recently for the first time since I was 14. While I don't actively watch wrestling on TV, I do spend an absurd amount reading wrestling blogs and following wrestlers on social media. Hell, as I write this, my cousin and I are playing through the recently released WWE 2K15. Despite falling out of interest in the "sport" since 8th grade, nostalgia (and WWE documentaries on Netflix) has effectively pulled me back into the fray.
While not possessing the same mainstream appeal and popularity as Hulk Hogan, The Iron Sheik was one of WWF's most popular antagonists, going toe-to-toe with Hulk Hogan a number of times as a "heel," which is a wrestling term for wrestlers that portray bad guy characters. Essentially, Hulk Hogan wouldn't have become the pop culture icon he is now without his rivalry with The Iron Sheik. The Sheik is a documentary tracing the life of the man behind the character: Khosrow Vaziri. With interviews from such notable wrestlers as Hogan, Dwayne Johnson, Mick Foley, Bret Hart, and more, The Sheik looks to be a comprehensive and insightful look into the wrestler's life.
The Sheik will be available on VOD and other digital platforms on December 2nd.