A sport so dangerous it was once banned in the U.S., no-holds-barred fighting is undeniably the purest form of human competition. Simple in concept and savage in execution, it is the definitive test of survival: one ring, two fighters, and no rules. In th
A supercharged bloodfest for mixed martial arts fight fans, but of more dubious merit as a documentary, The Smashing Machine is a blurry, noncommittal portrait of would-be American warrior Mark Kerr, a soft-spoken drug addict who performs astonishing acts of violence for big money. A former wrestler turned extreme fighter, Kerr proves a contradictory subject--a boyish, quietly restless man who resorts to no-hold-barred savagery in the ring--in this shameless, often nauseating HBO project. Over several months, director John Hyams (NYPD Blue) captures Kerr's seemingly unstoppable parade of victory in the U.S. and Japan. He also reflects the decay in Kerr's private life and highlights a dramatic turn in his fortunes after Kerr loses an important MMA match to a Russian brawler. Along the way, we meet Kerr's trainer, Mark Coleman, whose own destiny takes on ironic, unexpected importance in the end. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
the Smashing Machine:
i've seen this before i bought it. well worth the money. this is a real good doc.
potent:
The Smashing Machine - The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr
Well first of all me and all my friends are fans and collectors of anything to do with MMA. That being said, I know at least four people who bought the dvd of POTENT and none of them had any problems with the playback of the dvd. The audio and visual were perfect. I think it was the most intense and informative documentary about MMA I have seen. (I liked 'smashing machine' but it's a documentary more about a drug abuse.) This... more info
Very Well Done:
This documentary gives the sport of no holds barred fighting a human face. Mark Kerr is one of thousands of `ultimate fighters' that put their lives on the line for pride, money and family honor. Before I saw this film, I had seen a few of Kerr's fights and I was impressed with his ability and style. But I really had no idea about the man outside the ropes. This film presents Kerr as a brave and talented, but flawed man. And that is why it is so good, because nobody is really invincible or totally free of... more info
This movie is interesting even if you dont know the story...:
This documentary was shot at the exact time Mark Kerr was going through a horrible period in his life. It is done somewhat low-budget so don't expect James Earl Jones doing narration but it's an epic story. Unlike others, this film isn't done in the documentary style of flashback and archived clips. The things that happen all happen as they're filming the movie.
Mark Kerr was an amazing fighter and like most of the amazing fighters in the world kinda fell into the sport. He was a wrestler and after... more info
