the wrestler - Movieline

Newswire || BY Jen Yamato || 08 25 2011 7:00 PM

Is Ric Flair Becoming the Real-Life Randy 'The Ram' Robinson?

Many pro wrestlers have suffered trials and tribulations similar to those endured by the troubled former ring champ in decline played by Mickey Rourke in Darren Aronofsky's 2008 Oscar nominee The Wrestler. But as a particularly sad investigative report by Grantland suggests, wrestling veteran Ric Flair (born Richard Fliehr), whose personal and financial troubles have sent him into a steep decades-long decline, may be the closest the WWE/TNA world currently has to a real life Randy "The Ram" Robinson.

Awards || BY Jen Yamato || 02 27 2011 12:00 AM

Darren Aronofsky Calls Spirit Award Winner Black Swan 'Fun,' Defines Indie Film

Backstage at the Spirit Awards Saturday afternoon, Darren Aronofsky was in a jaunty mood. And why not? With Black Swan's two biggest Oscar rivals, The Social Network and The King's Speech, absent from competition at the penultimate awards show of the year (TSN excluded by budget, TKS relegated to the foreign film category), the night belonged to Aronofsky's stylish psychological ballet thriller. So after Black Swan took home Best Cinematography (Matthew Libatique), Best Actress (Natalie Portman), Best Director, and Best Feature, Aronofsky took to the winners' room to have some fun with the press.