It’s weird to think about where Officer Dewey is at this point in his career. At the beginning of this year, a friend of mine, who is massively into wrestling, told me about David Arquette rising in the ranks of the independent wrestling circuit. That fact just kind of blew my mind. I feel like it’s been years since I’ve seen Arquette do anything really. To turn to something like wrestling just seems bizarre to me. If you are new to our publication or podcast, I’m not a wrestling guy by any stretch of the imagination. Over the years, I’ve had friends who will talk to me about the sport and show me things. I’ve learned a thing or two along the way.

Don’t get me wrong, I used to watch it growing up. My era had The Rock, Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin and more at the turn of the millennium. It was around this time too that I was growing up with a goofy guy named David Arquette. Arquette was one of Hollywood’s up and comers in the late 1990s, starring in movies like Scream, Never Been Kissed and a couple of Muppets movies, not to mention gracing cult favorites like Ready to Rumble and Eight Legged Freaks. Arquette really began making a name for himself, until he couldn’t be taken seriously anymore.

The concept of Arquette as a wrestler is nothing really new. In a cross promotion for the aforementioned Ready to Rumble, Arquette was briefly named the WCW Heavy Weight Champion of the world. This was when his starlight began to dim. His brand new documentary, You Cannot Kill David Arquette, fixates on his struggle as an actor and his comeback story as a wrestler in the independent circuits. I personally have fond memories of Arquette. The Scream series are some of my favorite films, both in general and in the horror genre. However, it was this WCW appearance that forever cemented Arquette as this goofy actor who couldn’t be taken seriously.

The beginning stages of this documentary explore why fans in the wrestling community hated Arquette for winning this title. Speaking to fans and fellow wrestlers alike, it is clear that this promotional stunt was an absolute sham. It has notoriously been categorized as one of the worst moments in wrestling history. The documentary comes stocked with footage of Arquette’s original wrestling days. Not even being a fan of the sport, it is truly hard to watch the footage. Honestly, the film’s entire first act can be hard to watch at times. While it does lay a fair amount of the groundwork down for his redemption later in the movie, the idea of “David Arquette is a joke” is repeated a bit too much.

The number of times that you see his WCW days and how hated he is within the wrestling community is a bit too heavy handed. By the time Arquette finally begins his training, at the beginning of the second act, the movie feels redundant. It begins to not only tell the redemption story of its subject matter but begins its own road to redemption as a movie. By the time viewers make it to the second and third acts, the movie you came for has arrived. You Cannot Kill is an inspiring look at the journey necessary to not only follow your dreams but to leave your vices beyond. Perhaps one of the more endearing things about this film is Arquette’s commitment to quit drinking, smoking, and doing drugs to pursue this dream. Arquette’s journey is one of both sympathetic underdog but almost modest strongman. 

Overall, You Cannot Kill David Arquette is an inspiring story of redemption and education. The film adequately teaches not just on wrestling but the sport’s fan base and the rigorous journey to become an icon within the world. The movie is made with both fans and non-fans alike in mind, educating the ignorant but presenting a compelling, heartwarming narrative at the same time. You Cannot Kill David Arquette is a warm, inspiring, and enduring redemption story that presents laughs among its emotion. 

RORSCHACH RATING:

If you or someone you know is reading this right now and you are struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message or tweet to us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!

Victims and Villains is written Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey (and produced by), Caless Davis, Dan Rockwood, & Brandon Miller. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. You Cannot Kill David Arquette is property of Super LTD. We do not own nor claim any rights. This review was edited by Cam Smith. Official Selection of Fantasia Film Festival 2020!

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