VOTD: Max Landis' Short Film 'Wrestling Isn't Wrestling'

Every week, at least twice a week, World Wrestling Entertainment puts on a TV show. There's never a rerun, there's a huge cast of characters, and it's all performed live without a safety net. And unless you're a fan, it's hard to explain that the matches aren't always why we watch. We watch for the drama. The story. One wrestler simply talking to another wrestler in the middle of the ring. A key interaction back stage. Something going on outside the ring while a match is happening. These are the things that make wrestling great. It's the best soap opera on TV.

Still, wrestling has a stigma as low-brow entertainment and someone has to defend it. Who better than Max Landis? The verbose screenwriter has made a 24 minute short film called Wrestling Isn't Wrestling where he tells the story of legendary wrestler turned executive Triple H. But Landis gender-swaps the entire cast, just to prove this epic, decades long story is on par with the best storytelling there is no matter who's playing the roles. Watch Max Landis' Wrestling Isn't Wrestling below.

Wrestling isn't Wrestling is a sort-of sequel to Landis' The Death and Return of Superman, which you can watch here. Thanks to Max Landis for this video.

Did you pick out the notable faces in there? The Mythbusters, Seth Green, Macaulay Culkin, DC Pierson, Nicholas Braun, Haley Joel Osment, John Landis and former WCW champion David Arquette are all on hand.

So will this video help change negative perceptions about wrestling? Almost certainly not. But that's not the point. Landis just wants to illustrate and affirm, for fans and non-fans, that professional wrestling is a worthy form of storytelling. Which it is.

Here's a second video with the full credits and behind the scenes footage.

And here's a link where you can see the full cast when they aren't dresses as wrestlers.

Here's the YouTube description by Landis with a few funny disclaimers and stuff. What did you think of Wrestling Isn't Wrestling?

A somewhat-mostly-accurate educational parody film by Max Landis.

This production is not monetized, and not for profit. The clips used herein are used with direct reference, as critique, and the characters and situations depicted are for the purpose of satire.

Yes, I know I got some things out of order. It was condensed and simplified and told from memory. Did you honestly want this to be an hour long? You didn't. I didn't. Let's be real with each other. Real respects real. I respect you.

Ron Howard was gonna be in this one too, but he was in Budapest. He's wracked with guilt and remorse.