When Chris Parsons and his co-director Mike Rhodes set out to film a squeal to their well-received documentary, “Markin Out,” a feature about the fandom of sports entertainment and included cameos from several of the industry’s biggest stars, they didn’t realize that real life would flip the script on their production of the drama of the squared circle.
Chris Parsons, known inside the ring ropes as Magnum CK, found himself at a crossroads, not only in his wrestling career, but in his life. Clad in a flamboyant cape with a flare for the theatrics, Parsons’ professional wrestling persona began to garner him a diehard following in his home promotion of Absolute Intense Wrestling, one of the premiere groups on the independent circuit, and other leagues across the indy scene. He zigzagged across multiple states each month, building a reputation for himself in front of different crowds. Entertaining an audience is in the fabric of who he is, as the grappler spent time studying the performance arts at Second City in Chicago, the famed stage company that saw legends like Farley, Aykroyd, and others walk through its doors.
However, it was in a doctor’s office that Magnum CK received a harsh reality check about the condition of Chris Parsons’ spine. From a previous medical condition, Chris had unknowingly wrenched the direction of his spine from the repetitive collisions with the canvas that accompany the physical genre that is pro wrestling. In a tale as tragic as Marlon Brando’s ironic line, “I could’ve been a contender” in the classic film “On The Waterfront,” at the peak of his popularity in over 15 years in the industry, Magnum CK had to hang up his boots.
So, the plans for a follow-up to the documentary about the fandom of the sport shifted to become a chronicle of Parson’s journey as Magnum CK, including his emotional farewell to the ring. As mentally draining as his final night as an active wrestler was, Chris found the journey he took in the production of the film to be just as exhausting, as the process required the review of dozens of hours of footage that Rhodes shot while he traveled to various events.
“I blew up at AIW and then blew out my back unexpectedly and the movie took a huge turn. It’s kind of like when they were filming Bret Hart for Wrestling with Shadows and he got screwed in Montreal, except I got screwed by my own spinal cord in Nelsonville, Ohio. So, we rolled with it. Unfortunately, my experience is that a documentary is a movie that you write after you shoot it. Maybe that’s right, maybe that’s wrong, but that has been my experience. If I ever do a documentary again, it will be much more planned out. But, my experience has been that the more you plan the more things change. The best quality I’ve acquired is to just roll with every obstacle and changing element. I also think that the more fun you have while making a thing, the more fun the audience has too,” Parsons explained.
The process to put such a presentation together can be a daunting one, as the few hours an audience views on-screen is only a slice of the monumental task that goes into the production of the full-length documentary titled, “Magnum’s Opus.” With over eight years of relevant footage to sift through, Chris spent nearly 40 hours compiling footage, scrounging through a potpourri of burned discs, mini DV tapes, and SD cards while scribbling down notes for each clip he found. After that, he sat in front of his editing screen and meticulously narrowed down the most important aspects he wanted to showcase in the film, which he considered one of the most challenging aspects of the entire project.
“When I get stuck on something, I get trapped in thought loops. I’ve had more sleepiness nights over this project than I’ve had restful ones, that’s for sure. But, I’m happy to say with confidence that all of our hard work has paid off big time,” he said.
Still working in theater and teaching, Parsons used the documentary to not only celebrate his achievements as a professional wrestler, but to truly reflect on the progress he’s made in his life. From living on a friends couch without much hope over a decade ago, Chris found himself experiencing a range of emotions when he had the chance to consider where he is today, an accomplished stage performer and a now-retired professional wrestler with a successful family life. As is the case with Magnum’s take on life, often inspired by the late, great Andy Kaufman, Magnum’s Opus brings humor into even some of the most harsh elements of the film, but also offers insight into what his decision to conclude his wrestling career meant to him.
“There are certainly some serious moments and a lot of touching elements too, but I hope people have fun. My biggest concern was that the documentary should flow, and I feel that it does. I look at a set of footage that starts with a fresh-faced little boy holding up a Bruno Sammartino figure in 1990 to the final bows of a man receiving a standing ovation from 600 people. I’m proud when I see that. I definitely don’t dwell in that, but sometimes I look at all of the footage we packed into this movie and u can’t believe I did all of that. It really is a compilation of my life’s work in wrestling. I wear a lot of hats in life, but I’ll never take off the wrestling one and I’m proud to look at the video,” Chris remarked.
This film will trace the legacy, not just of Magnum CK in front of the curtain, but Chris Parsons, the man behind it. Before years of weight training, studying, and self-improvement, Parsons could’ve resigned himself to a level of mediocrity. He could’ve settled for a normal nine-to-five with a daily cup of coffee while dreaming of the big time. That certainly would’ve been an easier path. Instead, Magnum’s Opus is as much as documentary about personal achievement and tenacity, as it is the story of a wrestling career.
“I hope people feel inspired. Not that I’m some inspirational figure, but just because I went back and completed a dream for real in the fake world of wrestling. I hope people realize that sometimes the only difference between a performer and a fan is not just a guardrail, but just taking a chance and trying hard. Once I let go of trying to be successful, it was free to find out how to be good,” Parsons said.
Magnum’s Opus is scheduled to be released on Amazon Prime and Youtube April 9th
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Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
E mail [email protected] | You can follow me on Twitter @jimlamotta
