Tyson: The Movie
Wednesday May 21, 2008
That's right. A documentary on Mike Tyson - imaginatively entitled 'Tyson' - premiered last week at the Cannes Film Festival. Tyson and director James Toback were in attendance to enjoy what was reportedly a long standing ovation. Tyson was quoted as saying: "I lived a wild and extreme life. I used drugs. I had altercations with dangerous people. I slept with guys' wives that wanted to kill me. I'm just happy to be here, you know. It's just a miracle."
Toback, who has known Tyson for over 20 years, previously gave the former champ small roles in two of his movies: "Black and White" and "When Will I Be Loved". The film, which is told from Tyson's point of view and includes both old and new footage, is scheduled for release in the U.S. in the Fall.
I'll reserve judgment on the film until I see it myself, but - since it was made by someone who considers himself a friend of Tyson's - I wouldn't be shocked if it leans toward portraying the former champ as a misunderstood, tragic figure. Nevertheless, as subjects for a documentary go, a filmmaker could hardly ask for a more well-known, complex or polarizing personality than Mike Tyson.
Comments
I couldn’t agree more with the last graph of this post. My impression, as well, is that this movie will portray Mike Tyson as a misunderstood figure. My personal opinion of Michael, and this is coming from a boxer, is that he shames the sport and his own name. I mean, who gets out of a car and beats an old man after getting into an accident? Mike Tyson (mind you, those were heavyweight punches to the old man’s face). Who rapped and almost killed his spouse… Mike Tyson… who bit Holyfield’s ear off because he wasn’t man enough to loose… Mike Tyson. You see the pattern?
Hey Mike is the people’s champion … Get your facts straight!!!!!!
MIKE TYSON: Was a good figher but an awful human being. I only consider him to be a good figher because he never fought anyone truly great and because of all the cheap shots. (Biting a guys ear) Plus I heard he chicken out of fighing an old George Foreman.
Look Mike Tyson is alot of things outside of the ring but inside the ring don’t rob him of all that he has done. He is a great fighter who was both ahead an behind his era and yes he was and could still possibly be a volatile human-bein but the fact still remains that until his story is truly told we are not perfect so we should not judge him.
Tyson is a fighting legend… He sold fights. Even if he did crazy things, he is one of the most famous boxers to ever live. And he bit someone’s ear off after he was headbutted twice and the ref refused to do anything… If you know anything about boxing, you know headbutts can cause cuts that will end a fight… Tyson is one of the greatest fighters to ever live
long live iron mike
love him or hate him the mans a legend,the youngest heaviest champ in history,at his peak was untouchable,enuff said!
How can anyone say that this guy was anything good? If a normal person done any of the crimes he had done, they’d be known as an disgusted animal, not worthy of a life and not worth spitting on if they were on fire! Yes, he was a good boxer, but nothing special, if he was then he wouldn’t have dogded Lewis in their younger days or bit Holyfields ears, yes Holyfield headbutted him a couple of times, but a real sportsman doesn’t do anything dirty back. But I was surprised after when Lewis gave him a boxing lesson and beat him to a pulp, the respect he gave Lewis, of what he said and embraced him, wiping Lewis’s face etc. I actually liked him for the first time for that, but I don’t like what he’d done in the past, he doesn’t deserve any respect for what he done.
Kid Dynamite…Iron or Mighty.. Mike Tyson was and still an incredible life to watch…
for all that he does i Love the guy in his defeats and in his wins…. in his issues with women and money…and himself.
With his temper sometimes docile and at other times volatile… Mike made the 80’s-90’s and 2000 interesting ask the media via TV or News papers…personally/sport wise… he was and is still sensational…Mike gave the heavy weight division life after ALI…not Holmes(Who was a great fighter) not Holyfield,Bowe,Lennox,or the Klitchko brothers(My god they’re boring) combined… draws the excitement that Mike did/does when he just breaths…hate him or love him we’re still talking more about him than the current champions so what does that tell you….Mike is a guilty pleasure…Mike is a living embodiment of the beauty and beast the creative and destructive dual nature of humanity……….and i LUV the dude for his honesty…
As the former assistant manager of Mike Tyson I was shocked at the lies and fabrications Mike told in this movie. I was asked to screen this documentary by ESPN which owns the rights to most of the various Tyson fight videos used in the movie. I was more interested in what Mike had to say.
The lies he told were:
1. He was always an addict
2. He was always an alcoholic
3. He always had demons
4. Managers Jacobs and Cayton signed him when he was under age.
5. Managers Jacobs and Cayton were “slave masters”
It is obvious that Mike’s new manager, Harlan Werner, is just as devious as Robin Givens, Don King and Shelly Finkel, the people responsible for Mike going from being the world’s most popular athlete (1987 European AP poll) to the bum of the century.
In this film Mike completely ignores the period, 1985-1988. when he was a super hero with original managers Bill Cayton and Jim Jacobs. During that time he was the darling of corporate America as evidenced by his being hired to do network TV commercials for Pepsi Cola, Nintendo Video and Kodak Film. Not enough – he was hired by the New York City Police Department, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration to do PSA’s. The Police and FBI do not usually hire people to act as role models who are addicts or who have demons. (Please see link below for photos of these campaigns)
In this film Mike, when asked about Robin Givens, simply said he was too young to get married. He must have forgotten that he has already gone on record that she got him to marry her by saying she was pregnant when she never was.
Mike was interviewed by the New York Times before he went to Cannes for the debut of the movie. In the interview he told lie after lie about his life.
Here is a link to the article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/movies/11aran.html
Here is the link to the letter I wrote to the Times that was printed:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/arts/01alsmail-MIKETYSON_LETTERS.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Two years ago, when I first learned that this movie was to be made I warned Tyson’s manager Harlen Werner, director James Toback, as well as the producer of the film, Jeffrey Berg, that Mike would lie to protect himself from looking like a buffoon.
I gave them specific details of what should be done to bring Mike back into the public eye in a very positive way.
These details were:
1. Dump all the bums that surround Mike and replace them with an old friend of Mike’s who recently retired from the FBI
2. Get rid of the insane facial tattoo – no questions asked.
3. Have the FBI friend pull some strings to get Mike to Iraq to do exhibitions for the troops for a period of 6 months. Exhibitions to include the opportunity for every man stationed there to get one minute in the ring with Tyson for fun.
4. After six months bring Mike back to the United States and begin doing fund raising exhibitions for Police Departments and Fire Departments.
Mike’s manager Harlen Werner ignored me completely.
The reason – none of my suggestions would put money in Werner’s pocket. And that is his only objective.
My entire correspondence with Werner, director James Toback, the film’s producers, as well as documents and photos proving Mike’s huge hero status with Cayton and Jacobs may be found at this website:
http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/news/archives/00004333.htm
Steve Lott
Mike Tyson Assistant Manager
1985-1988
If you don’t like Mike, that’s one thing and that’s fine. However, any true connoiseur of the sport cannot deny Mike Tyson of his greatness! Don’t take my word for it, be true to yourself…you’ll be one of the many first to see the movie and if he was to fight tomorrow, a lot of money would be put out by many of you same haters for the “honor” to be ringside.
Haven’t you ever wanted to bite off someones ear? I have wanted to do even more. I think Mike is just a real guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. The only reason people in this society behave as arrogantly and rudely as they do is because they don’t have to worry about getting their skull split open (thanks to our legal system that protects them). It doesn’t matter to me what the man has done outside the ring and I’m not saying put yourself in his shoes; what I am saying is I doubt too many people would be smarting off to this guy. Pure and uninhibited he is. Are you?
To Tom
You said “i only consider him to be a great fighter because he never fought anyone truly great” sorry i don’t get it. If he never fought anyone great how can he be a great fighter fighting only those not great.
you people who say tyson was a bad person, a criminal, a no good human being your talking rubbish.Im not trying to cause arguements but lets get some things straight.
Tysons first bad move desiree washington, everybody loved that woman mike tyson was set up!!
His haters new his bad habbits… isnt that quite obvious if they cant beat him physically which none could then lets beat him physcologically.
Then drugs,i’d imagine if you came from the slums were tyson did come from then the obvious path they take is DRUGS, CRIME , PRISON.
Once a addict always an addict , from having no money at all to all of a sudden being the baddest man on the planet with millions of dollars in the bank then hes going to need tutoring so he doesnt go off the scale.
clearly he didnt get any tutoring CUS his trainer and father by love taught him how to control his mind and be a boxer when he died tyson had all this money and no tutoring.
He never new his dad as he walked out at a young age this is why tyson went off the scale, BECAUSE HIS HATERS WANTED HIM TO!.
One other thing he didnt bite holyfields ear OFF he nicked it with his front teeth BECAUSE HOLYFIELD WAS HEADBUTTING HIM EVERYTIME THEY CLINCHED.
Tyson was a complex and flawed character. We will never truly understand the man but it can not be denied that he did a lot of terrible things. A lot has been debated about whether he committed rape. We have to believe in the legal system and accept the original judgement unless we have evidence to the contrary. I think the reason he is still liked by so many despite everything is because of his background of a rags to riches story. The flawed genius is always more compelling than the straight playing perfectionist who always has his house in order. Also, his style of fighting and the way his career was suddenly cut short by his personal problems gives a “what could have been?” element to his story. For these reasons, he will always be a curiosity and people will flock to see what he is doing next. I do not know if he lies in this film. I imagine, like all “villains”, in reality he is not all bad. I am sure Sonny Liston was not all bad. Unfortunately, many of the choices he made were. I think, for better or worse, we should allow Tyson to find peace in him self and this film may be one step closer for him in acheiving that.