Champion (2005)
Antonio Banderas, Cecily Gambrell, Danny Trejo, Dennis Hopper, Edward Bunker ... (see more) , Robert Rodriguez , Steve Buscemi , Val Kilmer
Danny Trejo, you know the man. He has fierce tattoos, and frequently plays a thug in your favorite movies. Behind the ink and the wicked characters he plays on screen lies the story of a troubled childhood which included drug addiction, armed robbery and extensive prison time. Champion offers an int... (read more) Danny Trejo, you know the man. He has fierce tattoos, and frequently plays a thug in your favorite movies. Behind the ink and the wicked characters he plays on screen lies the story of a troubled childhood which included drug addiction, armed robbery and extensive prison time. Champion offers an intimate, one of a kind view into the life of Danny Trejo before he turned himself around and after.
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Unrated
Directed by:
Joe Eckardt
Release Date: Jan 01, 2005
DVD Release Date: May 08, 2007
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this is a really cool documentary...it will warm your heart...danny trejo is an example of why its never too late to change your life!
Champion is a small-scale tell-all documentary on the upbringing of one of the most famous character actors out there today, Danny Trejo. The best part about this intimate documentary is we get to see the real Trejo, the one is far more intimidating ... (read more) Champion is a small-scale tell-all documentary on the upbringing of one of the most famous character actors out there today, Danny Trejo. The best part about this intimate documentary is we get to see the real Trejo, the one is far more intimidating and scary than ANY of the characters he plays in his films. Thanks to some unwise directions in his upbringing, Danny goes through the ringer of drugs, crime, and eventually imprisonment. Through that, we learn how alcoholics and narcotics anonymous really help to pull Trejo out of the gutter, not to mention give him the opportunity of a lifetime as a steady working actor in Hollywood, eventually blossoming into a very lucrative and interesting career. The Hollywood part is very small in comparison to the emphasis put on Trejo's upbringing and eventual jailtime. In this film, we get to see Trejo be as real as he is ever going to be and we hear some pretty intense and frightening stories, though not too over-the-top like I was expecting. There's also some interesting interviews with celebrities like Steve Buscemi, Val Kilmer, Dennis Hopper, etc. My favorite side interview involves the little known Eddie Bunker, another ex-convict turned hollywood writer/actor (he was Mr. Blue in Reservoir Dogs and also appeared in The Longest Yard remake). It was great getting some insight from him as well, before he died shortly after the completion of this film. Certainly not a bad documentary to watch, especially before Trejo comes out with the biggest, most important movie of his career, Machete. Good watch.
An interesting subject is undercut by a rather rote documentary. "If they knew the truth, I'd be Johnny 600!" Bring on Machete!
Danny Trejo has starred in many movies. I'm sure a lot of people would recognize him without knowing who he is or what his name is. This movie details his life as a young kid, growing up getting in trouble, his experiences with San Quentin and othe... (read more) Danny Trejo has starred in many movies. I'm sure a lot of people would recognize him without knowing who he is or what his name is. This movie details his life as a young kid, growing up getting in trouble, his experiences with San Quentin and other prisons. Then it goes into how he changed his life and got into movies.
Very very good movie. I'd recommend it to anyone.
I had no idea this existed, and now I want to see it more than I want to breathe.
This is a great story and not just a glamour piece on a niche star. It is not the best doc ever made, but it is very informative and touching. The scene when Danny is back in his cell is AMAZING!! Well worth the rent.
Great rags to riches story, but not much about his movies. The man is a legend, or rather his appearence is..
I had no idea that Danny Trejo was that much of a gangster...I really liked the documentary which showed how there was a decent man behind the feared looks, just a person who is trying to survive...It might seem that his charity work was a little "o... (read more) I had no idea that Danny Trejo was that much of a gangster...I really liked the documentary which showed how there was a decent man behind the feared looks, just a person who is trying to survive...It might seem that his charity work was a little "over-publicized" but I don't care what anyone says...Danny Trejo is a champion.
danny is an amazing human being. he's been through it all, and lives to help others. as the title states, danny is a true champion. see it.
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