Cube Critics discuss ‘The Claw’ and ‘The Beast’
Cube Critics Max Sparber and Alex V. Cipolle discuss a film about a Minnesota legend and … they really don’t know what.
The following are capsule reviews edited from the audio heard using the player above.
‘The Claw’
This documentary should be distinguished from another recently reviewed title, “The Iron Claw,” a tragic look at a southern wrestling family. This is the Minnesota Nice version.
“The Claw” is a heartwarming dive into the life of Jim Raschke, better known as Baron von Raschke, a prominent Minnesota wrestler from the American Wrestling Association’s classic era in the sixties and seventies.
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Known for his Teutonic superman persona and iconic crushing grip, Baron von Raschke is a figure I remember vividly, as he inspired post-viewing wrestling matches with my brothers.
Full disclosure: “The Claw” is co-created by his son, Karl Raschke, whom I knew in college and features appearances by the Baron's daughter, Heidi, a senior producer here at MPR News.
While I had a small part as an extra during its production, I’m not in the finished film, but my absence on screen doesn’t diminish my enthusiasm for the film.
Unlike “The Iron Claw,” which portrays a tragic and tumultuous wrestling family, “The Claw” offers an affectionate look at Baron von Raschke, showcasing him as a genuinely nice guy through a mix of interviews, archival footage and documentary scenes.
One memorable scene takes us to his high school in Omaha, where he playfully menaces a student wrestler — a moment I would have relished in my youth.
The film also draws from a stage play about Baron von Raschke, penned by Karl Raschke and performed at the History Theatre in 2007. It’s a touching story, rich with florid characters and wild tales from the road, all wrapped up in the sweet narrative of an unusual yet loving family.
“The Claw” is set to stream on Amazon Prime soon, and it’s a must-watch for anyone who cherishes wrestling history or enjoys an endearing family story.
— Max Sparber
‘The Beast’
“The Beast,” also known as “La bête,” is a French film currently showing at the Main Cinema in Minneapolis, starring Léa Seydoux and George MacKay as star-crossed lovers navigating through the years 1910, 2014 and 2044.
The film intertwines this romantic narrative with a futuristic subplot where AI has dominated society, pushing humans towards an “emotional purification” process to shed unnecessary emotions. However, the connection between these plotlines remains nebulous, leaving me unmoored.
Adding to the film’s complexity are its bewildering subplots, including a controversial choice by the director to have the main actor emulate the video diaries of Elliot Rodger, the perpetrator of a mass shooting in Santa Barbara.
This subplot delves deeply into the incel ideology without apparent resolution or thematic payoff, contributing to an overall sense of disjointed melancholy.
Despite these narrative challenges, “The Beast” echoes elements of Virginia Woolf’s “Orlando,” “Mulholland Drive,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and even “The Canyons,” a known campy flop.
Its eclectic and potentially off-putting mixture might position it as a future cult classic.
— Alex V. Cipolle
