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6.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Madison Square Garden remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for pre-code era B-movies or you're weirdly obsessed with the history of boxing, yeah, watch it. If you need a movie that makes sense or doesn't feel like a collection of cameos glued together, skip it. It's essentially a glorified scrapbook.
There is this moment where you realize half the people on screen are just playing themselves. It’s jarring. You’ve got actual heavyweights like Jack Johnson just hanging around, looking like they'd rather be literally anywhere else. It’s got that specific, slightly stale smell of old cigarette smoke and locker rooms.
The plot—if you want to call it that—is just a backdrop for the Garden itself. It tries to weave in some drama, but honestly, it feels like an excuse to get Damon Runyon and Paul Gallico in frame. They look like they're having fun, I guess? Or maybe they were just waiting for a lunch break.
There's a scene near the middle that just stops dead for a boxing match. It doesn't move the story forward. It doesn't tell us anything new about the characters. It just exists. It’s weirdly hypnotic, like watching an old reel you found in an attic.
Watching this made me think of Go West in a weird way, mostly because both movies lean so hard into their specific environments that the characters feel like props. It's less of a film and more of a museum exhibit that occasionally starts talking.
Is it perfect? God no. It's a mess. But it's a charming mess if you like that sort of thing. The pacing is all over the map, and some of the dialogue feels like it was written on a cocktail napkin during a fight. Whatever, it works. Sometimes a movie doesn't need to be good to be interesting, right? 🥊