Donald Brennan and Rufus Hannah say the creators of Bumfights: A Cause for Concern exploited their alcoholism to persuade them to run headfirst into steel doors and get the word "Bumfights" tattooed on their hands and foreheads.
"When you're drinking for 20 years as I have, when you don't have a beer in your hand you would do anything to get one," said Mr Brennan, who has "Bumfights" tattooed on his forehead, arms and belly.
"Who in their right minds is going to run their heads into a sign?"
The two men are suing Ryan E. McPherson, Zachary Bubeck, Daniel J. Tanner and Michael Slyman for an unspecified amount of punitive damages for assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil rights violations and other allegations.
Criminal charges
The four San Diego video-makers are already facing criminal charges related to the footage.
If convicted, they could face up to three years in prison.
The defendants have withdrawn their innocent pleas or not entered pleas to argue that the charges have no legal basis.
About 300,000 copies of the Bumfights tape have sold at $20 each, according to San Diego police.
It includes footage of a homeless man tearing one of his teeth out with pliers.
In another scene, a self-confessed crack addict sets his head on fire.
Others fight each other until they are both covered in blood.
"The real bums are the bums behind the camera, not the ones in front of the camera," said Browne Greene, attorney for Mr Brennan and Mr Hannah.
"And those are the ones we're going after."
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