All Out Of BubbleGum... R.I.P. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper 1954-2015

In real life, he was Roddy Toombs.

Husband.
Father.

However, in the make believe world of professional wrestling, he was, and will always be for millions of fans worldwide, The Hot Rod: Rowdy Roddy Piper.

Piper was the epitome of a bad guy in the 1980s version of WWE (and the independents which I was lucky enough to watch from Portland before and during his WWF days), and that was the guy you loved to hate.

Piper was not the biggest. He was not the baddest.

You know, on second thought, maybe he was...

But he was sheer bravado and swagger, never afraid to take on anyone, anytime, and anywhere.

If he had to cheat to win, so be it.

The crowd reacted accordingly, and Piper relished in it.

In wrestling, or any other entertainment form, the hero is only as good as the villain, and without Piper, Hulkamania would likely have not run wild over you, and it's quite possible that the granddaddy of them all, WrestleMania might never have fully gotten off the ground.
Not to discount what Vince McMahon accomplished or what Hogan did, but Piper was why you bought the tickets; you wanted to see him get shut up by Hogan in the center of the ring.

That Hogan never pinned Piper became one of Piper's biggest accomplishments because Hogan pinned everyone!

This is the guy who took a coconut and smashed it over Jimmy Snuka's head.

He takes a gold record and smashes it over Captain Lou Albano's head and knocks Cyndi Lauper to the ground.

He's spit on by the public, detested by the fans, and he ate it up.

As a villain, he hosts Piper's Pit, the most popular talk show in wrestling history.

So beloved is Piper as a bad guy, that cool factor began to sway the fans and organically, the boos turned to cheers and finally, Piper's a good guy.

Before Stone Cold, wrestling had its first anti-hero in Piper. 

Amusingly, very little of his character changed. He was still mean, rude and nasty to his guests, they were simply now the bad guys in the feuds.

Like Hogan, and long before The Rock, Piper wound up in Hollywood and starred in movies, the most notable being "They Live" which is a true cult classic, his most inspired ad-lib line referenced in the title of this post.

He left the blueprint on how to be a charismatic character on the microphone for generations to learn from.

Plus he did it all while wearing a kilt.

Not bad. 

R.I.P.  Hot Rod.

You will be missed.

Whatchoo Gonna Doo, Brother? "Scooby Doo! Wrestlemania Mystery"

Scooby Doo! Wrestlemania Mystery (2014)

Not Rated

Starring Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Mindy Cohn, Grey DeLisle, John Cena, Triple H, Michael Cole, Kane, The Miz, A.J. Lee, Vince McMahon

Directed by Brandon Vietti

The Story:

Scooby (Welker) ends up winning a contest on a WWE video game and wins a trip to WWE City!  Shaggy (Lillard) an Scooby beg for the gang to tag along, bringing much persuasive evidence that they've never asked for anything in return and have always been used as bait to solve mysteries. 

Point: Scooby & Shaggy!

So they head to WWE City and meet the superstars.  But with a mysterious ghost bear plaguing the town, and Scooby apparently the prime suspect in the theft of the WWE Championship, it's up to Shaggy, Fred (Welker), Daphne (DeLisle) and Velma (Cohn) to clear their canine companion and lay the smackdown on the mysterious bear!

Hanna Barbera teams with WWE Studios to make a movie that's fun for the whole family.

WWE Wrestlers have been compared to cartoons over the years, so it makes sense to go animated.

Hook kids to the fun of WWE, and you might have a fan for life.

Worked on me.

:)

And the WWE offered up some of their best, A-listers John Cena, Triple H and even the Chairman himself, Vince McMahon!

Other wrestlers, like Sin Cara (who is instrumental to the movie) are shown but not given any dialogue.

The wrestlers do quite fine for themselves as voice actors, given the respective size and importance of their roles.  I would say The Miz comes out as the wrestler who seemingly has the most fun in the movie, and has the best lines.

But first and foremost, as the title suggests, this is a Scooby Doo cartoon.

Frank Welker leads the team, still as the intrepid Fred but now also pulling double duty as Scooby.  He is able to differentiate between the two nicely, and I like when the voices are distinct enough that you don't realize it's the same voice.

Lillard was perfectly cast as a live-action Shaggy when Scooby Doo came to the big screen years ago.  He does the memory of Casey Kasem proud as he brings Shaggy to life for a new generation.

While I mentioned in my Scooby Doo review that the main cast did voices for years, eventually they all get replaced.

:(

DeLisle has become the latest Daphne, and I was amused to see that Cohn has taken up the mantle of Velma since the early 2000s.  Yes, Natalie from The Facts of Life.

My childhood is converging as I am now an adult!

Overall, I thought it was pretty well done, and I'm looking forward to the next 45 years of Scooby Doo!

Final Grade: Solid B

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Hey, I liked it.  I would watch it again. :)

Thirty Years Of "Wrestlemania" Running Wild On You!

Every year, for 30 years, Vince McMahon has held a party around my birthday weekend.

For that, I appreciate my annual gift from the WWE.

This year with the WWE Network, I was able to see WrestleMania live for the first time...legally...

:)

I've purchased Royal Rumbles before, but otherwise, that's the only Pay Per View I don't want to miss.

Now, for 10 bucks a month, I get to watch every PPV and 1000s of other hours of PPVs and shows anytime, anywhere.

More stuff than I'll ever be able to actually watch, and I know for that, my wife is happy.

The night before, several superstars were inducted into the Hall of Fame, including 2 of my favorites from back in the day: Jake the Snake Roberts and Razor Ramon.

It was a long ceremony, with some rambling speeches, one by Mr. T that ended up getting called for exceeding the time limit.

Whoops!

:)

As for the program itself, it opened with Hulk Hogan coming down to welcome us to the Silverdome!

Only problem, brother, is that was the site of WrestleMania III, and we are actually at the SuperDome in New Orleans.

Stone Cold Steve Austin comes out to join him, and then the duo are joined by The Rock!

The first 30 minutes were worth the price of the admission alone.

Then a brutal contest opens with Triple H versus Daniel Bryan, the winner moves on to the main event against Orton and Batista.

Again, for those that say it's fake, find replay shots of the Daniel Bryan sized boot-bruise on Triple H's leg!  Yowch!

Great match, and the right outcome to keep the crowd happy.

The 30 Man Andre the Giant Battle Royal offered several great moments for superstars, especially Kofi and Cesaro.  Fun match.

And then it was time for...

The Streak!

The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar.

Let me just say, I never in my life thought I would see the Streak end, except when the Undertaker decided to retire.

I've never seen 75,000 people suddenly so quiet...

The stadium stayed that way deep into the championship match before Daniel Bryan finally willed the people to cheer again.

Chaos ensued in the no disqualification match as it was literally a mountain of Attitude Era shenanigans that conspired to destroy Bryan's chances.

Did he overcome?

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: It's one for the ages.  I'll likely revisit several matches again in the future.

Whatchoo Gonna Do When "The WWE Network" Runs Wild On You, Brother?

First the Marvel Universe comes to the big screen and doesn't suck...

Then a 24/7 WWE network launches...


It's like I found a magic lamp and got three wishes, but I couldn't make any wishes that would solely benefit me, nor could I cure any disease or cause world peace.

So yeah, that sounds about right!

:)

For those that are still reading, the WWE Network launched last Monday.

For 10 bucks a month, they are streaming on your tablets, phones, computers, Playstations, Xboxes...

If you can get a signal, it'll stream!

What are they streaming you ask?

Well for starters, every Pay-Per-View event in the history of the company is online.  I've heard rumors that about less than a handful of events are missing, but I'm sure they'll be added.

In addition, they've added PPV events from WCW and ECW as well.

Plus, they've got past replays of Raw, Smackdown, Main Event, Superstars...

There is the wrestling superstars of tomorrow with NXT.

They have original programming...

There is so much content it will literally blow your mind.

Plus, it works just like a regular channel, you turn it on and there is something already in progress playing.  You have the option to jump in and continue watching, or start over from the beginning.

Or go to the menu and choose from any of the items that I listed above.

The place is interactive and user friendly.

Oh yeah, I failed to mention that subscription to the channel brings each NEW PPV to your home, live when it happens.  That includes the Big Four: Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, SummerSlam and Survivor Series.  Plus the other 8 that round out the calendar year.

All included in the price of subscription.

So basically, for the price of ordering Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania once each year, you get all of this...

And much...much more.

Kid. Candy store.

I think you can smell what the Rock is cookin'...

The only downside I can see, is there is probably no way that the price remains this low in the future.

I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Final Grade: A+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Infinitely rewatchable.  I'm in.

Time To Play The Game... "Triple H: Thy Kingdom Come"

WWE: Triple H- Thy Kingdom Come

Starring Triple H, The Rock, Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Jim Ross, The Undertaker

The Story:

The WWE returns with another excellent documentary, this time chronicling the career of Triple H.

I've made no secret that I think Triple H is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time.

While The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin were the undeniable stars of the WWE during the Attitude Era, Triple H made an excellent foil for them both when they were not facing off against each other.

It's fun going back and watching his rise to stardom from very humble beginnings to where he is today.

I also make no secret that I find the criticism that he married the boss' daughter being the only reason that caused him to make it to the top, to be complete rubbish.

He was at the top before their relationship ever happened, and he has been far removed from the main title picture for so long now, it's not even remotely valid criticism.

The only thing it did allow, was for a smoother transition to the other side of helping run the WWE as his in-ring career winds down.

Which is really no different than what Vince McMahon has done for dozens of wrestlers who help behind the scenes after they hang up the boots.

Triple H just gets a bigger office.

;)

Great documentary, now available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I'd love to add this to the WWE collection side of the DVD library. :)

Last Monday Night in October..."WWE 25 Greatest Rivalries in Wrestling History"

Whatchoo Gonna Do....


The Story:

This is pretty straightforward, the WWE looks at what they consider the 25 greatest wrestling rivalries in the history of wrestling.

You can argue that some of the placements are wrong... this one was more important/better than that one...

You can argue that there are some rivalries that are just plain missing from this set...

You won't be wrong.

However, for a new fan, here's 25 reasons why fans love watching wrestling.

These were compelling stories, and you'd swear it's... dare I say it...

They. Were. Real!

These guys seemed to not like each other one bit, and that normally spelled magic in the ring.

Each rivalry is accompanied by a WWE personality or talking head that discussed their thoughts on the rivalry. 

There are some interesting choices about who is doing the talking.  Some obvious, some less so.

Strangely, they do  not talk to the combatants in the feud.  I'm not sure if it's for better or worse that they did that.

Hey, talk about that time that you really didn't like this guy...

: /

Instead, they use clips and photographs to tell the story and let you feel the feud.

For the ones you've never seen, it's a good representation.

For the ones that you watched, it's like a magic time machine that takes you back and you remember watching it unfold live and brings back some good memories of some great matches.

The only other thing that was a letdown on this set...

The dorky chemistry lab references & hostess.

Otherwise, no complaints.

The countdown is streaming on Netflix as of this writing, if you want to see some of the matches, you'll have to buy or rent the rest of the set.

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  Someday... ;)

The Man Who Changed the Monday Night Wars..."WWE: For All Mankind: The Life and Career of Mick Foley"

Have a Nice Day!

The Story:

This is the story of Mrs. Foley's baby boy.  The man who grew up to be the wrestling icon known by many names, but forever linked as Mick Foley.

Wrestling fans will love this basic career overview.  Some things sweep under the rug if you've seen other DVDs/read books, but if you're going to have a well-made documentary on Mick, this is the one.

The man took a beating for our entertainment, and for that we applaud him to this day.

A very good retrospective with some wonderful insight from a plethora of wrestling greats throughout Mick's career.

The new documentaries from WWE are really pushing their products to the next level.  Very well made, and including a whole lot of company representation offering insight.

Much less fluff, much more heart behind the product.

It's like they finally realized that we already watch your product, we don't need something special to make us turn in.

We want something memorable to tie the careers of our favorite wrestlers into a well made package.

It's actually a joy to hear Mick recount how and when he SHOULD have retired from the ring... 

The man had as many farewell moments as he had differing ring personas.

This one is right up there with the C.M. Punk offering.

Available to stream instantly as of this writing on Netflix.

As a reminder, that's only the documentary, for the matches, you'll have to buy the disc.

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Extremely high!  Naturally. : )  There was only one Mick Foley, and those of us who watched the Monday Night Wars will never forget him.

WWEekend Movies: The Sequel You Demanded..."12 Rounds: Reloaded"

I hear voices in my head...

The Story:

Nick Malloy (Randy Orton) is an EMT who witnesses an accident.  He jumps into action and attempts to save the occupants of both vehicles.  He gets Heller (Brian Markinson) out of the first car, and Tommy (Ted Stevens) out of the second, but Nick cannot free Heller's wife who dies that night.  A year later, Nick gets a cryptic call from someone (pssst, it's Heller) who is unhappy with what transpired a year earlier, and he's going to make everyone pay for it.  He sets up 12 challenges for Nick, and if he survives, he lives!  If not...well, Heller is going to kill his wife, and lots of other people.

Not. That. Bad.

If you want to boil down a WWE Studios film review, you could do a lot worse than this.

I went in with the bar set very low, as I could barely remember the original 12 Rounds, other than that I saw it, and John Cena was the star.  I watched it again later just to see what I had missed.  But you already know that if you read yesterday's review!

Instead, this film is paced very nicely, and the 90 minutes literally flies by.

Is it a great movie? No, but it is competent and well executed from start to finish.

Randy Orton isn't much of an actor, but for that matter, neither are most of Vince's wrestlers.  Luckily, Randy's charisma and presence carry him through the film on his natural energy alone.  He doesn't do a bad job though, and when these guys do finally hang up their tights, Vince has created a small cottage industry for his stars to keep filming low-budget action flicks after they move on from the squared circle.

There were a few minor glitches in the film, Randy Orton falling out of the back of a car, they really need to do a better editing job to hide the stuntmen. 

The most amusing part... I had no idea that EMTs drive around the city waiting for a call, like the police?!  Maybe in large metropolitan cities, but somehow, I still doubt that.

: )

If choosing which 12 Rounds to endure again, I'd take this one over the original.

Final Grade: B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could watch it again, but won't go actively searching to add it to the library.  Maybe when WWEShop.com puts it on clearance? :)

WWEekend Movies: Get Ready to Go "12 Rounds" With The Champ!

You can't see me...

The Story:

Danny (John Cena) is a New Orleans cop who gets promoted to detective when he takes down a terrorist, Miles Jackson (Aiden Gillen).  The only problem, Miles' girlfriend gets caught in the crossfire, and he blames Danny for her death.  One year later, Miles gets free, and Danny's house explodes!  It seems Miles has a series of 12 tasks for Danny to tackle if he wants to see his wife alive again.  Can Danny survive all 12 rounds, save his wife and take down the bad guy?

Yeah... it's John Cena, remember?!

: )

2009, and WWE Studios decides to give John Cena another crack at stardom.  It's not a bad effort at all, and perhaps a bit better than The Marine.  I can't recall, it's been a few years since I last saw that one.

Cena is a bit more at ease behind the camera, letting his natural ability and charisma to carry him through the action.  The story itself is a good one, reminiscent of Die Hard 3, which is always a good thing.

Lending Cena a hand behind the camera is Renny Harlin.  People can mock his body of work, but when he does a good film, it's really very good.  He is a firm believer in reality over CGI, and that's a refreshing change and carries over on the big screen.

But let's be honest, most things coming out of Vince McMahon's studio is going to be seen on the small screen, however, that may be for the best.

The action and pacing is good, and very little wasted time and effort from start to finish.

It's a nice budget action flick...no complaints.

Final Grade: C+... borderline B-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor:  It's been over 5 years... not going to be buying it but if I stumble across it again in a few years, why not?

Live Event Recap "Monday Night Raw"

Let's get ready to ruuuuummmmbbbbbllllleeeee!!!

Oh. My. Goodness.

We had attended a live event last year, non-televised, and it was fun.

But with Raw... they turn the dial to 11.

I don't know how well the crowd did on live television, I have to watch a replay, but it seemed like we were into about 85% of it...catching our breath when we could.  It's hard to sustain that energy level for 3 1/2 hours as the voice goes out quick.


Okay, having watched it, and let's just put it this way:


The Raw microphones don't pick up nearly half the sound that the audience makes.  I suppose that's fair, as you really don't hear much of the action from the ring except for really loud moves, which is really weird compared to watching it at home.

Plus, the show goes on during commercials, and when people come out... say Rhodes & Sandow during commercial, we boooooo like crazy.  However, that doesn't make the show.

For example, Jericho came out, and welcomed us to "Charleston is Jericho".  We're screaming like crazy, and then he works the arena getting each section to cheer.  By the time we come back to Raw, or make it to the third hour... our voices are shot...it's exhausting.

But fun!

If you enjoy what the WWE does, I highly recommend going to a Raw taping if you ever get the chance.

It's great entertainment, and Vince McMahon puts on an amazing show!

Final Grade: A

Rewatchability Factor: Every Monday for 20 years whenever possible. :)

Pipe Bomb! "C.M. Punk: The Best in the World"

It's Clobberin' Time!!!


The Story:

This documentary from the WWE follows the rise of C.M. Punk from the ranks of backyard wrestling to star of the Indy Circuit.  From there, it was only a matter of time until the WWE called, and eventually they did.  But after he arrived, he was never given the accolades and position that he, and many others, felt that Punk deserved. 

Next stop: Best. In. The. World.

I would have to say that this may be the most intriguing of the documentaries on WWE's top stars that they've ever produced.  Unprecedented access/use of Punk's material before coming to the WWE showed why he was the hot commodity of the Indie circuit.

And yet, talk about allowing the dog to bite the hand that feeds him...

They do not shy away from Punk's animosity towards the WWE corporate machine.

Punk has been allowed to be at the top of the game, but never to be the face of the company.  It can never happen as long as Cena is still around.

Yet somehow, Punk finds a way.

All the while, he brings out the best in all of his opponents, and himself as well.

I would have to say that he is this generation's Shawn Michaels.

The little guy that shouldn't... but does.

He doesn't need the belt to show you how great he is.

Highly worth watching.

And yes, if you've made it this far, I still enjoy watching wrestling... I know it's "fake", but these athletes are nothing short of entertaining.  Put it another way, I drop something on my toe, it hurts.  Getting hit with a chair, forget it....

: )


The documentary portion is available for streaming on Netflix as of this writing.

Final Grade: A

Would I Own It: Yep, if not for myself, I'll definitely get it for my son, a die-hard Punk fan.  Infinitely rewatchable, and can't wait to see the matches that they picked to go with the documentary.