Shawshank Lite... "Vendetta"

Vendetta (2015)

Rated R

Starring Dean Cain, Paul "The Big Show" Wight, Michael Eklund,

Directed by  Jen & Sylvia Soska

The Story:

When Detective Mason Danvers (Cain) life is shattered, he lets go of his badge to get himself tossed into the same prison as Victor Abbott (Wight). However, life for a former cop isn't so easy on the inside.

Well, if you were ever wondering whatever happened to Dean Cain, now you know.

:)

From a few years back, this WWE Studios effort is actually a fairly decent action thriller.

The depths that Mason sinks not only to get into prison, but what he does after he's inside are truly horrifying for a former cop.

Of course, when you're in a prison as crooked as Shawshank, everything that is going to unfold behind the prison walls is not only possible, it's encouraged.

Eklund is particularly slimy as the warden, but Wight, otherwise known to a generation of wrestling fans as the Big Show, is particularly well suited as the gangster who is willing to go back to prison as long as he destroys Mason's life.

Nothing new and earth-shattering in cinematic history, but WWE Studios continues to put out well made films that will keep your attention from start to finish.

I'm okay with that.

Final Grade: C+

Down For The Count... "Countdown"

Countdown (2016)

Rated R

Starring Dolph Ziggler, Kane, Katherine Isabelle

Directed by John Stockwell

The Story:

Ray (Ziggler) is a detective who's living on the edge. Facing suspension by his captain (Kane), he goes rogue to save a boy who has been kidnapped and has a bomb strapped to him. His only ally as he tries to elude both the police and the Russian mafia is an Internal Affairs (Isabelle) officer who was leading the charge to have him suspended or fired.

The latest offering from WWE Studios allows Dolph Ziggler (Nick Nemeth) his first feature movie and Kane (Glenn Jacobs) a supporting role as the Captain.

The nice thing with WWE Studios is they pretty much have their own farm system to take the most entertaining superstars and help them transition to actors.

While none of them will likely ever rival the Rock in terms of success or charisma, so far they've all held their own and turned in enjoyable performances in ultimately throwaway "B-Movie" vehicles.

This one is no exception.

Sadly, it may also be one of my least favorites from WWE, through no fault of Ziggler, who I think is one of the best wrestlers in the business today.

No, this one is saddled with a script that is borderline tedious and sometimes laughable. They had about 60 minutes worth of script, and 90 minutes worth of movie to make.

It features one of the worst car chase scenes in cinematic history.

Wait, I think there was actually more than one.

Basically, every time they are in a car... just hit fast forward if you're watching.

They used the car chases to get to 90 minutes. None of them were exciting; no snappy banter, no excellent stunts.

They were actually laughable or painful to watch.

This would make sense if this was the first movie WWE Studios has released, but it's not.

Ziggler deserves better, both inside and outside of the ring.

Final Grade:  C-

Adios, Mamacita... R.I.P. Chyna 1970-2016

Woke up yesterday to the news that the "9th Wonder of the World", Chyna, had passed away.

We've lost far too many of WWF/WWE's finest, far too often, and almost always, far too young.

She began her career as the bodyguard for Triple H and was an integral part when he teamed with Shawn Michaels to form DeGeneration X. They were one of the hottest groups at the start of WWE's Attitude Era, and Chyna was there, front and center.

Soon she moved out of her bodyguard role and actually into that of a competitor.

Except Chyna was different, and her running roughshod over the other ladies was rather boring, so she actually was able to wrestle the men.

And she won.

She even won championships.

Sure, there was a bit of novelty to it, but she really was that good in the ring, and was rewarded for her efforts.

She was also teamed with Eddie Guerrero towards the end of her stint in wrestling and "Latino Heat" and his "Mamacita" brought out the best in each other and propelled them both to heights neither had previously enjoyed alone.

Chyna left wrestling shortly after that and has been battling her personal demons ever since. Her relationship with Vince McMahon and Triple H has been contentious over the years, but it seemed like there was a thawing taking place that might someday lead to Chyna being rightfully inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Sadly, it seems like that will be easier now that she's not around to screw it up by doing or saying anything else to damage her relationship with the company.

But she was Hall of Fame material and all wrestling fans know it.

Rest easy now, Chyna.

Hopefully Latino Heat was there in his lowrider to pick you up at the pearly gates.

The Miz Wants To Be An Awesome "Santa's Little Helper"

Santa's Little Helper (2015)

Rated PG

Starring Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, Paige, AnnaLynne McCord, Eric Keenleyside

Directed by Gil Junger

The Story:

Dax (Mizanin) gets fired from his cutthroat job the week before Christmas and is about to lose everything he has. Santa (Keenleyside) sees something in Dax and sends an elf named Billie (McCord) to put Dax through a series of tests. If Dax should succeed, there's a spot for him at the North Pole as Santa's next in command, a spot that another elf (Paige) thinks belongs to her.

WWE Studios is at it again, with another direct to DVD feature in time for the holidays.

Like last year's Jingle All The Way 2, there's nothing inherently wrong with the feature, it feels very much like a made for television movie, and sometimes during this time of year, that's exactly what you want or need to bring the family together while you deck the halls and all that stuff.

I'm just happy to rebound from the loser Christmas movies I'd been getting from Netflix, and was pleased that this movie didn't suck.

:)

Naturally, there will be contrary opinions out there, but I've rarely had any dislike for anything put out by WWE Studios. They are often paint by numbers films, but when you have a formula that works, unless  you're a game changing actor/director/studio, you go with what's safe, what works, and what audiences and your assemblage feels comfortable with.

That said, while The Miz doesn't get a lot of love in the ring lately with WWE, there's no denying the fact that Mike is a natural in front of  the camera and continues to be WWEs poster boy for making movies. Now in his second Christmas film, his role is much expanded than it was in the ABC Family film Christmas Bounty where he was a secondary film. No, Miz gets to carry most of the film and he proves up to the challenge.

Much like the persona he has in the ring, there's really nothing to like or care about in Dax, yet as the layers get peeled back, you hope he succeeds in his quest.

By the time the credits role, all is well on screen and you won't feel miserable for having watched this one.

Final Grade: C+

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.

If You Smelllllll...What The Rock's Cousin...Is Cooking... "Royal Rumble 2015"

Royal Rumble

WWE Network

Only $ 9.99!

So another year has come and gone, and the greatest PPV of the year is now over.

However this year's Rumble felt a little... flat.

I expect more carnage and mayhem and fun in the Rumble, and I can't help but think the WWE Universe was short-changed just a bit.

The matches leading up to the main events were fine.

The World Heavyweight Championship between Rollins, Cena and Lesnar was a classic for the ages, and at the end of the night, the decision to let Brock retain the gold for WrestleMania is the right one, especially if you're going to build up a new star.

Which leads us to the Rumble.

A few returns from some names of Superstars past was fun. It was also nice to see Zack Ryder back in action from his injury.

But Bray Wyatt throwing everyone out early left the first third of the Rumble kind of boring.

It didn't fill with people and mayhem until almost the final third of the match, and by then it's almost too little, too late.

Eliminating fan favorite Daniel Bryan early this year caused them to lose the Philly crowd for almost the rest of the night.

Even Kofi Kingston's usual survival antics were telegraphed and really short-lived. :(

Note to WWE Executives: When you book a PPV or Raw in a Heel Town, expect the crowd to cheer the bad guys and Daniel Bryan.

Don't be shocked when they turn on whatever other decisions you have planned.

When Dolph Ziggler came out at the #30 and final spot, you began to think they are really going to push Ziggler as the David and Goliath story against Lesnar.

Nope.

It's all about Roman Reigns.

The beast from LAST year's Rumble gets his win, and moves on to WrestleMania to face Brock Lesnar.

Even an appearance from his cousin, The Rock, could barely turn the crowd back in Reigns favor as the crowd wanted, well, pretty much anyone other than the obvious choice.

Then the PPV ended with over 20 minutes to go in the usual running time...

Sorry WWE, that's not Best for Business.

Even at just $9.99.

Final Grade: B  And considering I normally give this show an A/A-, you can feel my Philly heat!

:)

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I might watch parts again on the WWE Network, otherwise, see you next year for the 29th installment of my favorite PPV!

May The Holidays Provide You A "Christmas Bounty"

Christmas Bounty (2013)

TV-PG

Starring Francia Raisa,  Mike "The Miz" Mizanin,

Directed by Gil Junger

The Story:

When elementary schoolteacher Tory Bell (Raisa) realizes a man she helped put in prison has been freed, she knows he is coming for revenge against her family because they are all bounty hunters. She heads back to Jersey and revisits her roots teaming with family and ex-boyfriend (The Miz) to bring their perp to justice. Will she be able to keep her secret life from her new boyfriend, or will her Jersey ways doom their relationship?

If you think the above sounds like a TV movie, congratulations, you've just discovered ABC Family's new Christmas movie entry from last year.

Like most of their offerings, there is nothing ground-breaking or earth-shattering to be had. However, they are always well done, well-acted, and usually very enjoyable.

This one is no exception.

Raisa does a great job leading the cast. Apparently she is an ABC Family alumni from their network, and she has the charisma to lead a movie with little problem. The Miz, taking a break from the WWE turns in a fun little performance. Like him or hate him, he knows what to do for the cameras.

While it won't jump up the list of "must-sees" every year, it's a fun diversion that allows for a movie that takes place during the holidays, but isn't really about Christmas.

Like Die Hard. :)

Available to stream instantly on Netflix as of this writing, and my be part of the ABC Family 25 Days of Christmas line-up in the last few days.

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I would be able to watch this one each year with little problem.

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. :)

Oh How I Miss The Monday Night Wars..."The Rise And Fall Of WCW"

WWE: The Rise and Fall of WCW (2009)

World Championship Wrestling, the late 90s juggernaut that went toe to toe with the WWE is examined here.

Born out of the extremely productive Jim Crockett Promotions, this documentary chronicles the highlights of the company using interviews with the talent in front of the camera and those behind the scenes as well.

An interesting note that is brought up by Crockett, Ric Flair and others...

If the National Wrestling Alliance would have simply stayed in the Carolinas and stretched no farther than the Midwest, it is highly likely that some form of it would still be alive and well today.

The problem, they were growing big and fast, and making cash to match, so they took the show on the road.

While it was true that they were making money, they were spending more than they had in the bank.

Enter Ted Turner who bought the company. 

The 2 hour block that he had been showing on TBS for years was the highest rated cable program at the time.  Of course, cable was still in its infancy, but it's an important statistic to realize and appreciate.

Once they owned the program, the suits didn't want anything to do with it. 

They  loved the ratings, hated the idea of a wrestling program.

Numerous heads of the company were brought in to run WCW, but all simply kept trying to run it into the ground.

It wasn't until Eric Bischoff arrived, and decided that the way to make it work was to tackle the WWE head on, and so he did. 

Spending money hand over fist, Bischoff brought in the nWo, and the rest was history. 

Thankfully, they also note that the other important wrestling aspect from the company was the inclusion of the Cruiserweight Division.  These high flying luchadores made the show entertaining with the impressive, acrobatic style that wasn't being seen anywhere in North America at the time.

Beating the WWE head to head for nearly 2 straight years, wrestling has never enjoyed a more creative time in history.

Of course, WCW began to believe their own hype, and a series of terrible booking decisions began the spiral out of control that doomed the company to completely disappear as a viable option.

It lives on now in memories and video collections.

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I wasn't a huge WCW fan, so I'm good.  Very well done production though.

Farewell To A Legend: The Ultimate Warrior- R.I.P. 1959-2014

Don't you just hate waking up to find another piece of your childhood has passed on?

So it began yesterday when I woke up to find that WWE Superstar and Hall of Famer, The Ultimate Warrior had passed away.

The timing of it was surreal, as the world had just watched him get inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Saturday night, come out during WrestleMania on Sunday, and then finally address the fans one last time on Monday at Raw.

And now he's gone.

Crazy.

But in a business like professional wrestling, unfortunately, we've had to bid farewell all too often and soon to the superstars that make us cheer on a weekly basis.

The loss of the Warrior, who legally changed his name to Warrior because... well, because the man was crazy and loved what he did for a living, is another moment of loss to the WWE.

The Warrior and the WWE weren't exactly on speaking terms with each other over the last decade.  The animosity was so great that the WWE put out a DVD in 2005 called "The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior" which basically was 90 minutes of everyone trashing The Warrior for being a selfish, spoiled tool.

Ouch.

It's rare that Vince will publicly go after someone like that.

Usually, he'll just change his opening logos and make you disappear as if you'd never been a part of WWE history (see the current Monday Night Raw opening and wonder openly...where is that Hulk Hogan fellow?).

But no, this time he spent money to create a product that openly criticized one of the 80s/90s biggest superstars.

Then, 2K sports made an agreement with the Ultimate Warrior to bring him in as a playable character in the video games.  The thaw had begun, the Cold War was ending, and much like he did with bringing Bruno Sammartino back to the company, Triple H worked on getting the Warrior back with the WWE where he belonged.

The rumors began to circulate that this year would be the year to bring the Warrior into the Hall of Fame... and then those rumors turned to reality.

Then the weekend of WWE triumph turned to tragedy, as his family is left behind, and the condolences of the millions of fans are sent to the Warriors' wife and daughters.

:(

However, the silver lining in this, such as it is, was that the fence that was destroyed between the Warrior and the WWE was repaired in time so that the Warrior  and WWE will be able to rest in peace.

Too often, like when Macho Man Randy Savage passed away, there wasn't that moment of closure that would have capped a career of entertaining the millions of fans.

For both the fans, and the wrestlers who entertained us.

I'm very glad that the Ultimate Warrior was able to take one more trip to the center ring and be acknowledged for the accomplishments that he brought to the business and the memories he gave wrestling fans everywhere.

He may not have been the best wrestler...

But he was a literal force of nature that was one of a kind.

Rest well Warrior, you will be missed.

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.

"The Rundown" - The Humble Beginnings Of An Action Star

The Rundown (2003)
Rated PG-13 for language and violence

Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Christopher Walken, Rosario Dawson

Directed by Peter Berg

The Story:

Beck (Johnson)  is a bounty hunter who wants to get out of his line of work and become a chef.  If he takes one last job, to bring back the boss's son, Travis (Scott) from the Amazon, he'll get his money, and be free to go.

What could possibly go wrong?

Ah, the Rock's first film, free from the Mummy-verse, this was the 2nd production offering from the newly created WWE Studios.

This is one that's a guilty pleasure that I usually leave on if I'm surfing through channels and stumble across it.

The Rock gets off to a great start as an action hero, even getting the proverbial passing of the torch from Ah-nuhld at the very beginning of the film.

Seann William Scott is annoyingly hilarious as the 2nd half of the proven successful buddy cop/partner film.  The oil to the Rock's water.

Great B Movie fun, enhanced by Christopher Walken chewing up the Amazon as the bad guy who's making life difficult for both of the guys.

The fight scenes are impressive and very well-choreographed.

Peter Berg is a very underrated director in my opinion.

The running time is just about perfect, just over 90 minutes, and there's really never any dull moments.

I hear rumors that a sequel is in the works.

About time.

:)

Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I own it, and I try and watch it at least once a year.

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. :)

The Road To WrestleMania Begins Here..."WWE Royal Rumble 2014"

The Road to WrestleMania has begun...

Another year, and my son has figured out that since the Royal Rumble is my favorite WWE Pay Per View, he has managed to move his March birthday party to January and score this, WWE's most fun event of the year, for his party.

With the advent of the upcoming WWE Network, soon we will be able to enjoy every Pay Per View, every month, but for now, the occasion is still very special as this is the only one I've ever been willing to shell out the big bucks to order.

First things first, hopefully WWE will come up with some distinction between the "Free" Pre Show on YouTube and for those that actually pay for it on PPV or the WWE Network in the future.  The Tag Team Championship match between Cody Rhodes and Goldust and the New Age Outlaws was a great match that would have been great without that unnecessary commercial right in the middle.

Oh, and congratulations to the New Age Outlaws on becoming the SIX TIME Tag Team Champions of the World.

Oh You Didn't Know?

Nothing like getting in a time machine and reliving the Attitude Era on occasion. :)

But I won't be giving any other match results away.

If you want to learn who won, tune in to Monday Night Raw tonight, there will be plenty of mention on who the Undisputed WWE Heavyweight Champion is as well as all other match results.

Or if anyone got quite the pop that Daniel Bryan received from the crowd in Pittsburgh, I think he even surpassed the reaction that Ben Roethlisberger received when they showed him in the crowd.

The matches:

Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan - A 20+ minute epic

Brock Lesnar vs. The Big Show - Destruction personified.  The poor steel chair never had a chance.

John Cena vs. Randy Orton - The latest in one of the better rivalries of the current generation of superstars.

Then finally, the reason we all tune in:

The Rumble Match

And as always, it was controlled chaos!

Kofi Kingston, as has become his annual tradition, found a very creative way to stay alive after his first elimination attempt.
And his second...


Surprise entrants ?  Yep, there were a few.

I still think the return of Batista should have come tonight, and not been advertised ahead of time.  That place would have come unglued.

The crowd did not necessarily go home happy though.

:)

Let's see how things begin to shape up starting on Raw tonight!



Final Grade: A-



See you next year on the WWE Network!

The Best of 2013...Part One...The Documentaries

As 2013 winds down, it's time to take a look back at the best of the best this year offered in the form of movies and entertainment for the year.

When I did the Worst of the Year back on Thanksgiving, I mentioned that 45 made the "Best Of" countdown. 

By taking a look at some of the genre-specific titles, I want to give some last minute love to some of 2013's best that might otherwise miss out on a Top 20, 15...10 listing but deserve a shot at one last mention on this page. 

Just in case.

So without further ado, here's the documentaries that enthralled me this year.  Many are still streamable on Netflix, Amazon Prime, other websites or running on cable.

Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy -

Starting things off with a fairly comprehensive look at the Nightmare on Elm Street Franchise.  It's a fond, and fun, look back at the little budget horror film that reinvigorated the horror genre, then quickly devolved into parody.  Freddy Krueger instantly became a pop culture sensation, and the rest, as they say, is history.  It's been a long time since I've visited any of the original Elm Street films, but even the worst was better than the pale relaunch that lacked any of the style and substance from the original series.  New interviews with about 95% of the cast and crew makes this pretty much THE comprehensive look back at Elm Street.  And I must confess, A Nightmare on Elm Street was always creepiest when they were living a nightmare and didn't realize it, then JOLT, they were awake.  Kept the movie audience on our toes!

Moving from horror, to interesting PBS series comes:

Nova- My Life as a Turkey -



I had no idea what to expect in this little charmer about a man who raises wild turkeys from birth and the interesting things he learns from them along the way.  Turkeys are very smart birds, and you will run the gamut of emotions in this little hour long look into the life when man becomes one with nature.  He teaches the birds as they grow, but they both end up learning from one another.  Uplifting, yet ultimately sorrowful, it's still very much worth a look.

One that keeps things light, and reminds us why The Tonight Show as an institution will never go away...

American Masters: Carson-The King of Late Night-

There was only one Johnny Carson.  I was lucky enough to catch the last few years of his career as I was growing up.  I'd often stay awake for the monologue, then out like a light.  This documentary offers a mostly comprehensive narration of Carson's career using bits of old audio and many interviews with those that worked alongside him over the years.  He was invited into everyone's house weeknights, and the longer he's been off the air, and the more imitators to the crown have come (and gone), the more lasting his legacy really becomes.

Switching gears, time to give the WWE some love...




CM Punk: The Best in the World
The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect
WWE: Top 25 Rivalries in History
WWE For All Mankind: The Life & Career of Mick Foley

All four are solid productions, and all worth a viewing to professional wrestling fans.  The WWE is really hitting their stride at putting out high quality documentaries on their wrestlers, and it is a welcome look at the lives of these guys who give their all to entertain the fans on a nightly basis.  I think that even the casual fan, or non-fan could watch any of these documentaries and begin to see the passion that these guys have for what they do, and why the fans love to watch.

Yes, even if it's fake.

:)

So from guys dressing in tights, to guys dressing in red...

Becoming Santa -







A fun look at what it takes to become a Santa by attending an actual Santa school.  The best part, the documentary also interweaves a history of Santa Claus throughout the narrative.  Very entertaining look at the holiday, and would totally recommend you watch it...next holiday season.

;)

Finally, we go back in history to World War II!

Nova: 3D Spies of WWII
Secrets of the Dead: Churchill's Deadly Decision
Garbo the Spy



Two are great, informative pieces about World War II history that you may not be that familiar with.  Both are engaging and very entertaining.

However, hands-down, the best documentary would have to go to Garbo the Spy.  It's such a "truth is stranger than fiction" story, you just can't make this stuff up.  Yet, that's exactly what he did, and he fooled the Third Reich, consistently.  Highly recommended if you ever get the chance to watch any of them.

Tomorrow, things get a little scary...

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... ;)

Nothing Like Some Wrestling on Monday..."The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect"

If any wrestler lived up to their nickname...

The Story:

Curt Hennig's story, as related 5 years after his passing by the friends, family and wrestlers that knew him best.

It's been 10 years since Mr. Perfect passed away due to a cocaine overdose.  I hate to even mention that, because it seems like it was the one less than perfect thing he attempted in his career, and it cost him everything.

It still hurts, because the man loved the business and was one of the best performers that I've watched over the years.  He would be 54 if he were still with us, and whether or not he would still be lacing up the boots and wrestling, he definitely could do play by play as an announcer.

Because, as with everything Curt touched, it was absolutely perfect.

The man brought prestige to the Intercontinental Championship when he held it, and joined a long list of great wrestlers who were stuck in the shadow of Hogan, but put on a show that the fans never forgot.

Sadly, injuries to his back cut a great majority of his in-ring career short.

As I mentioned though, he enjoyed a great stint behind the microphone while his back healed, and he is probably one of the more underrated announcers the WWE has ever enjoyed on the shows.

Thankfully, most of it Hennig's work is collected in the archives so future generations can look back and marvel at just how perfect he really was.

One cool story that is relayed is from his friend, Wade Boggs.  If not for Mr. Perfect, Boggs wouldn't be here today.  Very impressive tale, and Boggs is still choked up about his friend's passing when he relays the story.

R.I.P. Curt, you were definitely taken way too soon.

You're still missed by this fan, and countless more.


Final Grade: A-

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: Easily yes to both of those.

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.

Not The Best Title, But "Dead Man Down" Isn't Half Bad...

Whooooo are you? Who? Who? Who? Who?

The Story:

Victor (Colin Farrell) is a thug working for a local crime  boss, Alphonse (Terrence Howard).  Well, it seems someone is threatening Alphonse and is slowly, systematically killing off Alphonse's people and the noose is tightening.  Meanwhile, a neighbor (Noomi Rapace) has seen first-hand what Victor can do, and she wants him to eliminate a man who caused her to become disfigured, or she'll go to the cops.  This puts Victor and all of his plans in jeopardy.

What will Victor do?

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

And WWE Studios is cranking out some really decent low-budget fare lately.  They are at it again with a nice little action thriller with their biggest star to date (Colin Farrell) before they made The Call with Halle.

Plus, they actually used a wrestler this time out, Wade Barrett, and he does just fine in his teensy weensy role.

Honestly?  It works, more than it doesn't.  Some of the parts drag, but that's what 1.5x on the PS3 allows you to zip through that and get back to the good stuff.

:)

The scenes with Farrell and Howard are dynamic and exciting. 

As for Noomi... zzzz... she's actually the least interesting part of the film. 

It's funny, the movie is really set up rather intricately compared to what you may (or may not ) have seen in the trailer, which seems that she is asking Victor to kill Alphonse for disfiguring her.  Couldn't be farther from the truth, but that the clips could be spliced that way was really clever.

No, it turns out that Victor has much deeper reasoning for wanting to bring down Alphonse, and goes through very elaborate measures to do so...

Only to have the girl muck it up at the end.

Thankfully, they salvaged it, and it didn't end up like the last Farrell movie (London Boulevard) that was interesting all the way up until the end, and then it derailed.

Final Grade: C+

Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: I could, but I doubt I will. ; )