Lanny Poffo [57Talk Shoot Interview]
The Good
An early shoot interview by Gary Cubeta and it is very good, largely because he's interviewing Lanny Poffo. Although you might know him as the effeminate heel known as The Genius, the younger brother of Randy Savage or even WWF jobber Leapin' Lanny Poffo, this guy can talk and is one of the best shoot interviews there is. His RF Video shoot really opened a lot of eyes to his abilities and thankfully he's gotten more interviews as a result. Gary, always with the focused questions, spends a lot of time talking about the Sheik and Detroit, the ICW and his time with Hulk Hogan in the WWF. I enjoy that approach because it makes this a very different interview (although not as different as Lanny's anti-communist rant against Canada's national healthcare when he was on the LAW). I thought the discussions on hardcore wrestling, steroids and developing one's persona were all great, insightful parts to this 90 minute shoot.
The Bad
With Gary Cubeta's interviews, there is always the issue of the bits and pieces being left out. Since he does not try to shoehorn a career retrospective into an hour and a half, he leaves a lot out. Sometimes those parts are very significant and sometimes he never hooks back up with that person. I always enjoy Lanny's little sayings and such, but he seemed to have a few foul balls here. I guess it was early in the morning or something. Anyway, I feel this was a good, but not the best performance by Lanny Poffo.
The Rating: ***3/4
Showing posts with label Detroit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Detroit. Show all posts
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Wrestling Gold Collection
Director: n/a
Distributor: Kit Parker Films
Released: ?/01
Featured Talent
Jim Cornette & Dave Meltzer
The Good
This five disc collection features approximately sixty matches from various territories with material that is predominately from the 1980s. There are matches from Memphis, Detroit, San Antonio and several companies. Without the commentary a lot of this action would be boring, however the insight from Cornette and Meltzer make this material more meaningful. Rather than calling the matches in kayfabe (which Cornette could do brilliantly), they use the matches as talking points as two of pro-wrestling's greatest minds explain the history and psychology of the sport. Cornette's humor and personality adds greatly as Meltzer is a journalist, not an entertainer. I purchased these tapes at a good price and really enjoy their content. Although you can turn off the commentary, most of the announcers (except for Lance Russell) add little to the quality of the matches. There really are some gems in here: Randy Savage, Jerry Lawler, Bobby Heenan, Rock-N-Roll Express and the Dynamic Duo (Gino Hernandez & Tully Blanchard) are all in their primes. There are also appearances by stars like Shawn Michaels, The Road Warriors, Rick Rude, Magnum TA and the Von Erichs before their primes. Finally, there is a long list of legends featured: The Sheik, Harley Race, Nick Bockwinkel, Dick the Bruiser, The Crusher, Bruno Sammartino, Ernie Ladd, Bruiser Brody and the Funks, amongst others. This is a nice hodge-podge of pro-wrestling.
The Bad
Due to the WWE owning the rights to most major pro-wrestling company's libraries, there was limited footage from which to pull matches. Furthermore, many matches were clearly chosen for the names involved, rather than the quality of the action. If you have never seen the likes of Bob Sweetan, Ox Baker, Tiger Jeet Singh and Ivan Putski - this is a chance to see them (like it or not!). There are plenty of ugly-looking moves, matches and men, but there is enough humor and quality to keep Wrestling Gold from being Wrestling Garbage.
The Rating: ****
Director: n/a
Distributor: Kit Parker Films
Released: ?/01
Featured Talent
Jim Cornette & Dave Meltzer
The Good
This five disc collection features approximately sixty matches from various territories with material that is predominately from the 1980s. There are matches from Memphis, Detroit, San Antonio and several companies. Without the commentary a lot of this action would be boring, however the insight from Cornette and Meltzer make this material more meaningful. Rather than calling the matches in kayfabe (which Cornette could do brilliantly), they use the matches as talking points as two of pro-wrestling's greatest minds explain the history and psychology of the sport. Cornette's humor and personality adds greatly as Meltzer is a journalist, not an entertainer. I purchased these tapes at a good price and really enjoy their content. Although you can turn off the commentary, most of the announcers (except for Lance Russell) add little to the quality of the matches. There really are some gems in here: Randy Savage, Jerry Lawler, Bobby Heenan, Rock-N-Roll Express and the Dynamic Duo (Gino Hernandez & Tully Blanchard) are all in their primes. There are also appearances by stars like Shawn Michaels, The Road Warriors, Rick Rude, Magnum TA and the Von Erichs before their primes. Finally, there is a long list of legends featured: The Sheik, Harley Race, Nick Bockwinkel, Dick the Bruiser, The Crusher, Bruno Sammartino, Ernie Ladd, Bruiser Brody and the Funks, amongst others. This is a nice hodge-podge of pro-wrestling.
The Bad
Due to the WWE owning the rights to most major pro-wrestling company's libraries, there was limited footage from which to pull matches. Furthermore, many matches were clearly chosen for the names involved, rather than the quality of the action. If you have never seen the likes of Bob Sweetan, Ox Baker, Tiger Jeet Singh and Ivan Putski - this is a chance to see them (like it or not!). There are plenty of ugly-looking moves, matches and men, but there is enough humor and quality to keep Wrestling Gold from being Wrestling Garbage.
The Rating: ****
Monday, February 21, 2011
Killer Brooks [57 Talk Shoot Interview]
The Good
Detroit was such a strong promotion for so many years and it has not been covered in great detail. Here, one of its greatest stars gets into the nitty-gritty of the Sheik's promotion, its successes, its failures and its numerous top stars. Brooks had an insight that was excellent to here after Captain Ed George (the Sheik's son) and his understandable glamorizing of the promotion because Brooks was a little more measured and was able to explain the promotion's decline to an extent. He detailed his departure from the Sheik for a short-lived rival, his deep regret and his emotional death-bed reunion with the Sheik. Aside from that, Tim Brooks had some funny anecdotes about breaking into the business in Amarillo, tales of being blackballed (after leaving the Sheik) and having his own pro-wrestling school. I found this to be a great interview in its limited scope and this could have been part of an excellent series by 57Talk.
The Bad
I can only think of a handful of shoot interviews where technical problems drastically impact the quality of the interview, but this is one of them. Killer Brooks' poor cell phone simply cuts out a few times and they have to restart it. The instance where it really kills things is where he's just getting into the details of his leaving the Sheik in Detroit and starting a rival promotion and it goes dead. I would also say that this was hindered by its length. The bulk of the interview was spent on Detroit, but Killer Brooks had success all over the place. I am sure this interview was only intended to be the first in a series, but it never came to pass. This is a good, although incomplete (by my estimation) shoot interview.
The Rating: ***3/4
The Good
Detroit was such a strong promotion for so many years and it has not been covered in great detail. Here, one of its greatest stars gets into the nitty-gritty of the Sheik's promotion, its successes, its failures and its numerous top stars. Brooks had an insight that was excellent to here after Captain Ed George (the Sheik's son) and his understandable glamorizing of the promotion because Brooks was a little more measured and was able to explain the promotion's decline to an extent. He detailed his departure from the Sheik for a short-lived rival, his deep regret and his emotional death-bed reunion with the Sheik. Aside from that, Tim Brooks had some funny anecdotes about breaking into the business in Amarillo, tales of being blackballed (after leaving the Sheik) and having his own pro-wrestling school. I found this to be a great interview in its limited scope and this could have been part of an excellent series by 57Talk.
The Bad
I can only think of a handful of shoot interviews where technical problems drastically impact the quality of the interview, but this is one of them. Killer Brooks' poor cell phone simply cuts out a few times and they have to restart it. The instance where it really kills things is where he's just getting into the details of his leaving the Sheik in Detroit and starting a rival promotion and it goes dead. I would also say that this was hindered by its length. The bulk of the interview was spent on Detroit, but Killer Brooks had success all over the place. I am sure this interview was only intended to be the first in a series, but it never came to pass. This is a good, although incomplete (by my estimation) shoot interview.
The Rating: ***3/4
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Gary Hart [RF Video Shoot Interview]
The Good
This has everything and more. Gary Hart had a career that spanned from the Golden Age to the modern age, he was known for his effectiveness as a manager, his creative yet simple booking, his great eye for talent and pulls-no-punches attitude. He demonstrates all of these dimensions and convinces you of his greatness throughout this mere two and a half hour interview. In talking about managing, he explains how he was, in fact, a shoot manager who did not merely "pull legs and pass gimmicks for the office." This is the tip of the iceberg and I'd strongly recommend the "Art of Managing" interview he and Alfred Humperdink did with Wrestlingclassics.com. In talking about booking, he details his head booking runs in Dallas, Atlanta and influence in booking his men with various offices. He explains in great detail the various legendary angles and figures of World Class and how the stars were aligned to make that promotion take off. In discussing the talent he managed, Gary explains how he was successful at gaining trust, how he helped talent develop and how he successfully scouted talent time and time again. As for the more eyebrow-raising parts, Georgia promoter Fred Ward was a worthless "fat bastard," Jerry Jarrett was condescending and disrespectful to wrestlers, Paul Boesch was a great promoter but needed to be and was slapped around, Eddie Graham was an overrated and predictable booker, Sting was a self-absorbed and "arrogant ass" and on and on. Gary Hart was his opinions and free to share them and at no point do you believe he is being anything other than honest.
The Bad
I've said it before and I'll say it again, RF Video's interviewers (specifically Rob Feinstein himself) lack of interviewing skills prevents good interviews from being great and only has great interviews when the interviewee is great themselves. Gary Hart is great and although RF's bumbling and tirelessly linear questioning fails to help things, it cannot stop his greatness from shining through.
The Rating: *****
The Good
This has everything and more. Gary Hart had a career that spanned from the Golden Age to the modern age, he was known for his effectiveness as a manager, his creative yet simple booking, his great eye for talent and pulls-no-punches attitude. He demonstrates all of these dimensions and convinces you of his greatness throughout this mere two and a half hour interview. In talking about managing, he explains how he was, in fact, a shoot manager who did not merely "pull legs and pass gimmicks for the office." This is the tip of the iceberg and I'd strongly recommend the "Art of Managing" interview he and Alfred Humperdink did with Wrestlingclassics.com. In talking about booking, he details his head booking runs in Dallas, Atlanta and influence in booking his men with various offices. He explains in great detail the various legendary angles and figures of World Class and how the stars were aligned to make that promotion take off. In discussing the talent he managed, Gary explains how he was successful at gaining trust, how he helped talent develop and how he successfully scouted talent time and time again. As for the more eyebrow-raising parts, Georgia promoter Fred Ward was a worthless "fat bastard," Jerry Jarrett was condescending and disrespectful to wrestlers, Paul Boesch was a great promoter but needed to be and was slapped around, Eddie Graham was an overrated and predictable booker, Sting was a self-absorbed and "arrogant ass" and on and on. Gary Hart was his opinions and free to share them and at no point do you believe he is being anything other than honest.
The Bad
I've said it before and I'll say it again, RF Video's interviewers (specifically Rob Feinstein himself) lack of interviewing skills prevents good interviews from being great and only has great interviews when the interviewee is great themselves. Gary Hart is great and although RF's bumbling and tirelessly linear questioning fails to help things, it cannot stop his greatness from shining through.
The Rating: *****
Friday, September 17, 2010
George Steele [RF Video Shoot Interview]
The Good
Sometimes I am baffled at how well an RF Shoot interview goes. I've heard a number of George Steele interviews on different shows, including 57Talk and Legends Radio, but none of them could even touch this one. First of all, he starts off with, "Do you want to
George or Jim?" Of course, the well-spoken and insightful Jim Meyers does the interview and really gives a lesson. He explains psychology, he explains leverage with promoters, he explains the logic of his career choices and he explains how he went from a serious heel to a cartoon character. All along the way, he throws is funny stories, yells at the dozing off crew and realistically sets himself up for a second shoot interview (about developing his George Steele character, his struggles with learning disabilities and his successes as a teacher/coach that ran parallel to his pro-wrestling career). RF's goofy trailers never made this seem like a top-notch shoot and it is certainly not Rob's doing, it is all the brilliance of Jim Meyers. This is a classic.
The Bad
I had thought Al Snow's second RF Video shoot was exceptional in that he really got into the meat and potatoes of psychology. While he has his own perspectives, it was enjoyable to listen to. This is along that line, but George Steele really explores his own career. The advantage he had is that his seasonal approach (summer runs when school was out for him) meant he did not have as many matches and therefore not as many angles, feuds, etc. Surely, some people would want him to spend more time on these and less on the psychology. Some people would probably prefer it the way around. Regardless, this is not hampered by all the usual RF Video flaws because the power of Jim Meyers' personality and his ability to talk and explain for hours.
The Rating: *****
The Good
Sometimes I am baffled at how well an RF Shoot interview goes. I've heard a number of George Steele interviews on different shows, including 57Talk and Legends Radio, but none of them could even touch this one. First of all, he starts off with, "Do you want to
George or Jim?" Of course, the well-spoken and insightful Jim Meyers does the interview and really gives a lesson. He explains psychology, he explains leverage with promoters, he explains the logic of his career choices and he explains how he went from a serious heel to a cartoon character. All along the way, he throws is funny stories, yells at the dozing off crew and realistically sets himself up for a second shoot interview (about developing his George Steele character, his struggles with learning disabilities and his successes as a teacher/coach that ran parallel to his pro-wrestling career). RF's goofy trailers never made this seem like a top-notch shoot and it is certainly not Rob's doing, it is all the brilliance of Jim Meyers. This is a classic.
The Bad
I had thought Al Snow's second RF Video shoot was exceptional in that he really got into the meat and potatoes of psychology. While he has his own perspectives, it was enjoyable to listen to. This is along that line, but George Steele really explores his own career. The advantage he had is that his seasonal approach (summer runs when school was out for him) meant he did not have as many matches and therefore not as many angles, feuds, etc. Surely, some people would want him to spend more time on these and less on the psychology. Some people would probably prefer it the way around. Regardless, this is not hampered by all the usual RF Video flaws because the power of Jim Meyers' personality and his ability to talk and explain for hours.
The Rating: *****
Friday, April 9, 2010
Mark Lewin [Highspots Shoot Interview]
The Good
When Mark Lewin seemed to magically appear after relative obscurity, I was intrigued about this man who is one of pro-wrestling's most unique and well-traveled individuals. When I learned he was doing shoot interviews, I was overjoyed. This really delivers the goods as Highspots appears to have hired an interview who does solid research, builds a rapport with the interviewee, conducts a flowing interview and makes almost everyone else seem second- or third-rate. As great as the interviewer was, Mark Lewin was just the man I'd like to have in that hot seat. His amazing career was covered in sufficient detail (for a two-hour shoot), he touched on psychology, booking, character development and even heavier topics like substance abuse and personality flaws were not left untouched. Mark Lewin seems to be fairly open, but is certainly calculating in his responses. It is funny because he looks remarkably like Johnny Powers nowadays (although both had very different looks during their careers), but the gum-smacking Lewin seems so much more laid back, honest and humble than JP (whose career I feel Lewin's is superior to in most ways). This is one of those must-see/hear shoot interviews that happen every once and while.
The Bad
Two-hours was just simply not long enough. If undercarders from the Monday Night Wars can get four-hours, how can Mark Lewin not get more time! Actually, I suspect he'll be subject of several (guest booker, anyone?) and I cannot wait. Mark Lewin's thirty-year career was so unbelievable and the surface is only scratched here. His early career seems well covered, although a two-hour interview about just the "Golden Age" would work for me. The part about Australia was what I was most looking forward to as a highlight, but it was not delved into as deeply as it might have been. His notable runs in Florida, Detroit and Georgia are only briefly covered and others (San Antonio, New Zealand and San Francisco) are hardly mentioned if not left out completely. I don't want to beat up on this too much because what is there is gold, but I'd take a Ric Flair-like marathon shoot interview with Mark Lewin anytime!
The Rating: ****3/4
The Good
When Mark Lewin seemed to magically appear after relative obscurity, I was intrigued about this man who is one of pro-wrestling's most unique and well-traveled individuals. When I learned he was doing shoot interviews, I was overjoyed. This really delivers the goods as Highspots appears to have hired an interview who does solid research, builds a rapport with the interviewee, conducts a flowing interview and makes almost everyone else seem second- or third-rate. As great as the interviewer was, Mark Lewin was just the man I'd like to have in that hot seat. His amazing career was covered in sufficient detail (for a two-hour shoot), he touched on psychology, booking, character development and even heavier topics like substance abuse and personality flaws were not left untouched. Mark Lewin seems to be fairly open, but is certainly calculating in his responses. It is funny because he looks remarkably like Johnny Powers nowadays (although both had very different looks during their careers), but the gum-smacking Lewin seems so much more laid back, honest and humble than JP (whose career I feel Lewin's is superior to in most ways). This is one of those must-see/hear shoot interviews that happen every once and while.
The Bad
Two-hours was just simply not long enough. If undercarders from the Monday Night Wars can get four-hours, how can Mark Lewin not get more time! Actually, I suspect he'll be subject of several (guest booker, anyone?) and I cannot wait. Mark Lewin's thirty-year career was so unbelievable and the surface is only scratched here. His early career seems well covered, although a two-hour interview about just the "Golden Age" would work for me. The part about Australia was what I was most looking forward to as a highlight, but it was not delved into as deeply as it might have been. His notable runs in Florida, Detroit and Georgia are only briefly covered and others (San Antonio, New Zealand and San Francisco) are hardly mentioned if not left out completely. I don't want to beat up on this too much because what is there is gold, but I'd take a Ric Flair-like marathon shoot interview with Mark Lewin anytime!
The Rating: ****3/4
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