The Fit Finlays

Director: n/a
Distributor: OJO Productions / The Broadcast Authority of Ireland
Released: 10/10
Featured Talent

Dave "Fit" Finlay, Dave Finlay Sr., Evelyn Finlay, Mel Finlay, Wendy Finlay, Eddie "Kung Fu" Hamill, Johnny "Rasputin" Howard, Drew McDonald, Orig Williams

The Good

For a fairly straightforward one-hour documentary, this is a real gem.  From the home videos of a young Fit Finlay rolling on amateur mats and footage working small shows in his hometown to his success in Germany and stuff with his dad, this really sheds some light on the amazing career of Fit Finlay.  While it is kind of brief and lacks depth, his run in WCW and return in the WWE are detailed and pushed as real career heights.  The vagueness aside, his return to the ring after nearly losing his leg in a match is incredible.  There are some human elements to this involving his faith and family and they are fine additions.  The scene with Dave Sr. and Rapsutin sharing tales in the garage is such a classic moment and it seems like a glimpse into any old-timer reunion gathering.  The mini-tribute to Welsh icon Orig Williams is a touching one as well.  This is a rare doc that focuses on often overlooked places and people, so it is definitely worth it for the pro-wrestling historian.

The Bad

This is not the most provocative doc you'll come across, so if you want sex, drugs and rock n' roll look elsewhere.  This seems like one of those patriotic portraits of someone who has achieved success on a big stage.  In all fairness, Fit Finlay has never really been a top guy outside of Europe.  He was an amazing worker, a top-notch heel and had an incredible return to the ring after a lengthy absence.  This documentary might try to bolster his international success to a misleading degree, but any pro-wrestling documentary blows up the subject to an extent.  While there is no shortage of great clips that are probably not in public circulation, the lack of World of Sport footage seems to really hinder the story.  I also was surprised by the lack of Princess Paula in this as she was so key to his heel act for years.  This was very good for what it was and a fun lil' watch.

The Rating: ***1/2

Lance Storm [RF Video Shoot Interview `99]

The Good

These early RF Video shoots were largely a mixed bag of poorly executed interviews with big names who could talk well and interviews that are "better" executed with ECW stars.  Here, Lance Storm sits in the chair and talk about his first decade in the business.  Lance is a tremendous talker in this atmosphere as he is thoughtful, respectful and is able to really dig deep on topics.  This is why his involvement with Bryan Alvarez and the Figure-Four Daily has been so great.  Although this predates his WCW and WWF runs as well as his post-retirement activities, he has plenty of time to talk about his various experiences in Germany and Japan that probably would go undiscussed if a comparable first interview was done today.  I particularly found his reflections on Germany to be great because few people have talked about it much, but he was able to put over Fit Finley and Danny Collins while talking frankly about Otto Wanz, Dave Taylor and others.  Others might find his comments on Japan to be more interesting as he discussed Jushin Liger, Shinjiro Otani, Atsushi Onita, Genichiro Tenryu, Yuji Yasuroaka and many others.  Lance also talks about breaking in with the Harts, his experiences working for Jim Cornette in Smoky Mountain as well as getting into ECW and moving up the ladder there.  If you've never heard Lance Storm, I'd highly recommend his shoots, co-hosting gigs and so on.

The Bad

The obvious digs on this would be, who is Lance Storm to have the opinions he has here?  This is slippery slope because while he had almost ten years in the business and was well-traveled, he was still relatively young and didn't have experience compared to people like, say, Jim Duggan, who were kind of negative about Lance.  In any event, Storm is a very intelligent and principled person who delivers an interview like few others because of those factors.  Some people might not have been crazy about his work, his personality or find him the most enjoyable to listen to, but I would put him in the upper echelon of shoot interviews.

The Rating: ****1/4

BBC Video Diaries: Pro-Wrestling

Director: n/a

Distributor: BBC

Released: 1993

Talent Featured
Robbie Brookside, Ian "Doc" Dean, Brian Dixon, Bill Dundee (Sir William), Giant Haystacks,

 Ulf Hermann, Maxx Payne, Steve Regal, Johnny Saint, Dave Taylor, Steve "Skull Murphy" Young

The Good
An amazing little documentary from the early 1990s that features Robbie Brookside as he struggles to "make it" in pro-wrestling. Brookside was a hot young star in the final days of televised British wrestling as Brian Dixon's All-Star promotions utilized him well. A teenage star from Liverpool, Brookside fell into that era of excellent workers who were able to rub shoulders with many great British stars, but were too young, too small, too British or whatever to reach that next level. In 1988, British wrestling was taken off TV and the native version of the sport practically died over night. It had been ailing for several years, languishing under the influence of the Crabtrees, unable to compete with the flash of the WWF and suffering several other hardships. Many found scarce work across the country at independent shows, some traveled to Japan, some to the Continent and a select few tried to make it to the US. Other than Japan, this documentary focuses on that post-TV era. Brookside and partner Doc Dean travel from small show to small show working for Brian Dixon, but the conditions, payoffs and even some of the talent is pathetic. The two travel to Germany for a tour and you get a feeling for how vital that is for keeping many of these guys afloat. Otto Wanz and the CWA was able to give many European wrestlers a place to go and make good money for about a decade after British wrestling died. A portion of this focuses on his former partner Steve Regal (more recently known as William Regal) who managed to catch a break with WCW, reinvented himself as Lord Steven Regal and became one of the best workers in the US and one of the most underrated entertainers as well. While Regal had good size, Brookside never filled out, he looks like and kind of works like Edge (if you've never seen him). Brookside believes in the British style, but understands the need to adapt to the American approach. Unfortunately for him, Britain never had a domestic product that was able to do this and the last of the "World of Sports" generation are now retired and the independent scene over there is remarkably disjointed from the traditional British style. This is almost a tragic story and while the end is hopefully, you know fifteen years later how it would end.

The Bad
This documentary has a understandably narrow scope as it focuses on Robbie Brookside's career up to this point. He had not yet traveled to Japan, although he had opportunities with New Japan and Michinoku Pro that never panned out for him. There were a handful of great workers (Tony St. Clair, Fit Finlay, Dave Taylor and a others) who successfully bounced around and did not have a paycheck-to-paycheck career like Brookside. Many did though and it is interesting to focus on that story. People like Doc Dean, James Mason and others struggled to find their place and while some had chances abroad or even in the US, few found actual success. The sad story here, unfortunately is the real one for most British wrestlers and it has only gotten more dim as time has passed.

The Rating: ****1/2

Bob Roop ("Shooting with the Legends" Interview)

The Good
Scott Teal's "Shooting with the Legends" series is excellent in so many regards. While Scott himself is very knowledgeable and could intelligently interview any legend, he chooses the best. Bob Roop is one of a number of well-regarded stars from yesteryear that can tell great stories, share unique perspectives and pull no punches while doing so. Roop talks extensively about a number of topics, specifically his amateur background, time as an unwilling hired gun for promoters and his experiences in Florida. Although this is lengthy (about four hours), Roop is able to go all over the place and expound upon whatever he wants. He gives his honest thoughts on Eddie Graham, Gordon Solie, Buddy Fuller and several other legends. He seems very open about his abilities and inabilities, not coming across like the pompous bully he's been labelled as before. A definite highlight of this was Bob talking about his experiences abroad. Not in the common places like Australia and Japan, but also Europe and Iraq. This could have gone on another four hours and I think there'd be no shortage of material. Just a masterpiece that you've got to get your hands on.

The Bad
Certainly there are areas of Bob Roop's career that go uncovered, but I'll take omissions of his tenures in Mid-South, the Army of Darkness and so on for some of the depth and variety he shares. For someone who booked a few notable territories, he sure did not get into booking psychology much. I think Roop tried to be honest, but it seems like some of his stories do not jive well with others'. Regardless of those few negatives, I'd rate this as a top-notch shoot interview.

The Rating: *****

The Wrestling Game

Director: n/a
Distributor: Mountain Films
Released: 1963

The Good
I don't know how much 1960s British pro-wrestling is kicking around, but this is a nice sampling that shows how that style is different than elsewhere. Although it does not feature many legendary British stars, it does feature "Judo" Al Hayes, who became a star in the US. The real draw here is seeing the action. This was a feature, but it was not exactly an expose. I had heard Ron Garvin elude to an expose that killed British wrestling (I'm not sure if this is it), but this more showed and explained the draw of pro-wrestling. Also, I popped for the powerbomb in the opening bout...who expected that?

The Bad
At just over 10 minutes, this hardly gets at anything. It is a neat historical piece, but the lack of commentary and explanation could be a turn off for many modern viewers. It also did not really have the star power that you'd expect. It was more of a random filming that had a couple of familiar names, but mostly people that even I didn't know.

The Rating: **1/2

Pure Dynamite: The Price You Pay for Wrestling Stardom
Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Tom Billington, Alison Coleman
Publisher: Stewart House
Released: 8/01 

The Good
There's not a lot more one can want from an autobiography: funny road stories, pretty good insight, dirt on all the stars and a strong finale. While you might only demand one of those, so few wrestler's autobiographies deliver 3 of the 4 that it's sad. Billington's been in Europe, Canada, Japan and the States and he gives all the details. He lightens things up with funny stories and considering his apparent meanstreak it's necessary to have those parts. Puroresu fans should enjoy this more than just about anyone's books. Most compliment this book for its unbridaled honesty and he doesn't seem to pull punches and that's more a positive in wrestling than a negative...I think.


The Bad
Bitterness can be very off-putting. Billington's hatred of Davey Boy Smith and dislike of a number of people is kind of hard to overlook as he blasts so many people. He tends to give a negative along with a slight positive (like "he was an asshole, but he was good with ribs") and his "rating" system of tough guys is questionable. Many of them seem to be his drinking buddies. If you realize those few things, you should be able to get through this just fine without too many hang-ups. 

The Rating: ****1/4


  

Chris Adams [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Chris Adams is personable type who carries himself well in interviews such as these.  His negative qualities are easily swept behind the guise of the "gentleman," which almost makes you understand how a cocky, violent drug addict was able to do so well for himself for such a long period of time.  He seems quite straightforward with his opinions and while he does not knock too many people, he comes across as being someone whose reflected on his past mistakes and understands the abilities he truly had.

The Bad
Chris Adams has one of the worst reputations in pro-wrestling and that is probably not because people simply hated his accent.  He has been called too stiff, too arrogant, too messed up, too everything and there is probably truth to all of it.  In this format, he is able to downplay those negatives and you don't come away with a negative picture of him.  However, he surely had a dark side.  He's unwilling to do much more than hint at or briefly talk about all the bizarre situations (his wife having an affair with Kerry Von Erich, later Brian Christopher and another wife leaving him for Steve Austin), legal problems (arrests for headbutting an airline pilot and wifebeating) and drug problems (his myriad problems with street drugs, most notably GHB, and how they took a toll on him).

The Rating: ****

A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex

Author: Chris Jericho, Peter Thomas Fornatale
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Released: 10/07 


The Good
When it was revealed that Chris Jericho was releasing an autobiography at the age of 36, it seemed strange. Although he had so far had an impressive career, Jericho had never reached that top echelon that everyone thought he would when he jumped to the WWF in 1999. This book attempted to be not a memoir of a storied career, but rather a “dreams come true” story. In that sense, it fulfilled its goal. Jericho had many obstacles to overcome throughout his career and when made his highly touted debut in the WWF, his dream came true and that’s where this book ends. So, if you’re a WWF/WWE fan, you’re going to have to wait. This book talks about his world travels and does so in the most humorous and entertaining manner that a pro-wrestling autobiography has ever done. Jericho did not intend this to be solely for pro-wrestling fans and certainly not WWF/WWE fans, but it certainly helps the enjoyment if you are the former. He breaks it up into several parts: his childhood and years on the Canadian indies, Mexico, Germany, Smoky Mountain, Japan, ECW and WCW. This comprehensive career being captured makes this a great resource. And if you know people like Dr. Luther, Drew McDonald, El Dandy and Bruiser Bedlam, this book has a different level of enjoyment. Personally, this was very enjoyable. I grew up listening to the same music, loving hockey and, of course, marking out for all things pro-wrestling, so Jericho’s references to these in jokes made this a classic for me. This was a fast and addictive read that was well composed, well edited and well organized. This is inarguably a new must-have for pro-wrestling fans.


The Bad
Jericho’s decisions to omit his WWF/WWE run, leave in kind words and photos with Chris Benoit and seek out a non-WWE publisher could all be strikes against this. Ending at August 1999, leaves this open for a follow-up that could be published by the WWE, but the issue of his partnership/rivalry with Chris Benoit is a huge stumbling block to overcome if he decides to write that book. The jokes and references may not harm this, but it certainly caters to a small crowd. Although he has stated this is not just for pro-wrestling fans, it does not seem like a book that non-fans would necessarily enjoy. Perhaps, but this is definitely not as non-fan-friendly as other books. As with any autobiography, Chris Jericho could be knocked for having a big ego or being bitter about some things, but in comparison to some of his peers, he seems like Mr. Positive. Other than those few relatively mild knocks, this book is hard to fault.


The Rating: *****