Jackie Gayda [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Other than trainers and brief interviews with Tough Enough participants, I've never heard an in-depth look at the show. Jackie, who was a co-winner of Tough Enough II, proved to be a decent talent, but simply never worked that much. The look at TE from a participant's perspective was really different and with a fifth season in the works, it was interesting to think about the production and storytelling that actually goes on. Jackie seems like a very down to Earth person who got curious about pro-wrestling because she was athletic and interested in broadcasting and production. It makes sense that she, a fitness model type, would be brought up too soon, but for whatever reason she was simply dumped after a year and a half on the main roster (along with new husband Charlie Haas). Although her time in business was brief and her actual knowledge is limited, Jackie Gayda's distinct entrance into the sport is one worth exploring.

The Bad
Jackie Gayda career was the proverbial "cup of coffee." From the time she was on Tough Enough II to when she ended her regular involvement with TNA is only five years! Yes, she won the show. Yes, she had a couple runs on WWF TV. But is she really worthy of an extensive shoot? A large portion of this focuses on her experiences with TE2 and even her try-out for the first Tough Enough. Very little TNA is discussed. OVW is talked about as a training ground and there is not much focus on angles or things along that line, which is typical RF Video lack of knowledge.

The Rating: ***1/4

CM Punk - Best in the World

Distributor: WWE Home Video

Released: 10/12

Featured Talent

Daniel Bryan, Colt Cabana, Cassie (“sister”), John Cena, Chez (best friend), Chez’s Mom,

Chaleen (“sister”), Lars Frederiksen (friend / Rancid), Curt Hawkins, Michael Hayes, Chris Hero, Paul Heyman, Kofi Kingston, Lita, The Miz, Joey (Matthews) Mercury, CM Punk, Justin Roberts, Jim Ross, Zack Ryder, Natalie Slater (former girlfriend), Ace Steel, Triple H

The Good

This documentary came out with great anticipation as rumors of it being very different had people talking.  For all intents and purposes, it delivered.  CM Punk, a completely unique sort of underdog, had a great story to tell and, like with much of his material, he wanted to dictate how it was told.  While this doc did have some WWE formula to it, the inclusion of many people not associated with the company, the amount of footage from IWA Mid-South and Ring of Honor and some of the harsh criticisms of the WWE really shocked some people.  Those elements really set this apart and made it excellent.  Perhaps when they tell the Daniel Bryan story, they will take that to another level, but this is true breakthrough.  The discussion of the Punk-Hero matches on a WWE DVD were kind of mind-blowing as I remember watching them through tape trades.  Hearing Dave Prazak on a WWE production seemed so bizarre.  Realistically, the story of CM Punk is so different and the WWE has reached a point where people are no reflecting on their time in WCW, their runs with ECW or any of that, they are coming from the independents.  This, like most WWE documentaries, featured chapters about dimensions of his personality - punk and hardcore music, the straight edge subculture, comic books and tattoos.  This seems like an above average WWE doc and one that I would recommend anyone to see.  CM Punk’s story is one of perseverance and self-reliance that could inspire many.

The Bad

What bad can you say about a documentary that basically delivers what you expect?  I think this was better than most WWE docs, but it still had that formulaic feel to it.  It was different in that it included music by Rancid and interviews with Colt Cabana and Ace Steel, but it was distinctly a WWE production.  Obviously, contractual obligations and bad blood would prevent this, but I think the absence of Samoa Joe, Raven and Gabe Sapolsky jumped out in the context of things.  I was also kind of hopefully for some really shocking inclusion like Ian Rotten or Chuck E Smooth.  The other issue was the constant reference to CM Punk’s detractors, but they were never given a voice.  Michael Hayes played the role of explaining those views while saying that he never agreed with them.  Vince McMahon was definitely a notable absence, but it seems like some of those who took issue with Punk never really shared their thoughts here.

The Rating: ****1/2

The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin

Director: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 2/08
Featured Talent
Steve Austin...that's it.

The Good
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is one of the greatest pro-wrestlers that the sport has ever seen. He was a transformative character whose legacy cannot be understated. While people were acting like him before, wrestling like him before and being the anti-hero/top babyface before, he put it all together in a way that with the WWF machine behind...magic happened. This disc, like the Ric Flair and The Undertaker collections, tries to tell Steve Austin's story through his matches. Some people's wrestling, like Austin's, are probably more interesting than a standard WWE documentary would be. Steve Williams' life story could certain play well in a well-done documentary, but past efforts by the WWE and even A&E have not exactly probed deeply. This collection features 20 matches that are largely excellent, some great and some only good. There are six matches that are probably **** or better and another four or five that are close. The addition of TV matches and Clash of the Champions matches were good and all but two were worthwhile. A few matches that were surprising to see, but were certainly not unwelcome were the strap match with Savio Vega, a `97 match with Shawn Michaels and the lesser known but excellent Bret Hart match. The match quality on this is exeptional.

The Bad
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin is a legend. That said, this three disc "legacy" collection is gross disappointment. It has no documentary, no special commentary, no easter eggs even (!), just Austin giving input on some of the matches and angles throughout his career. The WWE has released numerous Stone Cold videos, but this could have been so much more. It basically runs through his career and contains 20 matches and a lot of clips and comments in between each. It left out some of his best matches and included some of the most unnecessary. The ECW stuff seems overblown in terms of the impact in his career and seeing he and Chris Adams or even some Dangerous Alliance era stuff would be preferrable. The Owen Hart match where he broke his neck was important, but does not make the cut. The two Kane matches were totally unwanted. The Triple H match with the car-crane BS was just bad for workers of that caliber. The Eddy Guerrero squash was stupid and only the fact that the two legendary Austin-Beonit matches could not be included seems to justify its inclusion. Although another DVD or two of matches that were omitted could be made, a few that jump out for WWF matches are: his KOTR battle with Marc Mero, a heel-versus-heel match he and Hunter had at an In Your House in late `96 and one they had at No Mercy `99.

The Extras
The extras on this were like the matches - a mixed bag. A "match", Austin-Yokozuna is pointless, a bit about McMahon is fine, the Redneck Triatholon is what it is, but the Austin angle with Terry Funk is tremendous. That last bit gets a huge thumbs up.

The Rating: ***1/4

Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen

Director: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 4/07

Featured Talent
Arn Anderson, Steve Austin, Chris Benoit, Eric Bischoff, Tully Blanchard, J.J. Dillon, Paul Ellering, Ric Flair, Michael Hayes, Jerry Lawler, Theodore Long, Dean Malenko, Shawn Michels, Gene Okerland, Dusty Rhodes, Paul Roma, Jim Ross, Ricky Steamboat, Triple H, Barry Windham, Kendall Windham

The Good
When you look at the original Four Horsemen stable (Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson, Tully Blanchard and J.J. Dillon) you see five of the best promos in pro-wrestling and this pair of DVD is packed with top notch promos. I remember Meltzer discribing his mixed feelings about this release because it is an age of promos that will seemingly never return and how sad that is because that is such a magical part of pro-wrestling. Past that bittersweet realization, this documentary is one of the better WWE products that tells its story in a frank way that is not overly romanticized. They were a groundbreaking stable and this documentary captures their accomplishments, their legacy as well as their inability to recapture their fame in the 1990s. I felt the discussion of the personality conflicts really took this to another level. Flair was unafraid of ripping on a number of people, which made for some interesting parts. The discussion of Paul Roma though takes the cake in that department though. The explaination of several key events: the sale of WCW from Crockett to Turner, the feud between Flair and Eric Bischoff and the decline of Tully Blanchard's career were all well done.

The Bad
The biggest problem with WWE's documentaries is typically their skewing of history, where events and personalities are either romanticized or buried. Often people turn down projects or are left out projects and find themselves on the bad end of WWE's version of pro-wrestling history. Ole Anderson turned them down and he was marginalized, Sid turned them down and was buried and a number of key people were not included. Sting is obviously part of a rival company, Lex Luger has been blackballed and a number of others were simply left out and that always deters from the quality of the story. Arn Anderson kayfabed a bit and the story of the double-stabbing between he and Sid was at least mentioned, but definitely its impact was not discussed. This has several issues, but on the whole is a fair documentary as far as the WWE products go.

The Extras
The interviews and discussion of interviews is a real gem on these two discs. There are seven matches and a couple are excellent, but they are not the selection many people may have selected. There are bits and pieces after 1988, which are good in and of themselves, but the focus was really placed on the correct time period.


The Rating: ****

Straight Shootin' with Mick Foley

The Good
Mick Foley delivers nearly four hours on his career from approximately 2000 to 2005. They talk about his time as WWF Commissioner, his feud with Randy Orton, his thoughts on Ric Flair and his novel writing experiences. His reflections on the importance of the feud and in particular his Hardcore match with Randy Orton and how crucial it was to getting the rising star over are interesting. Gabe Sapolsky repeatedly brings up the WWE writers, which Foley never buries out-right (as it seems the ROH booker wants him to), but he does give some critical and thoughtful comments on their role and how that refocusing has negatively impacting the WWE. The highlight of this, not surprisingly, is Mick Foley's thoughts on Ric Flair. He famously blasted Flair's poor booking in WCW, but Flair gave him an unfair, uneducated and unflattering (to Flair) receipt in "To Be the Man." Flair's name comes up again and again, but they save the heavy stuff for the finale. Gabe reads Flair's passage about Foley and the man himself rebuts it pretty handily. He reveals flawed research, flawed logic and ultimately gets his point across that Ric Flair is not a very reflective person. A burial of another talent that is different than you'll hear in any other shoot.

The Bad
If you take that Flair part out, this was a long and, at many times, boring interview. Foley goes on the assumption that you can remember much of the minutia in his matches, angles and such, which I can understand…but I couldn't remember a lot of those details. When I first listened to this, perhaps, but five or so years later this interview seems to be so limited in scope and dated in content. This is often a case in the latter part of a shoot interview, but this issue was constant. I can also imagine many would find much of this to be dull except for the Flair highspot. I probably would have given this four-stars or better when it happened, but this simply does not stand up very well.

The Rating: 
***1/2

Ted Dibiase [x2 57Talk Shoot Interviews]

The Good
Gary Cubeta is really good at asking pointed questions and conducting straightforward interviews and he had several direct themes to this one. He wanted to talk about Mid-South, he wanted to talk about the birth of the "Million Dollar Man" and he wanted to get some perspective on the business, the world and faith from DiBiase. I would say he accomplished his goals. I think Cubeta definitely intended to have DiBiase on more, but as with some guests it didn't happen and as of February 2011, they are out-of-commission (again.) Anyway, this was decidedly different than other interviews that I've heard with DiBiase. He certainly talked a lot about fresh events (he had just pre-taped a segment with his son) and was wanting to talk about mostly the modern situation. There was a fair amount of defending the current product, the current situation (ie WWE dominance and lack of companies) and even Vince McMahon himself. I think these were genuine sentiments, although I can imagine some might interpret them otherwise. This had a lot of non-wrestling content that I found interesting.

The Bad
I can imagine many people finding shoot interviews that put over Jesus, Glenn Beck and Vince McMahon while burying Barack Obama, John McCain and Eric Bischoff to be off-putting. I have read that this was a rambling interview that was really hard to listen to, but that is largely up to your own taste. Yes, DiBiase went on some odd tangents. Yes, he seemed to have done a 360 from his staunch anti-WWF stance due to the "sex and violence" of the Attitude Era. Yes, he put his son over again and again. I generally like listening to Ted DiBiase and I enjoyed a good portion of this, but a lot of it was take-it-or-leave-it level content.


The Rating: ***

WWE 24/7 - Legends of Wrestling - "Heatseekers"

The Good
An early "Legends of Wrestling" sees Jim Ross hosting and panel of Michael Hayes, Mick Foley, Eric Bischoff and Jerry Lawler. The topic is "heatseekers" - folks who stir sh*t in the lockerroom, have heat with almost everyone and yet find success. The discussion is decidedly limited to WWF and Crockett/WCW with the time period being about the mid-80s through the mid-00s. Most of the names are understandable and most of them are people that panelist legitimately had heat with for one reason or another. Mick Foley loves to play good guy here as he likes or sees redeeming qualities in most people mentioned. They talk about people who got big heads due to quick success despite not really liking or being particularly good at pro-wrestling (Lex Luger and Goldberg). They talk about people who rub people the wrong way (Scott Hall & "Buff" Bagwell). As well as people who are obnoxious and slimy (Vince Russo, Ed Ferrera and Paul Heyman). I think most of the names raised were fair and most of the complaints were understandable.

The Bad
I felt okay with panelist, until they went into McMahon defense mode at the end. Yes, many people are bitter about the success of Vince McMahon and the WWF. Yes, many people blew opportunities with the company. Yes, many of those people have drug and alcohol problems. But, Vince McMahon surely made some poor decisions, mistreated some people and did some things that rightly gained him some heat with a great many people. I wished that they had reflected on some of the people of the past who were heatseekers, perhaps in introducing the topic. Buddy Rogers and his clique (Johnny Valentine, Johnny Barend, Magnificent Maurice, etc.) spring to my mind. I think you could come up with a variety of people that all those people worked with whether it's Austin Idol (who Jerry Lawler actually liked…), Mr. Fuji (whose over-the-top ribs were dubbed as cancerous by some) or any number of promoters who were crooked carnival folk (Toots Mondt, Jack Pfefer and other mid-century promoters), bad on pay-offs (Gulas and Jarrett) or nasty in demeanor (Watts, Shire or Ole Anderson). Certainly the scope of this was grossly limited.

The Rating: ***

Triple H: King of Kings - There is Only One

Distributor: WWE Home Video
Release Date: 3/08

The Good
It seems like this familiar “best of” series is going to continue after the successes of DVD sets by Ric Flair, The Undertaker and Steve Austin. Instead of putting together a time-consuming documentary, a handful of excellent matches can be paired up with an interview or two by the featured superstar to produce something that can sell. Triple H talks about his career, highlighted by explaining his relationship with Shawn Michaels, the success of Evolution and Batista and lastly his rivalry with John Cena and Edge.

The Bad
Triple H, complete with his lame leather jacket, is the only one talking here and that provides a perspective that is not without baggage. Much of Triple H's career is filled with great angles and great matches, but it is not perfect. Although Evolution was mostly successful with getting Batista over, the same angle done with Randy Orton earlier was rushed and unsuccessful. Triple H talks about putting Batista over for months, which seems like his way of saying how generous he is. Next is his feud with Ric Flair, which was not as great as Triple H would make it seem like. There is also the discussion whether or not Triple H is past his prime and whether or not he will pass the torch gracefully.

The Rating: ***

Hardy Boyz: Exist 2 Inspire

Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Michael Krugman
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Released: 3/03

The Good
It's a unique book that gets into aspects of wrestling that we all thought we'd have to wait a while to hear about. The story of being a young guy coming up through the indies, jobbing on TV and working up the card is one will hear in the future and though Foley kind of lived that life, his story is far from typical. As for the dual authors...Jeff is Jeff and that's all that can really be said about that. Matt thankfully has most of the say here and he has many worthwhile comments about learning the craft, the fan-to-worker phenomenon, understanding psychology and some surprising comments about the decline of WWF/WWE. Most comments I've read online have been very positive and I think most people enjoy this book for what it is. I guess some might find it inspirational and others will find it just interesting, but I think this was a decent little book.

The Bad
I started reading this surprisingly shortly after it came out. I got about 1/5 of the way through and was just bored with it. I had other things to do and this book just didn't keep my interest, which is rare. Most people knocked this as WWE trying to cash in on the teeny boppers love of the Hardy Boyz, which it probably was. The format bothers a lot of people and it kind of breaks up the train of thought as there is a looseness to this that you don't really want in a biography because it convinced me this was easy to put down. Their insight is generally good, especially Matt's. The one glaring exception is, "It's a different time now. Jeff and I were part of the last generation to truly pay dues." (pg. 189). This might have been a lash out against Tough Enough, but it seems like a big slap in the face of all the indy talent that work really hard and have probably less chances than the Hardy Boyz did in the 90s.

The Rating: **3/4

The Legends of Wrestling - Managers

The Panel - JJ Dilon, Jimmy Garvin, Michael Hayes, Jim Ross, Joey Styles

The Good
The WWE series is one of the most noteworthy features of WWE 24/7. It features a handful of people who will seemingly never do extensive shoot interviews elsewhere and people who are great in the shoot interviews and gives them a topic to probe. I've never seen a bad one. They integrate footage from the expansive WWE video library and generally have good discussions. Michael Hayes and JR are regulars and they're always fantastic. I generally enjoy Joey Styles in venues such as these, Jimmy Garvin is always good for a story and a laugh and JJ Dillon is easily one of the best in-depth analysts on the business there is. I've seen the WWE's "Greatest Managers" release and found it enjoyable, although highly limited in its scope. This was excellent because it mentioned people like Bobby Davis, Maw Bass, Gary Hart and some others who never got their due on that release. There were some good stories and overall this was fun one.

The Bad
The panelists on these shows largely draw from their own experiences, which can provide a limited scope. While Gulf Coast wrestling was mentioned, Memphis and its many talented managers (from Saul Weingeroff and J.C. Dykes to Dr. Ken Ramey and Sir Clements) were left out completely! Other legends like Homer O'Dell, Big Bad John, Tarzan Tyler and Lord Alfred Hayes were left out. Although I've grown to expect that, it does mean it's okay. If you can move past the limitations of these discussions, as you typically have to if you want to enjoy WWE's documentaries, then you can certainly enjoy this.

The Rating: ****

Viva La Raza
Directors: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 11/08

Featured Talent
Batista, John Cena, Michael Cole, Edge, Ric Flair, Mick Foley, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Chavo Guerrero Sr., Vickie Guerrero, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Chris Jericho, Jerry Lawler, John Bradshaw Layfield, Jim Ross


The Good
The Cheating Death, Stealing Life documentary is a sound production by the WWE and one that compliments this DVD set nicely. This one is of the matches-with-commentary DVDs, but instead of the featured star talking, it is the opponents, family and friends of the star. While one could definitely make a case for numerous matches that are not on this one (many of significance are on the aforementioned DVD), this three-disc set includes a great variety. In a set like this, there needs to be a story of a star's career through a series of matches and this does that fairly well. Luckily, there is so much fascinating family footage that is able to spice things up in a way that WWE documentaries often lack. It seems that much attention was given to showing Eddie Guerrero's greatest strengths as a worker. Basically, he could do it all. This has everything but lucha libre from Mexico, but it has plenty of lucha-rific stuff with Rey Mysterio Jr., Psychosis, Juventud Guerrera and Ultimo Dragon. It throws in an awesome match with Shinjiro Otani to demonstrate Guerrero's ability to work the Japanese style and puts over that style in a way you may not expect to hear on a WWE DVD. The key is getting over Eddie's worldly experience and then tying that to his WCW run as a cruiserweight and ultimately his WWF/WWE run where he worked a wide variety of opponents doing matches with more backstory and gimmicks. While the pay-per-view matches are often the ones with the time to be of better quality, there are eleven TV matches featured on this that a great additions to a collection. 

The Bad
While this seemed like a distinct and strong DVD output, it was not without some flaws. So much of Eddie Guerrero's heritage is lucha libre and for there to only be a tidbits of a single lucha match (the 5-star Los Gringos Locos-Hijo Del Santo/Octogon match of legend) is a travesty. That aside, the matches used on this are acceptable choices, although some of his best are not on this particular DVD set. The lack of Chris Benoit in the story is sad, but not surprising. It is just so bizarre because of how dramatically Guerrero's death affected Chris Benoit and that close friendship is simply brushed under the rug. Members of Eddie's family have some good input, although Chavo Sr. seems to ramble and be almost nonsensical at times. Then there is Jerry Lawler talking about “uncle” Hector, who is actually Eddie's older brother. But that's a laughable error on par with all the audio snippets of Steve “Mongo” McMichael from the Nitro days.

The Rating: ****


      

The American Dream
Directors: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 6/06 

Featured Talent
Arn Anderson, Shelton Benjamin, Tully Blanchard, Jerry Brisco, John Cena, Simon Dean, Ted Dibiase, Ric Flair, Tony Garea, Mike Graham, Superstar Billy Graham, Michael Hayes, Bobby Heenan, Jerry Lawler, Chris Masters, Vince McMahon, Trevor Murdoch, Gene Okerland, Pat Patterson, Roddy Piper, Bruce Pritchard, Harley Race, William Regal, Dusty Rhodes, Michelle Rhodes, Dustin Runnels, Sgt. Slaughter, Joey Styles, Triple H


The Good
Dusty Rhodes is one of those once-in-a-lifetime personalities that comes along and despite hardships and limitations, they have that special something that makes them a legend. Dusty Rhodes story as the son of plumber in Austin, Texas is true, so telling it is very easy. There are great photographs and some fitting music that compliment the distinct voice and vernacular of the man. Like numerous other biographical documentaries by the WWE, the personality of the performer carries much of the quality of the piece. Although he's no Billy Graham, Dusty Rhodes can talk well and keep the viewer engaged with his storytelling. The legacy of the Texas Outlaws (Rhodes and Dick Murdoch) is appropriately explained, but there is definitely more to that story. The Florida territory is succinctly and accurately described in a way that helps the modern fan understand how it worked and why it worked. Eddie Graham is put over and it connects to Dusty's own promotional acumen. Luckily they address some of Dusty's faults as well because he certainly has some that cannot fairly be left unsaid. Ultimately though it explains how Dusty Rhodes simply had a gift for getting things over, namely himself. He got over as a bad ass heel, he got over as a flamboyant jive-talking average Joe babyface and he even got over in his yellow polka dots. The tales of that last part are particularly funny. While you can grasp some of his excellence on the mic, it does not come across as strongly as in the Superstar Graham DVD. The real highlight of this is the story of the Dusty and Dustin Rhodes. They genuinely try to explain the hardships that being a pro-wrestler have on a family and how difficult it is for a son to follow his father when that father is a huge star. Dustin Rhodes brings a lot of emotion and honesty to this and it makes this more than a run-of-the-mill documentary about a pro-wrestling legend. The extras are all good from okay matches to great promos and vignettes. 

The Bad
Dusty Rhodes' legacy within the WWF is very different than his time spent elsewhere. He had a great feud with Superstar Graham in the late 70s and a run in the late 80s that many believe ruined his legacy. Although he was moderately successful in that ridiculous role and it was fun for everybody, it did his career no favors. The character of Sapphire and the racial baggage that comes with it is not even addressed (no surprise there), but she stands out as an example of the underlying bigotry that existed in the WWF worldview at that time. The final sticking point is that Dusty Rhodes does not seem to really take much of the heat for the death of Jim Crockett Promotions. He admits he usually catches the blame, but by no means admits his guilt. He was not alone, but he was certainly complacent as JCP spent its way into the ground. 

The Rating: ****1/4

Steve Blackman Shoot Interview [RF Video]

The Good
Steve Blackman has been seen as an un-charismatic and un-exciting pro-wrestler for sometime, but here he shows that he is a well-spoken ambassador for the sport.  He did, in fact, make respectable public appearances in the wake of the Benoit tragedy.  A legitimate and consummate athlete, Blackman is able to talk in great detail about his training, his martial arts, his interest in MMA and such.  Those aspects, which are central to his lifestyle, make this unique and, at times, fascinating.  His health ordeals, especially the bout with dysentery/malaria that almost killed him, are thoroughly explained.  He is a great storyteller and while he's not really funny or exciting, he really draws you in with his explanations.  This is an extremely underrated shoot interview that most people would find enjoyable.

The Bad
A legitimate knock on recent shoot interviews is that they go after the most recent stars and here is Steve Blackman, a WWF midcarder, getting this platform when a number of yesterday's forgotten are overlooked.  I'm sure people could find this dull and boring, but if you enjoyed the WWF Attitude Era, you would probably like this.

The Rating: ****

Barry Windham [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
As highly regarded as Barry Windham was as a worker, he seems like he's an underrated interview.  Here, shortly after being released by the WWE (where he was an agent), he is as candid as you'd want without seeming bitter or angry.  His honest is really unique as he talks about his own steroid use, recklessness of himself and the boys as well as the people who held him back.  I would argue that he is one of the most insightful workers into the true nature of wrestling today and the fact he's a free agent is a travesty because he seems like a huge asset.  Windham also throws in a couple classic road stories to give his interview some flavor.  If you like the man himself, old-school, new school or whatever, you'll enjoy this.

The Bad
The interviewer (typical RF Video issue) jumps around horribly after the going through a timeline since the last interview.  Jumping from TNA to the Iron Shiek to the Four Horsemen is an example of why most of this 2:30 interview seems disjointed.  If Barry Windham was not a helluva talker, this could have been just awful.

The Rating: ****1/2

This is My Yard
Director: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWF Home Video
Released: 9/01

Featured Talent
Kurt Angle, Brooklyn Brawler, Edge, Howard Finkel, Matt Hardy, Paul Heyman, Hardcore Holly, Chris Jericho, Kane, Lita, Diamond Dallas Page, Pat Patterson, Jim Ross, The Undertaker, X-Pac

The Good
The Undertaker is probably the best character the WWF ever created. While Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin and The Rock were arguably bigger stars and stronger draws, they were not the type of "character" that Mark Calloway has created and portrayed. This is a decent bio before the WWF/WWE really began putting a lot of effort into their documentaries. The Undertaker was just wrapping up a decade in the WWF and this look back was nostalgic, but foward looking. He talks about his time in WCW, his entrance into the WWF, his learning under Jake Roberts and the original dimensions of his character. Then it delves into how The Undertaker character had tranformed over the years, focusing largely on the original and the Ministry version. Since he was the "American Bad Ass" character when this was released, it mainly focuses on that, which is close to his true self. His tattoos and bikes are covered, which is very "WWF Confidential," but fine documentary filler as they always have. The comments by his peers about how he is a lockeroom leader and how hard he works is one of the strengths of this documentary. That is the aspect of The Undertaker that is not exactly displayed on TV (although it is widely known), so having it explained is appropriate. 

The Bad
By jumping right to "Mean" Mark, this documentary leaves out his time in Texas, the Spoiler and his development in Memphis, which are all more pivotal and important than his short stint in the New Skyscrapers. The WWF did not own the rights to World Class or the USWA at that point, so those omissions are understandable. The story jumps around a bit and certainly focuses too much on the character he had when this was produced. His forgettable feuds in 2000-2001 with Kurt Angle, Triple H and Steve Austin are overplayed and make this look weird a few years after the fact. His rivalries with Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and various freaks and giants should have gotten more time. The presense of a masked Kane, semi-kayfabing, is really lame. The over-the-top nature of their feud and the fact they are kayfabe brothers really made this weird in spots. As strange as that was, featuring Sara (his now ex-wife), really dates this documentary. Perhaps the most disappointing was the lack of star power being interviewed on this. The WWE will definitely do a documentary in the future and hopefully they can use pieces from this to generate a more deserving product. 

The Rating: ***1/2

Chair Shots and Other Obstacles: Winning Life's Wrestling Matches
Author: Bobby Heenan
Publisher: Sports Publishing LLC
Released: 3/04


The Good
Bobby Heenan is one of the most sharp-witted personalities in pro-wrestling history, although he can be a bit formulaic.  His first book, an autobiography, was like his RF Video shoot and any other shoot interview that talks about his career.  He has a rolodex of joke in his brain that he always mentions.  We've heard about Andre the Giant and the screwdriver enough and Heenan certainly has fresher material.  This book provides that hilarity.  What is unique about this is the approach.  Heenan gives his perspective on life in pro-wrestling terms -  “Don't Be a Jobber” and “Cancer, the Ultimate Heel.”  He is a great humorist and this is well edited and compiled.  While the reader may not agree with everything that Heenan says, he comes across as honest and thoughtful.  Heenan chimes in on issues like Vince McMahon and his family, the Montreal screwjob, Owen Hart's death, Hulk Hogan's legacy and hardcore wrestling.  This is not your typical pro-wrestling book, but it is certainly enjoyable if you understand its approach.


The Bad
Obviously, this is not exactly an autobiography.  It is Raymond Heenan reflecting on aspects of his life, his career and his “Bobby the Brain” persona.  The last part was not really a focal point in his autobiography and it makes for an interesting read.  The Bobby the Brain character was that extension of the man behind it with a particular twist that made for a character that could carry territories in the 1970s.  Heenan does not kayfabe in the least, he does not get into angles and he spends much of this discussing people outside of pro-wrestling (his family, friends and past co-workers).  If you do not enjoy his humor, then you may not like his tales of pranking people at Buckingham Palace, his grandfather's Chicago haberdashery or dealing with family members' cancer.  Some might find his comments crass or disrespectful, but why would you be checking out his book?


The Rating: ****

Kurt Angle Shoot Interview [RF Video]

The Good
I had been putting this one off until I knew I could listen to it in two or three sessions because I knew it would be interesting even if I disagreed with much of Kurt Angle's commentary.  The beginning of this was excellent because Kurt Angle's amateur career was so unique, so remarkable and so successful.  While RF seemed to only have random questions, Angle's narrative was pretty smooth and thorough.  As it got into his professional career, the intrigue level remained.  After it got into his first year in the WWF, things were always muddled and confusing.  Luckily, Kurt Angle is a good interview and he carried this like many of his matches.  While his responses to much of the Internet conjecture that exists about him, his drug problems and his injury issues were interesting, I always had this skepticism in the back of my mind.  What ultimately shocked me in this was his comments on psychology.  I personally have never found Kurt Angle to be the most logical worker, although his unparalleled athletic ability and willingness to do anything make him a great worker.  Here though, he explains psychology in a manner akin to Ricky Steamboat, Jake Roberts or even Raven.  It made me really rethink of how I've perceived Kurt Angle over the years.  I took him as a great athlete who understands working, but because he didn't grow up a fan, he misses aspects and makes character mistakes (specifically being put over as a buffoon all the time).  Is he instead a "moron" who gets in the ring and become a "killer" as he puts it?  I'm still not sure.

The Bad
RF Video strikes again.  A great talker saves much of this, but the painfully basic questions, inability to follow-up on anything, and constant "I wanna talk to you about that...later" just kills this from being a perfect shoot.  The parts that seemed weakest were: not actually knowing about his amateur career, not really pressing the development prior to debuting issue and never even mentioning his noteworthy Japanese matches since leaving the WWE.  Kurt Angle was great, but again RF prevented this from being a five-star interview.

The Rating: ****1/2

The Most Powerful Families in Wrestling


Directors: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 11/08
Featured Talent
Afa, Animal, Steve Austin, Chris Benoit, Eric Bischoff, Nick Bockwinkel, Jerry Brisco, Jim Brunzell, Carlito, John Cena, Mike Chapman, Christian, Deuce, Tommy Dreamer, Ric Flair, Dory Funk Jr., Greg Gagne, Verne Gagne, Billy Graham, Mike Graham, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Chavo Guerrero Sr., Cuqui Guerrero, Eddie Guerrero, Hector Guerrero, Herlindo Guerrero, Linda Guerrero, Mando Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Ata Johnson, Rocky Johnson, Jeff Hardy, Stu Hart, Larry Hennig, Hulk Hogan, Jerry Lawler, Steve Lombardi, Lia Maivia, Dean Malenko, Sherri Martel, Stephanie McMahon, Vince McMahon, Blackjack Mulligan, Rey Mysterio, Gene Okerland, Bob Orton Sr., Bob Orton Jr., Randy Orton, Pat Patterson, Roddy Piper, Bruce Pritchard, William Regal, Dusty Rhodes, Rikishi, Jake Roberts, The Rock, Jim Ross, Mike Rotundo, Samu, Sika, Davey Boy Smith, Diana Smith, Ricky Steamboat, Joey Styles, Triple H, Barry Windham, Kendall Windham, Greg Valentine, Val Venis, Kevin Von Erich, Baron Von Raschke

The Good
The title of this DVD is quite specific and makes someone interested in pro-wrestling history want to see it.  If we add a few qualifiers than we can perhaps deal with what we're really getting here.  “The Most Powerful Families (who have had at least a member under WWF/WWE contract) in Pro-Wrestling (of the past 25 years)”.  The first family featured, the Ortons, is really fascinating and comprehensive, which certainly gives a lot of hope to the quality of this.  Not every family featured is as good, but overall this is a strong product.  The sheer number of people interviewed and the variety to those people adds greatly to this.  You get everyone from Vince McMahon himself (whose insight is often wonderful) and Hulk Hogan to Gory Guerrero and Peter Maivia's wife and daughters.  This is great overview of some of the most prominent pro-wrestling families.  If you can set aside the reality of this being a WWE history recreation attempt, this is very good.

The Bad
Shockingly, this is hosted by a WWE underachiever and son of a legend in one small market.  No its not Brian Christopher, Robert Fuller or Rene Dupree, although all three would've been preferable.  It's Carlito (Colon) whose hosting is campy and adds nothing to this DVD.  His lines are not funny, his only positive contributions are in the interview portions, it forever dates this DVD and his ties to Carlos Colon have never really been part of his persona.  That aside, this “historical” DVD is quite lacking in accordance to its lofty title.  If we're talking about families who were “powerful” in terms of having stroke, then it seems like you need to include some of those promoter/wrestler families.  The Welch/Fuller/Fields/Golden clan is certainly pro-wrestling's most prolific family with early twenty members who promoted, wrestled and refereed throughout Tennessee, Alabama and elsewhere.  Other families like: the Cormiers, the Duseks, the Farhats, the Garibaldis, the Poffos, the Scotts and the Smiths (Grizzly, Jake Roberts, etc.) all had families with promoters, bookers and/or top stars yet none of them were featured or even mentioned here.  If we're talking about “powerful” families as in having physical strength, then it seems like the Steinborns (father Milo was a legendary strongman, while Dick was a top hand and booker) should be mentioned.  There is definitely some gaps in the history, but we've come to expect that from WWE Home Video.

The Rating: ****1/4

Radio-free Insanity [club wwi] - Eric Bischoff

I came into a batch of shoot interviews from James Guttman's World Wrestling Insanity website (I owe you some money JG, but I'll give you some great free high praise for now).  Guttman is definitely in the upper echelon of interviews I've heard.  He may not be as tough as Gary Cubeta, as knowledgeable as Dave Meltzer, as personable as Sean Oliver (KC) or as hilarious as Dr. Keith Lipinski, but he has components of all four that make him excellent in his own way.  His interviews tend to run 30 minutes to an hour, but few go much longer than that.  Although you'd think that would limit their scope, he gets a lot in there and has clearly learned his craft unlike some others who've been doing it for YEARS!  The audio quality is alright, but I won't squabble too much over that.  The "what's going on by you?" and "anything to say to all the lil' (insert a Hulkamaniac-like name of the pro-wrestler's followers) out there?" lines are nice signatures and I've got nothing but good things to say about JG and the Radio-free Insanity, I'm even tempted to buy the book now!

I will review a couple standouts from the Club WWI archives and I strongly urge people to check it out.









The first one that really caught my ear during a long road trip was with former WCW Executive Vice-President and WWE personality, Eric Bischoff.  This was before Bischoff's recent foray into TNA land.

The Good
Love him or hate him, Eric Bischoff is a great talker, a media-savvy businessman and a true visionary.  He is also painful honest with his perspectives.  JG is a knowledgeable and respectful interviewer who seemed to gain Bischoff's respect and therefore scored a great interview.  I've heard Bischoff in several different places (from WOL and the LAW to WWE and professionally done documentaries) and he's never sounded for insightful.  In just over an hour, he shows just why he was able to become a boss at WCW, take that company to new heights and explains how it fell apart.  While his book has been blasted, this seems excellent to me.  His use of the Von Dutch phenomenon to make a point shows how outside of the bubble he truly is.

The Bad
In all his honesty, Bischoff puts targets on himself.  He has been said to have hated pro-wrestling, yet grew to respect it.  That love-hate relationship gives him this quality that turns off many pro-wrestling enthusiasts.  He really beats up on "dirt sheets," the Internet and pro-wrestling's core fans, which has to turn off 90% of the listeners.  Although it's hard to compare a 65 minute interview to a 4 hour one, Eric Bischoff makes a very strong showing, but you really wish he'd do that career retrospective, fantasy booking or whatever shoot that could expose the goods that his book apparently lacked.

The Rating: ****1/4

Edge: A Decade of Decadence
Directors: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 11/08
Featured Talent
Judy Copeland, Edge, Ron Hutchinson






The Good
In a fashion befitting the “Rated R Superstar,” this compilation of matches is set up with Edge playing his usual arrogant self watching his old matches from his easy chair on the big screen.  Video packages are recut as film trailers, which is unique and funny.  The match choices are good with a nice variety of pay-per-view and TV matches.  One can really see Edge's growth as a worker in the early matches and metamorphosis as a heel in the later matches.  If someone is a big fan of Edge, even if you have the matches already, this is worth checking out.


The Bad
These matches with little commentaries in between are okay and clearly an attempt to make some extra change off superstars while their hot.  That said, they tend to seem thrown together and lack much new content worth dropping the money for which they are marked as in stores.  Edge appearing in character is funny and all, but it totally takes away any depth this could have.  There is not really much insight shared and minimal comments from others.  While Edge was a good talent who blossomed into a top-notch heel, is he yet worthy of such an extensive collection?  Maybe and there are probably “Edgeheads” who'd argue that he is.  Personally, the lack of pre-WWF material is objectionable, but understandable.  Perhaps there are not decent quality independent matches of Sexton Hardcastle or even footage of him working at the Funkin' Dojos.  Regardless, it seems odd to have a retrospective DVD set that has only WWF/WWE matches.


The Rating: **1/2