Paul Orndorff [57Talk Shoot Interview]

The Good
Paul Orndorff is a great interview in that he really was great, he really got the shaft and he has really been tragically lost in history. It is not simply bitterness, delusions of grandeur or anything like that, it is all true. That makes you really get into the interview. You know the sad story and it's so different from those of Buddy Landell, Chris Benoit, David Von Erich, Owen Hart and on and on. Orndorff had worked hard and developed into perhaps the most complete package that pro-wrestling had ever seen. That seems to be the narrative that Cubeta is trying to get across that from breaking in down in Florida and developing in Memphis and Alabama to bringing his game to a new level in Mid-South, Georgia and Mid-Atlantic, Paul Orndorff was one of the very best in the world when he came into the WWF. He drew as a top heel opposite Hulk Hogan and was a cut above guys like Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy and the other giants they fed to Hogan. He looked better, worked better and when paired with Piper was undoubtedly a better promo. Then he hurt his neck, worked to keep himself at the top level, but ultimately his body failed him and he was never a top star again (although still a great worker as late as 1994). Cubeta really gets that tragic story across and it makes me think he'd be a wonderful candidate for WWE Documentary.

The Bad
The 57Talk interviews are typically very good, but they are not as open-ended or pessimistically-directed as many of the others. Gary Cubeta wanted to tell Paul Orndorff's story through the man himself. You could say this is too one-tracked, especially for those who like the storytellers who go off in all kinds of directions in the 2-hour plus formats that RF Video, Highspots, SmartMarkVideo, etc. use. You might also feel that this is too favorable to Orndorff as Cubeta certainly strokes his ego throughout this. I've seen his RF Video shoot called "Return to Bitterness," which is very telling of its content. Orndroff certainly can come across as a bitter character if you do not take into account where he was prior to his neck injury. I think some people like to hear the angry tirades of people like Ole Anderson, the Honky Tonk Man, Bruno Sammartino and others and simply dismiss them as bitter old men. This is not that interview.

The Rating: ****1/4

Matt Borne [SmartMarkVideo Shoot Interview]

The Good

At the time of this recording, about ten years before his passing, Matt Borne was seemingly pulling himself together.  He had long been a notorious drug abuser who never lived up to his potential.  In this fairly standard shoot, Borne goes over his career, the characters in it and seems pretty honest about his failures.  While he had some good runs in World Class and Mid-South, which he talks about, most remember him best as the original evil Doink.  The gimmick was over-the-top, but he really did it perfectly for the short time he was working it.  Borne definitely had a dark side that he tapped into to play the role.  Ultimately, his demons spoiled that run and he never quite got another chance as he slipped into a deep depression and his personal and professional life were in shambles.  This is lengthy interview that flows pretty quickly.  Borne has some great anecdotes and worked a number of territories, so this was interesting for an overview of the pro-wrestling scene of the 1980s.

The Bad

It seems like ripping on a shoot interview that is not full of vitriol is a bit unfair, but it certain can make them dull and uninteresting.  Borne seems at peace during this and does not want to say much about people like Rip Oliver, Buddy Rose, Bill Watts or others that he had issues with.  Thankfully, Borne is honest about his personal problems and gives the impression that he recognizes how they harmed his life, career and opportunities.  Understandably, he still had issues as his death was linked to pain medication.  This shoot is not going to blow anyone away with its insight, controversy or humor, however, it offers a glimpse into that period of the early 1980s through the mid-1990s when pro-wrestling was probably its wildest with all the sex, drugs and rock-n-roll that you could expect.

The Rating:  ***1/2

Guest Booker with JJ Dillon - A month of WWF TV [KayfabeCommentaries]

The Good
JJ Dillon is one of my favorites to listen to because he is very articulate and is able to express a deep understanding of the business. I knew this "Guest Booker" would be excellent and it truly delivered. The premise is that JJ will book a month of WWF TV around the 91-93 era that will include a late night special and build up to a pay-per-view. The catch is, it's an inter-promotional deal, so people like Sting, Nikita Koloff and others who never set foot in a WWF ring are thrust into fresh matches with Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart and The Undertaker. While JJ does not touch on angles and such for all the matches, he hits on the big ones and has some very simple, politically aware and effective stories that help build everything up. They spend ample time talking about Vince McMahon's creative style, his micromanagement, the process of writing TV and the use of "A" and "B" shows. While getting into one of the great minds of pro-wrestling is great, it is the sharing of that process that only a few have been privy to that is so amazing.

The Bad
"Guest Booker" is always limited by time and scope, but usually it works out. They spend so much time going into the details of weekends at Vince's that JJ does not have as much time to develop his TVs. He keeps it basic and is working in the old squash match format, so the TV expectations are a bit different nowadays. Instead of numerous angles, intricate details and every match having a backstory, Dillon keeps it simple. Some might find this less interesting in that regard than, say, Kevin Sullivan or Jim Cornette when they were the "Guest Booker," but that is largely up to your perspective. JJ Dillon is certainly an acquired taste as he is not particularly funny, does not cuss out or bury people and has a very measured approach. I guess that is why he was such an effective Head of Talent Relations for over five years.

The Rating: ****1/2

"The Patriot" Del Wilkes [One-on-One Shoot Series]

The Good

Japanese promotions brought in anyone who was anyone up through the 1990s, but very few had extended runs and even fewer of those people have done shoot interviews and talked extensively about their experiences in Japan.  Del Wilkes, in this nearly three hour shoot, talks about his career in an engrossing way.  An accomplished collegiate football player who broke in with the Great Moolah and had a few unique chances before hooking up with All Japan, this is a guy who can really pull listeners in.  He was a man with a dream and he worked hard to accomplish that dream.  That is one of the charming aspects of this shoot.  However, Wilkes is honest about the people he liked, disliked and worked with over the years.  Without coming across as bitter, he goes into his thoughts on people like Jeff Jarrett, Eric Bischoff, Bret Hart and Giant Baba and his justifiable issues with those people.  He talks about how Tom Brandi "stole" his Patriot persona and gives some very candid thoughts on the matter, which are among the more noteworthy parts of this.  While some of his anecdotes about WCW, the WWF and other American companies are interesting, the meat of this is his reflections on his time in All Japan.  From the workrate and workers to the hierarchy and cultural differences, Wilkes goes into all of it.  What is unfortunate, to an extent, is there is not a lot of specific questions and there is not much chronology.  Luckily, Wilkes is a good storyteller and does not need much direction, even better, they periodically stop so he can collect his thoughts.  Actual editing in shoot interview?

The Bad

I sometimes listen to interviews and realize that while I enjoy it, others might not.  The Patriot obviously had a more significant career in All Japan than in the States.  If you have little knowledge or interest in 90s All Japan, you might not think much of this.  There is also the issue that hearing about him breaking in through Moolah's camp, starving in Memphis, working as The Trooper in the AWA and becoming The Patriot in Global and some of those might be irrelevant to some folks.  If you were a Monday Night Wars fan, he has a some stuff about his WWF run, but it is limited.  Overall, this is great shoot, but it probably only has interest to a smallish group of hardcore fans.

The Rating: ****1/4

Terry Funk [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Conducted in 1998, not too long after Terry Funk's WWF run, Terry Funk delivers what was perhaps the best RF Video shoot at this point in time. He is a natural storyteller and this was at a great point in his career for him to look back. Before his autobiography, his numerous interviews and coverage in "Beyond the Mat," this was an amazing piece of pro-wrestling history. Several parts of this such as looking at Amarillo, his NWA Championship run and the early days of ECW were interesting, but have been covered in greater detail in various places (including in future shoots by Funk himself). I felt the highlights of this, which stand up are the details concerning his time with All Japan and relationship with FMW head Atsushi Onita. Stories of Japan are not uncommon in shoot interviews, but Terry Funk's experiences are distinctly different as he worked in the All Japan office, saw many changes and worked with many of the top wrestlers (like Onita) when they were "young boys." This is also back in the day of matches being integrated into RF Video shoots, so you can catch some great (and not-so-great) action from Terry Funk's career.

The Bad
Although this was the first Terry Funk shoot I heard and was, at the time, one of my favorites, this seemed so old and limited looking back. I don't think RF Video really started delivering quality shoot interviews for another five years, but they sure secured some great names, did longer interviews and had one of the only forums for shoot interviews. I've since heard Terry Funk partnered with all kinds of people from Harley Race and Bob Backlund to Shane Douglas and Steve Corino. I have to say, I've preferred those. His interaction with others and that necessarily limiting structure just work so well for a rambler who has seen so much. This "was" amazing nearly fifteen years ago, but it is not as great today.

The Rating: ****1/4

Timeline of the WWF - 1987 - Honky Tonk Man

The Good
The Honky Tonk Man is always a cut-up and this different venue does not detract from his ability to make you laugh. Whether he's ripping on road agents, the druggies backstage or the wacky things that he saw, he is always good for a laugh. Here, he talks about the build-up to Wrestlemania III, the fallout and the goings-on around that epic event. This was about 75% his own angles, matches and such, but you have to expect that. This was certainly funnier than the Don Muraco Timeline, but I'm not sure that it was better. If you prefer stories about Roddy Piper being insane, Jake Roberts' guitar-shot-induced drug problems or Adrian Adonis' fabulously expensive set to the intricacies of angles, changes in talent and development of the company, than you'll really prefer this.

The Bad
I like the Timeline concept and think it has great potential, but these are just going to be hit-or-miss it seems. Honky was not an office guy, so he lacks some significant perspective. Although he can share his thoughts on Tom Magee and why he flopped based on his experiences with him in Stampede, he cannot really explain why the WWF chose the Pontiac Silverdome as the site for Wrestlemania III. I almost think this series needs to have multiple people talking about multiple years, but I can realize the logistic problems there. This is the second one I've seen and it seemed to be enjoyable, but lacked the insight I was hoping for and that I felt Don Muraco provided more of in his contribution.

The Rating: ***3/4

Sherri Martel [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Ladies in pro-wrestling have a different type of story that is tough to get at. While they are in the business and can become one of the boys (as Sherri Martel) did, they are separated, can be objectified and can get caught up in relationships that adversely effect their careers. Looking down the history, it is easy to find. Many of the early stars had relationships with Billy Wolfe (long-time promoter of lady wrestlers), Missy Hyatt went from one guy to another, Elizabeth was allegedly locked in closets and so on. Sherri Martel largely rose above all this. She was a very good talent that avoided getting in relationships with her peers, she avoided getting blackballed although she was never exactly one of Moolah's girls and she was never turned into eye candy only to be tossed away at the end of the month. In this interview, she was very candid that she was rebellious and let herself get caught up in the drinking and drug-using lifestyle that has become synonymous with pro-wrestling. Sadly, it is those dependencies that she was battling with up to her death.  Sherri is very honest and forthright in this interview, it really gets at women's wrestling and women's roles in wrestling in way no other shoot interview has (or at least none I've caught).

The Bad
A typical flaw of the RF Video Shoot formula is that they inexplicably leave out significant segments of a person's career. After her run with Ric Flair in 1994, it seems as if her career quickly fizzled out and she only came back to work a couple matches in 1999. However, she had a long run with Harlem Heat and a bizarre program with Colonel Parker (Robert Fuller) over the next few years that probably could have discussed some. That matched with Rob's typical ineptitude make this an unfortunate interview because Sherri was so honest and could have been challenged to push this interview to a height that I do not recall any female talent ever reaching. Although it was very good, it was disappointing because of how great it could have been.

The Rating: ****

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

Foley is Good
Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Mick Foley
Publisher: HarperEntertainment 
Released: 6/02 

The Good
Have a Nice Day definitely plays a role in the pro-wrestling world that make it one of the biggest, if not the biggest, contributions in the fabled career of Mick Foley. A book of immense size, amazing detail and distinct humor, it is no wonder that the book became so popular. How would he follow up such a masterwork? In a "good," although perhaps not great, work. If you liked or even loved Have a Nice Day, you will probably enjoy this just as much. His formula did not change drastically with the exception of a few stylistic additions. If you took out those parts, this would probably be a less than impressive follow-up because it would lack the scope and legacy that the first stunned the world with. Those additions, Mick Foley showing how the real world is more fake than pro-wrestling, are excellent. He analyzes the book industry, Hollywood, deaths blamed on pro-wrestling, the PTC and its head Brent Bozell as well as other topics in hopes of showing the pro-wrestling world has some credibility that is often overlooked. These sections are not always out-of-the-park homeruns, but they are different and show great insight.

The Bad
Have a Nice Day is the Gorgeous George of pro-wrestling books. It was so unique, so special and got over so strong that its legacy is etched in stone. However, like George, its excellence fizzled out quickly, its billing as the "greatest book ever on pro-wrestling" was soon overtaken by others and its entertainment value was overtaken by more entertaining competition. Foley is Good is not pathetic, it is respectable. It is Gorgeous George Jr., not Buddy Rogers as Mick Foley might have hoped. There have been funnier, smarter and more insightful books since and this looks second-rate in comparison to its predecessor and some of the other stellar pro-wrestling books out there. The autobiographical parts are hit-or-miss just as they were with Have a Nice Day. The humor is sophomoric and repetitive just as it was in Have a Nice Day. This is "good," it is not great.

The Rating: ***3/4

Percy Pringle / Paul Bearer [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Great stories by a great storyteller, Percy Pringle (aka Paul Bearer) has had such a full career that it was easy for him to just go on and on with road stories, rib stories and funny memories. Who else could tell you what always makes the Undertaker vomit, how creative a teenage Michael Hayes was or what made Rick Rude such a likable guy? Percy Pringle's gift of gab just boils over here and he lets his guard down more and more as time passes. While he could and other interviews have proven this, go more into the psychological aspects and behind the scenes workings of companies, Percy delivers the endless tales that RF Video is always trying to pull out of an interviewee. It makes for a light-hearted and enjoyable interview. Percy is also so passionate about pro-wrestling that he seems almost mournful that kayfabe is dead and that young people cannot experience it or breaking into it the way he did. In a few instances he gets into that sentiment, but even that and the issue of drug abuse, deaths and political nonsense do not seem to hamper his excitement and he largely glazes over those negative aspects.

The Bad
If you've never heard Percy Pringle do a shoot interview, I cannot image how you would not love this. If you have, then you might see how this has is not a great as some others he has done. His series with Jim Cornette are second-to-none and are like ramped up versions of these as he gets into some of the same stories and issues. Although it is briefly mentioned, I think focusing more on his recollections of Gulf Coast Championship Wrestling would be so fascinating. Obviously he was just a mark fan then, but it is an area that is simply unexplored and forgotten. The road stories are great and plentiful here, but it seems like this is someone who could get more into the psychology of the business. Finally, Percy Pringle is pretty reserved in naming names. I think one of the great strengths of the Jim Cornette interview is that Corny will blast almost anyone, so it was easier for Percy to do it. These all seem knit-picky, but it prevented this from being a five-star interview in my view.

The Rating: ****1/2

Tom Brandi [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Tom Brandi was a long-time independent wrestler in the Northeast who had shots in both the WCW and WWF that were not particularly memorable. In this shoot interview he goes over his roller-coaster career from a hard-working athletic type working the Indies to generic babyface Johnny Gunn in WCW then from his run as WWF gimmicked jobber Sal Sincere and back to the independents. Usually I think interviews with indy guys (or primarily indy guys) are dull and uninformative. Brandi though loves to bury people, in fact, he revels in it. So, if you like burials, you'll like this. He says things that are anti-Semitic, things that anti-gay and things that are just plain mean. I know some people love that negativity and you'll get it in droves here. Brandi has a really different viewpoint that is rarely shared in popular shoot interviews, so that much of this was fresh in several ways.

The Bad
Regardless of your views on homosexuality, Tom Brandi's flippant remarks about how Pat Patterson sexually harassed all the boys, how Tom Zenk had relationships with Rick Martel, Brian Pillman and Marcus Alexander Bagwell and so on, simply irritated me. While those accusations are not unheard of, Brandi just seemed so nasty about it. Like his buddy, the Honky Tonk Man, he loves to rip on people, their work, their personality or their dirty laundry. HTM is extremely entertaining doing this and to his credit, he was a draw and meant something to the WWF when they were in one of their hot periods…Tom Brandi was a glorified jobber in the WWF at its lowest period. Although he had some interesting stories and thoughts on a number of topics, he just struck me as being bitter despite claiming not to be.

The Rating: ***1/2

Nature Boy Ric Flair: The Definitive Collection

Directors: Kevin Dunn
Distributor: WWE Home Video
Released: 7/08
Featured Talent
Arn Anderson, Steve Austin, Batista, Tully Blanchard, Nick Bockwinkel, Jack Brisco, Jim Brunzell, John Cena, Jim Cornette, David Crockett, J.J. Dillon, Edge, Ric Flair, Ashley Fleihr (daughter), David Fleihr (son), Megan Fleihr (daughter), Reid Fleihr (son), Tiffany Fleihr (wife), Dory Funk Jr., Greg Gagne, Michael Hayes, Bobby Heenan, Shawn Michaels, Gene Okerland, Bob Orton Jr., Randy Orton, Bruce Pritchard, Harley Race, Baron Von Raschke, Dusty Rhodes, Jim Ross, Triple H, Greg Valentine, Kevin Von Erich

The Good
Generally speaking, the WWE’s documentaries on legendary pro-wrestlers have been good. They usually have the footage, interviews and a version of the story that is a worthwhile watch - at least once. This documentary, while a good retrospect of Ric Flair’s legendary career, lacks the depth that his excellent autobiography did. It is positive though and many people want to see those highlights and hear those stories. In that sense, it delivers. This was a big step-up production-wise as it featured some really fun graphics (depicting the NWA’s control over the US, Flair’s touring and title defenses), it also had some good lighting and presentation for the newer interviews and it really captured the past in a nostalgic way (as opposed to low-rent way). It was fun to hear Flair and some of his running buddies talk about his early days and peak when he was living the high life. There was a lot of focus on big feuds and rivalries, which has gone over well in recent WWE Legend documentaries. There really were no surprises here and it was basically a feel-good type documentary, which one has to expect. As always there were some great interviewees: Harley Race, Jim Cornette and David Crockett were all great and brought so much to this piece.

The Bad
As with almost all WWE documentaries, this lacked depth. It was missing that critical side that even Flair’s autobiography had. His financial woes, his lackluster WWF run and his burial in WCW are largely glossed over. There is no Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan or Mick Foley to offer some criticism, heck, Ricky Steamboat is not even on this! Although the list of interviews is solid, there were definitely some MIAs that could have added insight. Terry Funk really jumps out, but he is yet to appear on a WWE documentary. There also is some due criticism of the WWF/WWE that is sadly missing. His `91-`93 run is deemed a success, although it is acknowledged that not booking he and Hulk Hogan in a pay-per-view match was strange. While he had a good showing and had some great matches, he was not the larger than life character that he had been in JCP and was another legendary NWA champion reduced to something far less than he deserved to be like “King” Harley Race, Hoss (Dory) Funk and “The Common Man” Dusty Rhodes before him. As for his return after WCW died, well, it is clear that with the exception of a few instances, Ric Flair was not utilized well. One of the greatest interviews of all-time was seldom left to cut his money promos, a figure who could draw in the older fans was over-used and jobbed out and that final run that should have carried him into his final match was pathetically executed. All of these facts are swept aside, so we can hear him talk about the few things that were done right. While one has to expect that in a WWE production that does not mean that it is okay and the credibility of this documentary takes a hit as result. As for the matches, let's just say they did an average job complimenting the previously released "Ultimate Ric Flair Collection."

The Rating: ****1/2

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

New Age Outlaws [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good

Tandem shoots are dangerous and while these two share talking time, they seem to be really goofy.  The Road Dogg (B.G. James) is admittedly high and absolutely hilarious in his comments about his own financial state, Bret Hart calling them "midcarders" and so on.  Billy Gunn (Kip James) is a goofball and plays off well with Road Dogg, who enhances this interview with his humor.  The issues I had with the Billy Gunn solo shoot are still there, but either not to the same level or Road Dogg's stoned joking is able to compliment it well.  This is a really fun interview and if you like these two guys or are really interested in the Attitude Era, I would recommend this one.

The Bad

Billy Gunn's shoot interview done a while before this, drove me up the wall.  He was bitter, angry, arrogant and laughed off legit questions.  This one is not quite as angry, but the goofiness that permeated throughout is just as present here.  It might be even worse because he and Road Dogg feed off one another.  While they rightfully knock the interviewers as being poor, they don't exactly carry the load.  This is fun in many ways and I enjoyed it, but found the lack of depth to be very frustrating.

The Rating: ***3/4

The Outsiders [RF Video Shoot Interview]
The Good
Scott Hall's shoot a month prior to this is one of RF's best and Kevin Nash's wasn't too shabby either. When you combine the two, you get a very different, but very enjoyable product. Hall, who was really reserved and respectful in his, is pulled into a Nash-influenced that is a stark contrast. They bury people, they bury companies, they bury poor booking, they take the blame for nothing, all while admitting that they're too of the biggest pricks around. I wonder Hall's different candor here is more or less authentic to his true persona as these two admit to having almost split personalities. They have a million road stories from their "gay rib" first meeting to their chronic drunken escapades during WCW TV tapings. They explain how the Kliq changed the WWF, how the nWo developed, how it fell and they get into all the characters from WCW's glory days. You will get what you expect with these two.
The Bad
Based on the nWo's presence in my "Pro-Wrestling in Georgia & The Carolinas" video being thoroughly despised by numerous posters, I know that many people don't like the nWo, they don't like Hall & Nash, they blame their influence on ruining WCW and their feelings are very much in line with Jim Cornette's infamous rants against them on Raw. Those people might want to avoid this one. These are two disrespectful, self-important and seem to not have much regard for the health of pro-wrestling itself. Certainly their role in WCW was key in the company's surge and the boom known as the "Monday Night Wars," but many people cannot stand them and believe the bad outweighs the good in this situation. They make no apologies here.
The Rating: ****1/2

Ahmed Johnson ["Highspots" Shoot Interview]



The Good
If you take nothing else away from this interview, realize that for all his personal problems, Ahmed Johnson could've been a major player. While his work had its flaws, Ahmed had an unbelievable intensity that very few have. He certainly puts over that strength of his here and rightly so. While that factor did intrigue me during his WWF run, I felt people like Randy Savage, Goldberg, Sid Vicious and especially Chris Benoit were able to kick their careers to a higher level and became bonafide top guys as a result. Ahmed really could have been a top guy and this shoot interview gives perspective on why that did not happen. He does feel he was cooled off, miscast as a heel briefly and undermined by some people (he particularly targets Steve Austin as a racist), although ultimately he left due to his sister's health problems and never recovered from that life-changing situation. The interview does get into some of the dirt about him and he seems to respond with sensible answers to everything - his work being too stiff, him stealing the LOD's shoulder pads, his steroid abuse, his unreliability.

The Bad
Ahmed Johnson's legacy is certainly tarnished and he will probably be remembered favorably by a small number of people. Few of his peers say highly positive things about him, he was a rising star in the WWF when it was at its lowest point and he left before the boom. This shoot interview gives him the opportunity to clarify his place. He put himself over very strongly and leaves the impression that he is not highly regretful of leaving when he did. If he had stayed and kept his head on straight, Ahmed Johnson could have very well been a key component in the Attitude Era. The interview does not really take that corner though. There are also the tales of him dealing drugs, pimping underage girls and his membership in the Bloods (he has repeatedly confirmed the last issue) that go unexplored, but certainly are part of his story. This shoot interview is one that has been put over as great and it simply was not.

The Rating: ***1/4

RF Video's "Behind Closed Doors" with JJ Dillon

The Good
JJ Dillon has always been a favorite of mine (in this capacity, not so much as a manager) because he is very insightful, very straightforward and has some good stories to share. As someone who worked all over the place, including with the Funks and Eddie Graham as well as the assistant booker to Dusty Rhodes in the mid-80s and as one of Vince McMahon's right-hand men as the Head of Talent Relations, JJ Dillon certainly has psychology to share. They spend a far amount of time going over his career, but it is the nuts and bolts of booking, working angles and such that makes this good. Talking about getting a break as a different type of heels up in the Maritimes, talking about his approach to interviews, talking about the Florida standard of big events, talking about simply why angles worked makes this excellent. This is quite an extensive shoot at roughly three-hours in length, but the thoroughness in his anecdotes are all parts of the lesson.

The Bad
Since I enjoy listening to JJ Dillon, I feel like I've heard some many of his stories already. While that does not totally kill the enjoyment, it is perhaps not as good as hearing his material fresh. He is certainly an acquired taste as he is not particularly bitter, humorous or crass. JJ Dillon has nice things to say about most everyone and even when he has an issue (such as with Abdullah the Butcher, Mick Foley or Dusty Rhodes), he can put it into perspective. That is probably a healthier attitude, but if you want over-the-top, you won't get it here. While contextualizing is important, I felt too much time was spent on the career of JJ Dillon. What made Jake Roberts' and Bret Hart's "Behind Closed Doors" shoots excellent was they really dug into the psychology, whereas this one, Paul Orndorff's, Stan Hansen's and many others seems like a regular old RF Video shoot under another name.

The Rating:  ****1/2
 

Demolition [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
Tandem shoots can be really good if the two have good chemistry, one does not do all the talking and they do not get off on the individual's careers. RF Video had previous interviewed both of these guys who had significant careers before partnering up, so they kept those pre-Demolition question to a minimum. These two clearly have great respect for one another and believed in their gimmick and how over it was. I felt like Rob dealt with the Road Warrior clones issue well and these two made a great case for their legacy. Bill Eadie came in first with Randy Colley and he explains why Randy didn't work, why he did and why he thought the gimmick would get over. They talk about the various teams they worked, their runs as heels and babyfaces and how they avoided getting caught up in the WWF's drug and party culture. The most interesting part of this was talking about their potential feud with the Legion of Doom, which never really happened. Ax's health woes, Crush's presence and the LOD's super-push saw the thing shortchanged and they seem a little upset by it all.

The Bad
The major bone of contention here is whether or not Demolition was WWF's second-rate answer to Road Warriors or if they were something unique. Sure, there are similarities - the makeup, the likeness to the Lord Humongous character (from the Road Warrior sequel), the balls-to-the-wall brawling style and monster heel approach. Demolition though was comprised of a highly polished heel and one coming into his prime, they worked longer matches, were known for their cardio and were revered by their peers. Demolition seem highly dismissive of the comments, which is a bit much, but then they get into how WWF fans saw the LOD as Demolition clones…which I can't buy at all. There are differences and there are similarities, but let's not get ridiculous. I liked the narrow focus on just their run together as Demolition, but since I have not yet heard their individual shoots, I was left wanting to hear more about the amazing run of the Masked Superstar in the years prior.

The Rating:  ****

Jim Duggan [Straight Shootin' Interview]

The Good
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan is one of pro-wrestling's great acquired tastes. I had a cousin who absolutely loved him. I know a lot of "smart marks" cannot stand him. While he was not my favorite later in his WWF run, his Mid-South stuff is wildly entertaining and his later days in WCW were great in their own way. His character is definitely an extension of his real-life personality and that comes across strongly here. I cannot remember another shoot interview (and they're often conducted in the wee hours of the morning) where they had so many problems with disturbing others due to noise. I guess if you have someone yelling "Hooooo" and chanting "U-S-A!" at regular intervals, you'll have issues with the neighbors. Aside from all that, Duggan is very honest and is willing to talk about most everything, including the infamous New Jersey arrest with the Iron Sheik and considering others (Ken Patera, Jimmy Snuka and Chris Adams) were not willing to dig the skeletons out of their closets. I found Duggan to be both frank in his comments and funny in his delivery, so this was a difficult interview not to enjoy.

The Bad
As much as I enjoyed Hacksaw's over-the-top personality and its presence in this interview, I am sure some people would not. I would rather have that and get some extra goofiness than the bland deliveries I've heard out of charisma kingpin Jimmy Valiant. Duggan has had such a full career and has enjoyed some booze and gimmicks along the way, so he seems to be missing memories of many high points of his career (according to fans, his personal high points he remembers). My only complaint is that Duggan seems kind of bitter toward how the business changed during the Monday Night Wars and how a cartoon character like himself was simply cut out of the spotlight. It is funny because if you pulled him out of 1987 and stuck him in there, he could have been a hot commodity, but after nearly a decade of being a goof, he just could not offer much past a nostalgia act. Therefore, he seems angry at the smaller workers (Lance Storm, Dean Malenko and others), annoyed with the youngsters who need gimmicks (Buff Bagwell, Van Hammer, etc.) and upset with the management that took to an edgier style.


The Rating: ****1/2

Ted DiBiase [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
I have heard Ted DiBiase interviewed so many times and that I'm almost uninterested in him, not to mention his two autobiographies and WWE documentary. He is well-spoken and thoughtful as you'd hope an ordained minister and public speaker to be. This is an early RF Video shoot, conducting in a bank where Mrs. DiBiase works and it is full of crops and cuts (unlike many RF shoots). While I balk at Feinstein's lack of knowledge of history, he followed Mid-South/UWF as a child as well as the WWF, so he has a good grasp of the personalities that DiBiase came into contact with. Never one to be overly political or reserved in his comments, DiBiase is very honest and that boosts the quality of this. He can say that Bill Watts was a "bully," that Robert Fuller was a poor booker or that Michael Hayes was "stiff" and he does not come across as angry or bitter. I often find RF Video shoots with nice guys who like everybody or non-storytellers to be boring, but Ted DiBiase can talk and talk. If you've never heard him before, this is definitely a must-see and if you've seen/heard him a few times or even a bazillion times, I'd still highly recommend this one. A major reason being that since he and his sons began working for the WWE, he's never been as objective and opinionated about the company…go figure.

The Bad
Ted DiBiase had such a full and successful career that he could literally spend hour after hour talking about his career and never run out of fresh stories, recollections and insight. Unfortunately, his faith (which spreading the Gospel is central tenant) often cuts into any interview he does. While it is important to him now and where he is in his life, few (if any) pursue his shoot interviews for religious purposes. That is often a factor in the shoots of Born-Agains and sometimes it is a bit much and I would say it is about what I expected here. The other factor that colored his two shoots with 57Talk was his time spent as an agent and his sons' employment in the WWE, which led him to really put over the company and prevented him from spending too much time looking back at his early career in Mid-South and Georgia. That was not an issue here, so this shoot was really better than many interviews he has given as of the past few years. What jumped out at me was hearing Ted DiBiase (the conservative Christian) railing against the WWF and the Attitude Era and later hearing Ted DiBiase (the fiscal conservative) railing against regulations on businesses and what he perceives as socialism. I'd rather not get into the inconsistencies I found because if I picked apart political, social and economic statements by pro-wrestlers in their shoots, I'd waste too much time.

The Rating: ****1/2