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

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 Godfather (RF Video Shoot Interview) 

The Good

Someone who has worked off and on for the WWF/WWE for over a decade has to have some great perspective to share and Charles Wright certainly has that to share.  The biker bartender turned pro-wrestler, quickly found success in the business and was able to get several big pushes over the years despite a lack of great talent.  He admits to those limitations as well as never having taken pro-wrestling too seriously.  The Godfather character certainly reveals that fact.  "Big Silly" as he was nicknamed by some of his peers, enjoyed himself and viewed pro-wrestling more like the circus than like a sport.  This was a relaxed shoot that had a few funny moments, a few interesting comments and some opinions only The Godfather could have.  

The Bad

People who were not lifelong fans who were serious about the sport, their craft and their persona can sometimes be enjoyable shoots.  They don't put themselves over too much, they don't bury others and don't seem to bitter.  The downside is there usually is not much depth to their commentary.  The career of wacky gimmicks, unbelievable personalities and all the rest of it seems to get a tad mixed up in this.  RF's timelines, attention to detail and ability to conduct a "good" interview are all aspects in making this just another mediocre RF Video shoot.  Clearly the man himself was not the best interviewee, but he was alright and could probably deliver a much better interview with a better interviewer.

The Rating: ***1/2

Road Warriors [RF Video Shoot Interview]



The Good
I have to feel a little nostalgic about this one because this was the first shoot interview I ever heard and it was one of RF Video's earliest non-ECW shoots. I remember stumbling across RF Video's kiosk at Franklin Mills in PA and leaving with this as well as some All Japan. I was definitely impressed as this is an impressive interview. Hawk is over-the-top in calling Vince McMahon the most evil man ever and comes across as bitter and angry. Even Animal, typically considered the level-headed one, is angry in talking about being misused in their two WWF runs. I thought the WWE's Road Warriors DVD was much more organized and better produced, but this had the raw emotion and lacked the WWE revisionist history, so in many ways in was preferable. Listening to them wax nostalgic about killing everyone in Georgia and how over they were when they came to the WWF is one thing, but hearing them bury the New Age Outlaws, Bill Watts and others for being inept is another. The cutting honesty here is pretty incredible.

The Bad
I remember when I first watched through this over a decade ago, being blown away by it all. It had the stories right from the wrestlers themselves. It was full of anger and honesty. It was even supplemented with matches I'd never seen before. But when it was all over, I kind of felt like "I paid X amount of money for this?" because once you've listened to a shoot interview, it has drastically reduced playback value, so you feel a tad ripped off. I would say the exception lies in shoots that are just above-and-beyond entertaining or exceptionally insightful to the business. This was neither. The Road Warriors totally believe their own hype and while they were huge stars for the better part of a decade, they simply could not offer the same goods in `99, despite what they say here. I would give this high marks for its uniqueness and historical relevance, it also has the advantages of including someone who has since passed away, but this is not the best shoot interview.

The Rating: ****1/2

Dan Severn [RF Video Shoot Interview]

The Good
I first heard Dan Severn on a Figure-Four Daily and was totally blown away. Since he played and often came across as a no-frills athlete that was almost devoid of personality, it seemed unimaginable that he would be an entertaining interview. Despite his amazing life in amateur wrestling and even in the early days of mixed martial arts, you just don't know if you'll be pulled in by Dan Severn. However, he is a helluva a talker. Although he's not particularly funny here, he tells some good stories and can certainly get himself and his legitimacy over. He does give long answers and goes off on other things, but that is generally a good thing in lengthy shoot interviews. Giving him three hours and a lot of room worked for me. Although the negatives of this were grossly obvious, the positives were there and Dan Severn is someone I enjoy listening to.

The Bad
I know I complain about RF Video's incompetence all the time, but it is glaring at times and seriously detracts from the quality of an interview. I've heard Dan Severn with Bryan Alvarez (who is an excellent interviewer) and his experiences as an amateur wrestler, pro-wrestler and mixed martial artist are all fascinating, but he's a talker. If the interviewer does not reel him in, Severn will go off on long-winded stories and a lot can be missed. Some interviewees are like that and it's not really a negative, unless the interviewer is not doing their job. That was a detractor here. Then there is the issue of research. People knock Gary Cubeta for not doing his homework, but I always think that he has had reliable researchers and his show is free!! Not knowing who Dan fought when he came back to the UFC (Pedro Rizzo), mispronouncing Royce Gracie's name and thinking he (not Keith Hackney) beat Manny Yarborough are just a few standout examples of the incompetence displayed here. In case you did not know Dan Severn is one of the most successful and decorated amateur wrestlers and he could do an easy three hours on his amateur career, but it would be better if someone knew and could help clarify for pro-wrestling fans what his legacy is. He mentions many things in passing like being the original Sunkist Kid, but it goes unexplored and unexplained. This could have been so much better than it was, but that's how it goes. Dan Severn is not someone who dishes a lot of dirt because he's both not that kind of guy and he really isolates himself. He had nice things to say about a lot of people, but generally not much detailed or juicy information. Knowing that and expecting that, I was not disappointed like some people might be.

The Rating: ***3/4

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: ***

Lita: A Less Traveled R.O.A.D. (audiobook)

Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Amy Dumas, Michael Krugman
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Released: 7/04

The Good
Amy Dumas's life story is an interesting one and her character has connected with so many young women and this is the WWE trying to capitalize on all that. Her pre-wrestling life as a punk rock stripper is unique and this audiobook brings that to life. The pro-wrestling stuff is good lip service and most Lita fans will enjoy it for what it is.

The Bad
Lita's story is interesting. This book breaks down into three basic sections: life before pro-wrestling, the pro-wrestling life and her comeback from a broken neck. The first part is glazed over and could definitely be fascinating, but doesn't do what it could. The second part is her running down her four year career from Mexico to indies to ECW to the WWF. It's all very rushed and lacks both depth and the quality anecdotes to make up for that. The third part is her doing the Dark Angel TV show, breaking her neck, the saga afterwards and the surgery and recovery. This has a lot of real emotion and saves this book from being terrible. Then the comeback...oh wait, it doesn't happen. Due to her never really having a quality in-ring comeback, her character never regaining its footing and the hasty release of this book, this story seems so incomplete. It has the potential and maybe future additions can make it a full story, but for now it is just disappointment. This audiobook version probably detracts from the first two parts and adds to the third with mixed results.

The Rating: **