Madness Behind the Mania
The Good
A panel discussion about the first WrestleMania featuring the controversial Iron Sheik, the intense Paul Orndorff, the laid back Bob Orton Jr., John Cena Sr. and a "historian" called Jackyl. Our host is Dan Morrati who is very personable and quite knowledgeable, so he generally does a good job. There is some time introducing the three stars' backgrounds, which is fine. The meat of this is talking about the national expansion, the strategies Vince McMahon used, the role of Hulk Hogan and a match-by-match breakdown of the card. This did have some great insight from all parties and a few funny exchanges as well. Mr. Wonderful mentioning to Sheik that he couldn't whoop anybody because he has two hip replacements was pretty comical. I also was curious to hear something different from Sheik on Brian Blair because Orndorff was perhaps his best friend in the business, but not much came of that segment. Overall, this was an okay product.
The Bad
The Iron Sheik returns to the place that helped him launch a new career - "Maloney Wrestling Federation!" This outfit does some decent shoot interviews and this panel discussion is alright. You know what you're getting with the Sheik, although he was on his best behavior, so perhaps he will disappoint some fans here. Orndorff and Orton are very good, but the panel format limits them rather than helps them. John Cena Sr. is briefly there and is about half in promo-delivering mode, so that's a negative. This "historian" Jackyl is alright, but does not push the discussion. Panels are best when you get the panelist to feed off one another and that does not really happen. They go around and answer questions and that's that.
The Rating: ***1/2
Showing posts with label discussion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label discussion. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Monday, February 14, 2011
RF Roundtable - Iron Shiek, Missy Hyatt & Kanyon
The Good
RF Video coordinates putting together three controversial characters and it is largely a trainwreck and not a particularly entertaining one. They mainly talk about current events (Tiger Woods' divorce, Barack Obama's presidency, Sarah Palin's rise to fame, Michael Vicks' dog-fighting, gay marriage and so fourth) and it does stimulate some interesting comments. Missy Hyatt dominates the conversation here, so if you enjoy hearing Missy be Missy, this is a treat. She expresses her political and moral views, which seem to have some inconsistencies. Sheik, for all his gay-bashing in the past, seems extremely moderate although practically asleep through much of this. Kanyon is largely quiet and makes a good showing during the gay marriage debate.
The Bad
When you have someone putting over Hitler in the first leg of a shoot interview, it's hard to get behind it. Missy Hyatt, who is often funny, comes across as frustrated and stupid on a level I've never seen before. I am sure some people would be disappointed by Sheiky's low-key showing here, but I thought he did his thing and did not make a total ass of himself. I was mostly disappointed by Kanyon, who always comes across a thoughtful person, yet he bowed out of much of the conversation and let Missy take over. Between Missy and the constant attacks on Eric Simms, this was amongst the most annoying and obnoxious roundtables ever.
The Rating: **3/4
The Good
RF Video coordinates putting together three controversial characters and it is largely a trainwreck and not a particularly entertaining one. They mainly talk about current events (Tiger Woods' divorce, Barack Obama's presidency, Sarah Palin's rise to fame, Michael Vicks' dog-fighting, gay marriage and so fourth) and it does stimulate some interesting comments. Missy Hyatt dominates the conversation here, so if you enjoy hearing Missy be Missy, this is a treat. She expresses her political and moral views, which seem to have some inconsistencies. Sheik, for all his gay-bashing in the past, seems extremely moderate although practically asleep through much of this. Kanyon is largely quiet and makes a good showing during the gay marriage debate.
The Bad
When you have someone putting over Hitler in the first leg of a shoot interview, it's hard to get behind it. Missy Hyatt, who is often funny, comes across as frustrated and stupid on a level I've never seen before. I am sure some people would be disappointed by Sheiky's low-key showing here, but I thought he did his thing and did not make a total ass of himself. I was mostly disappointed by Kanyon, who always comes across a thoughtful person, yet he bowed out of much of the conversation and let Missy take over. Between Missy and the constant attacks on Eric Simms, this was amongst the most annoying and obnoxious roundtables ever.
The Rating: **3/4
Saturday, May 15, 2010
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: ****
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: ****
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