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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 30, 2008 21:05:29 GMT -5
The highly popular DVD review thread I created has come to W*I*G!!!! Here's the first one here: It’s been a while, so here’s a DVD Review: Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs Since I did a review of the first Futurama movie, it just makes sense to do one of the latest one. Anyway, the last one, “Bender’s Big Score,” ended with Bender causing all his copies to not come up when they were suppose to, thus creating a huge rip in the universe. This one picks up a month after that event. Here’s the plot, though I should warn you: THIS PLOT IS LONG AND COMPLICATED AND CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!! IF YOU DON'T WANT IT RUIN, OR DON'T WISH TO FEEL THE EVERLASTING LOVE OF YIVO, THEN: After a month of inactivity following the events of Bender's Big Score, having resulted in the universe being ripped apart, people decide to go on with their lives. Amy and Kif get married, and Fry starts a new relationship with a girl named Colleen. However, it is not long before he realizes that Colleen has four additional boyfriends. Fry is unable to accept that she can't settle for one man and breaks up with her. Professor Farnsworth mounts an expedition to investigate the anomaly, beating his archrival Wernstrom in a game of "Deathball" to win the right to do so. When Bender is sent to explore it, his touch causes the anomaly to emit a shockwave, which sends the entire crew flying aimlessly into space. Farnsworth and Wernstrom discover that only living beings can pass through the anomaly unaffected; electrical things such as robots are destroyed. Before they can initiate another expedition, Zapp Brannigan is commissioned to destroy whatever is on the other side. Meanwhile, both Fry and Bender feel alone and unwanted. Fry, in his depression, sneaks aboard Zapp's ship just before it takes off so that he can find solace on the other side of the anomaly; Bender, on the other hand, is approached by the fabled League of Robots, a secret society of robots led by his hero Calculon, and quickly becomes a very prestigious member due to his perceived hatred of humans. As Fry enters the anomaly, Zapp's plan of attack unsurprisingly goes awry, and Kif is accidentally killed in the process, much to Amy's grief back on Earth. While drifting through space on the other side, which contains another universe, Fry comes across a colossal, one-eyed, tentacled creature, which begins forcing its appendages through the anomaly. The tentacles begin attacking everyone on Earth, and there is absolutely no stopping them as they are made of electromatter, which can only be harmed by other electromatter. Fry returns to Earth, having been attached to one of the tentacles, and tells everyone to submit to them, as he has fallen in love with the creature they're attached to. Fry becomes the pope of a religion worshipping the tentacles. The tentacles begin attaching themselves to the back of everyone's necks, causing them to love the creature as well. Bender, meanwhile, believes that the League of Robots should uphold a strict no-humans policy being that he feels so insignificant around them. However, when he assists his friends in eluding the tentacles, he is caught red-handed by the other members. When Calculon calls his bluff about hating humans, he challenges Calculon to a duel in which he breaks the rules. Calculon is so outraged by his behavior that he resigns from the League, inexplicably naming Bender its new leader. While outrunning the tentacles, Zapp talks Amy into sleeping with him to ease the pain of Kif's death before tentacles bond with them both, leaving Leela as the last living person in the universe unattached to a tentacle. She examines a fragment of tentacle that snapped off trying to catch her and discovers that that the tentacles are actually reproductive organs. She reveals this to everyone at a universal religious gathering just as the creature, calling itself "Yivo", speaks for the first time. Yivo admits that mating with everyone in the universe was its original intention, but explains that it is now truly in love with them. As a sign of good faith, Yivo resurrects Kif, who reunites with Amy, and takes its tentacles out of everyone. Yivo takes everyone in the universe out on a date at the same time. Though the night goes well, everyone feels that Yivo has made no commitment and decide to break up with it. Before they can do so, however, Yivo proposes to them. Everyone is so touched that they accept, entering the anomaly and moving onto Yivo's body via golden escalators; around this time, Bender organizes an army of robots to take over the world and rebuild his human-hating reputation in the League, only to witness humanity leave willingly, which makes Bender lonely, as well as stagnating the robot population, who are built to serve humans. As the robots inherit Earth, everyone else is made to promise never to make contact with other universes. Fry, however, cannot help but write a letter to Bender back on Earth, which is sent without Yivo knowing. Leela doesn't trust Yivo's motives, but when she sees that everyone is happy with it, she eventually comes to accept Yivo. Bender receives Fry's letter and finds that it is made of electromatter, so decides to set out and "rescue" his friend. He and his army harpoon Yivo from beyond the anomaly and drag it into their own universe where they attack it. Fry convinces Bender to spare Yivo, but Yivo discovers that the robots' weapons are lined with the electromatter from Fry's letter, allowing them to harm it. Since Fry broke his promise to never make contact with any other universes, Yivo breaks up with everyone. Yivo finds consolation with Colleen, and they begin a single relationship as they head back to the other universe together through the closing anomaly. Everyone laments how they will never know love or happiness with Yivo again. Bender assures them that what they experienced was not love, as love doesn't share itself with the world, or so he claims. Bender shares his love with Fry and Leela by giving them a big hug, which strangles them. END OF SPOILERS!!!! YOU MAY RESUME READING!!!! This was a very funny movie. It featured some characters that weren’t heavily featured in “Bender’s Big Score”: President Nixon, Hedonismbot, Zapp Brannigan, and Kif have bigger rolls; plus, we get more of Calculon, The Robot Devil, Lrrr, Amy’s parents, Zoidberg’s uncle, and more. It also features some new characters: we meet Kif’s parents, Brittany Murphy appears as Fry’s new nonmonogamous girlfriend Colleen, Stephen Hawking appears as his own head in a jar, and David Cross plays the title character, The Beast With A Billions Backs, AKA Yivo. As for the plot, it’s pretty weird. It has to be the strangest romance movie I have ever seen. I mean, you have a relationship between every living being in the universe and a giant tentacled alien. And, Bender’s dickish ways reach an all-time high, but it is done out of love for Fry. So, it’s kind of sweet. But, the movie ends on a bit of a downer. Nevertheless, it is still quite good. In fact, I preferred it to “Bender’s Big Score.” The plot isn’t as complicated as its predecessor. I found it to be a little funnier than the previous movie. And, it has DEATHBALL!!!! What’s not to love? The special features include: commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Michael Rowe, Claudia Katz, Peter Avanzino, and Lee Supercinski; Futurama: the Lost Adventure (they basically took footage from the Futurama Videogame and made it into an episode); Deleted Scenes; Storyboard animatic (30 minutes of the film in storyboard form); Blooperama (footage of the cast doing the voices for their characters); 3D models with the animators discussing how they were made; A Brief History of Deathball (it’s a little disappointing; they just explain how they came up with Deathball instead of giving us a fictionalized history that I would have preferred); David Cross explaining his character and eating popcorn; and a preview of the next Futurama movie, “Bender’s Big Game” ( Basically the crew gets stuck in a real life giant Dungeons and Dragons game ). While this movie may have been better than the last, I preferred the special features of the last DVD. They were a lot funnier; these seem more serious and more focused on how the movie was made. But, I still enjoyed this DVD: a definite recommend from me. Though, I just wish there had been more Hypnotoad: ALL HAIL THE HYPNOTOAD!!!! Highlight: there’s a deleted scene in which Scruffy gets possessed by Yivo and says “The day of reckonin’ is comin’…I reckon.” I just found it hilarious! Recommended, mainly for the movie, and a definite buy for Futurama fans.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 30, 2008 21:36:36 GMT -5
Let's fill this thread up a little shall we. Here's the first one I ever did: Led Zeppelin: DVD. This two-disc set contains live performances of Led Zeppelin. A lot of these performances are rare, mainly because there wasn't much of Led Zeppelin recorded live. Anyway, here is what's on the DVD: Disc one Royal Albert Hall - January 9, 1970 "We're Gonna Groove" (King/Bethea) – 3:14 "I Can't Quit You Baby" (Dixon) – 6:25 "Dazed and Confused" (Holmes) – 15:10 "White Summer" (Graham) – 11:54 "What Is and What Should Never Be" (Page/Plant) – 4:02 "How Many More Times" (Page/Jones/Bonham) – 20:02 "Moby Dick" (Bonham/Jones/Page) – 15:02 "Whole Lotta Love" (Page/Bonham/Plant/Jones) – 6:03 "Communication Breakdown" (Page/Jones/Bonham) – 3:40 "C'mon Everybody" (Cochran) – 2:28 "Something Else" (Cochran) – 2:02 "Bring It on Home" (Page/Plant) – 7:33 Atlantic Records promotional clip - February 1969 "Communication Breakdown" (Page/Jones/Bonham) – 2:24 Danmarks Radio (Gladsaxe Teen Club, Gladsaxe) - March 17, 1969 "Communication Breakdown" (Page/Jones/Bonham) – 2:46 "Dazed and Confused" (Holmes) – 9:09 "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" (Bredon/Page) – 6:46 "How Many More Times" (Page/Jones/Bonham) – 12:20 Supershow (Staines Studio, London) - March 25, 1969 "Dazed and Confused" (Holmes) – 7:31 Tous En Scene (Theatre Olympia, Paris) - October 10, 1969 "Communication Breakdown" (Page/Jones/Bonham) – 2:51 "Dazed and Confused" (Holmes) – 5:12 Disc two Sydney Showground - February 27, 1972 (Splodge edit) "Immigrant Song" (Page/Plant) – 4:03 Madison Square Garden - July 27, 28, 29, 1973 "Black Dog" (Page/Plant/Jones) – 5:30 "Misty Mountain Hop" (Page/Plant/Jones) – 4:50 "Since I've Been Loving You" (Page/Plant) – 8:03 "The Ocean" (Bonham/Jones/Page/Plant) – 4:16 Earls Court - May 25, 1975 "Going To California" (Page/Plant) – 4:41 "That's the Way" (Page/Plant) – 6:04 "Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp" (Page/Plant/Jones) – 5:31 "In My Time of Dying" (Bonham/Jones/Page/Plant) – 11:14 "Trampled Under Foot" (Jones/Page/Plant) – 8:14 "Stairway to Heaven" (Page/Plant) – 10:32 Knebworth - August 4, 1979 "Rock and Roll" (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham) – 3:47 "Nobody's Fault But Mine" (Page/Plant) – 5:45 "Sick Again" (Page/Plant) – 5:08 "Achilles Last Stand" (Page/Plant) – 9:03 "In the Evening" (Jones/Page/Plant) – 7:56 "Kashmir" (Bonham/Page/Plant) – 8:50 "Whole Lotta Love" (Page/Bonham/Plant/Jones) – 7:06 "You'll Never Walk Alone" – 1:21 New York NBC Studio - September 19, 1970 Press Conference – 3:27 (mono) Sydney Showground - February 27, 1972 "Rock and Roll" (Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham) – 3:06 ABC Get To Know - February 27, 1972 Robert Plant and John Bonham after concert interviews with Jeune Pritchard BBC2 The Old Grey Whistle Test - January 12, 1975 Robert Plant interview at the Vorst Nationaal in Brussels with Bob Harris (radio) – 3:47 Remasters Promo One - October 1990 "Over the Hills and Far Away" (Page/Plant) – 4:49 Remasters Promo Two - October 1990 "Travelling Riverside Blues" (Page/Plant/Johnson) – 4:12 The performances are amazing, and they look incredible. The DVD is also a great look at how the band changed during the 1970s. If you are a fan of Zeppelin, then this is definitely something you should pick up. Highlight: The "Dazed and Confused" performance on Supershow. It is very, very, very good. Highly Recommended if you're a Zeppelin fan.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 30, 2008 21:38:41 GMT -5
Here's that first Futurama movie: Futurama: Bender's Big Score It's been four years since this fine, fine program went off the air. And, NOW IT'S BACK, BABY!!!! Futurama returns in this first of four straight-to-DVD movies. Here's the plot of the film: NOTE, THIS PLOT IS LONG AND COMPLICATED AND CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!! IF YOU DON'T WANT IT RUIN OR DON'T ASPRIN TO CURE YOU OF THE TIME-PARADOXING HEAD IT WILL CAUSE THEN: YES!!!! I FINALLY GET TO USE THAT!!!! *dances* SPOILER ALERT: The film opens with a short, pun-driven explanation that Planet Express (the show) was canceled by the "brainless drones" at the Box (FOX) Network, and has been for two years now. Professor Farnsworth then learns that the same "brainless morons" that cancelled the company have themselves been fired, beaten up, and subsequently ground into a fine, pink powder and that Planet Express is back "on the air". Following their renewal, the Planet Express crew has a party, during which Hermes is decapitated by a poorly hung sword and his body crushed by the Planet Express ship. He is rushed to the emergency room, where his head is placed in a jar while his body is repaired. The man that performs the procedure, Lars Fillmore, takes an immediate liking to Leela, much to Fry's chagrin. During a delivery to the nude beach planet, Leela points out a Bender tattoo on Fry's ass, which Fry didn't know existed. As they rest on the beach, a trio of nudist scammer aliens go around the beach asking for e-mail addresses, using flimsy excuses to get the entire Planet Express crew to sign. Upon returning to Earth, the entire crew is sent hundreds of spam messages, which they all fall for. Bender is even infected by a virus. The scammers then show up at the door, having purchased Planet Express through the Professor's stolen personal information. Bender's virus is also their doing, causing him to obey them without question. As they continue scamming Earth, the scammers are drawn to the tattoo on Fry's ass, which is revealed to contain the binary code for paradox-correcting time travel. Though Nibbler, who reveals himself at the discovery, explains that using the code could destroy the universe, they ignore his warnings. Using the time-travel code, the scammers have Bender steal every valuable object in human history, since time-travel is one-way and Bender, being an unaging robot, can simply wait for the appropriate day in the limestone cavern beneath Planet Express. Meanwhile, Hermes asks Bender to travel back in time and kill an earlier version of himself for a replacement body, since repairs to his current one are delayed by the head museum being scammed. The Professor, having analyzed the time-travel code, discovers that the "doom field" is what corrects the paradoxes, ensuring that any duplicates created as a result of time travel meet their end eventually. The Professor insists that, because of this, Hermes' duplicate body is doomed. Once Bender has stolen everything of value from history, the scammers decide to destroy the time-travel code by killing Fry and blanking Bender's memory. Fry uses the time code to escape to January 1, 2000, the day he was frozen, and Bender is sent back to kill him. While waiting for Fry, Bender creates a duplicate of himself when he needs to use the bathroom. The duplicate Bender catches Fry as he appears in the past and attempts to kill him, only to have his feelings for Fry cause an overload. Fry shoves him in a cryo-tube before he can explode. Fry leaves by the time the original Bender walks out of the bathroom, and Bender spends the next twelve years hunting Fry, eventually blowing up Panucci's Pizza when Fry walks inside. Once Bender returns to report his success, the scammers wipe his memory and the virus forcing him to obey their commands. When the crew holds a funeral, Fry is revealed to be alive and well, having also created duplicate of himself, which Bender killed, while he hid in another cryo-tube and came back to the future. Nibbler destroys the time travel tattoo to keep the scammers from abusing it further. Leela and Lars, having had several dates, decide to get married. At the wedding, Hermes' body is crushed by a chandelier, which the Professor announces was bound to happen because the body was a duplicate. This announcement suddenly makes Lars nervous, and he calls off the wedding. The scammers eventually trick Earth President Richard Nixon into selling Earth itself, forcing everyone to evacuate to other planets. To retake the planet, Leela assembles a fleet with the help of Nixon and Robot Santa. Despite the scammers having built a network of solid gold Death Stars around Earth, their fleet is victorious thanks to Hermes, who has the Professor wire him into the battle computer so he can coordinate every ship. The scammers threaten the crew with a doomsday device they had Bender steal, but fail to realize that Bender stole it back after being released from their control. The crew fires the device at the scammers' ship, completely destroying it. Fry, seeing that Leela is still unhappy that Lars left her at the altar, tries to get her back together with Lars. The reunion is cut short by Nudar, the lead scammer, who survived the doomsday device thanks to his doom-proof vest. Nudar is drawn to Lars, claiming that the time-travel code still exists. Lars tricks him into approaching the cryo-tube with the Bender on overload, and once that Bender is released the explosion kills them both. The explosion singes off some of Lars' clothing, revealing the time-travel tattoo. A flashback explains that Lars is actually Fry's duplicate, having survived Bender's attack in 2012, of which the resulting fire permanently burned off his hair and injured his larynx, changing his voice. Upon realizing that he was Lars, the duplicate froze himself to return to the future and be with Leela. He called off the wedding after realizing he could never be with Leela, since as a time duplicate he was doomed. During the funeral, Bender removes the tattoo from Lars and travels into the past to place it on the Fry frozen in cryo-sleep. Upon returning from the cavern below the Planet Express building, Bender tells all of his copies to come up with him instead of emerging when they were logically supposed to. The army of Benders causes a giant tear in the universe. END OF SPOILERS!!!! YOU MAY RESUME READING!!!! The movie is hysterical. There are a lot of good jokes. Plus the return of many recurring characters, like the Nibblonians, Fry's dog Seymour, Barbados Slim, Robot Santa, the God space entity, Al Gore (played by himself), Kwanzaa-bot (Coolio), the Hedonism Bot, Richard Nixon, Headless Spiro T Agnew, the Harlem Globetrotters, and many. Sadly, there were a lot characters missing and underused. It took forever for Zapp Brannigan to show up, and Kif did nothing but warm up Zapp's thighs on Neptune; trust me, it's less than it sounds. The Omicromians were just in the background of Leela's weding. Also, where were Amy's parents, Roberto, Calculon, and the Robot Devil! Hopefully, they will have more of these characters in the other three movies. Despite these flaws, the movie is hilarious. And, we got some new characters, like the head of Charle De Gualle and the Chanukah Zombie (Mark Hamill). The plot is a little complicated, but it's still better than most the movies released these. And, the subplots are terrific, good enough in fact to be separate episodes. Plus, the DVD has some great special features: commentary from creators Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Phil LaMarr, Claudia Katz, Dwayne Carey-Hill, and Ken Keeler; a live comic book reading at the San Diego Comic-Con that explains what Leela, Fry, and Bender having been doing for the last few years; a full-length episode of the future's most popular show EVERYBODY LOVE HYPNOTOAD; three deleted scenes: one has Bender in the past looking for Fry in Monte Carlo, a scene featuring the Robo-Mafia, and a limbo contest between Hermes and Barbados Slim; an animated promo for "An Inconvenient Truth" featuring Bender and Al Gore (comes with commentary with Al Gore, Groening, and Cohen); Bite My Shiny Metal X, a math lecture on THE MATH OF THE FUTURE!!!!; 3D models and turnarounds; the original first draft of the script; design sketches of the new characters; and the original 5 minute San Diego Comic-Con promo. The features are great, funny, and imformative. All-in-all, this is a great DVD for Futurama fans. If this is your first look at Futurama, then you picked the wrong time to get into it. You'll just be confused and discombobulated. I would suggest go watch some of the first episode and then go back and watch this DVD. But, for you Futurama fans, GO OUT AND BUY THIS NOW!!!! Highlight: Everybody Loves Hypnotoad. This episode is great. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be scared, but most importantly, you will ALL HAIL THE HYPNOTOAD!!!! Highly recommended, especially for Futurama fans.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 30, 2008 21:40:02 GMT -5
And, here's some wrestling DVD: The Shawn Michaels Story: Heartbreak And Triumph. 3-Disc DVD. He's known my many nicknames: The Showstopper. The Icon. The Main Event. The Heartbreak Kid. But, we all know him as Shawn Michaels. He's one of the best wrestlers of all time, and this DVD chronicles his career. The documentary is pretty good. It starts with his birth, goes to his training to be a wrestler and starting out in the business in WCCW and Mid-South, and moves to his Rocker days with Marty Jannetty. The Rockers were one of the best tag teams of all time. They created many innovative double team moves and were one of the main reasons there is a lot of high flying moves in wrestling today. The DVD also talks about Marty and Shawn's breakup and Shawn starting a solo career in the WWF, with Sherri Martel as his manager and winning the Intercontinental Title. And, several of his most famous matches are mentioned: Hell In A Cell with the Undertaker, the Ladder Match at WrestleMania X with Razor Ramon, the Iron Man Match with Bret Hart, his return match in 2002 with Triple H, his match with Chris Jericho at WrestleMania XIX, etc. The documentary soon begins to walk a fine line between honesty and revisionist history. It talks about the Kliq, the backstage stable of Shawn, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Triple H, and Sean Waltman. Many people talk about the difficulties Shawn and the Kliq were known for backstage. Shawn even admits that he wouldn't return the WWF Intercontinental Title belt to Vince after testing positive for steroids in 1993, which he claims he took unknowingly. However, some of Shawn backstage politics is left off, like Shane Douglas's accusation that Shawn refused to job the Intercontinental Title to him and Shawn not wanting to lose to Bret at WrestleMania 13. The "lost smile" is also mention. Interesting fact, the "lost smile" excuse came from his mother; Shawn says that before he forfieted the title, she asked him when he "lost his smile." Shawn liked that and used it. There is also some implication that the reason for Shawn's obnoxious behavior at the time was due to the fact that he was the WWF Champion at a time when the WWF was low in the ratings and WCW was beating them week after week. This does make some sense, but doesn't really excuse Shawn for behaving the way he did in the 1990s. We also get D-Generation-X. This was one of my favorite times in Shawn's career. He and Triple H were so great playing those obnoxious heels back in 1997 and 1998. Then, it moves on to Montreal. Shawn and Hunter do admit that they knew about the Screwjob beforehand. They also say that they were told by Vince to deny that they had any knowledge of it. However, it comes off as if Bret didn't want to lose the WWF Title simply because he would have done so in Canada. There is no mention of Bret not wanting to do the job because Shawn had refused to job to him. Shawn also says that he's willing to sit down with Bret to resolve their past issues, but Bret is the one who doesn't want to do so. After that, the documentary moves on to Shawn's back injury in 1998 and him leaving for a few years. Shawn also talks about his drug problems, which had gone on for years and continued even though he was married and had a child. Shawn says that he wanted to get clean before his first son was born, but he just didn't. Eventually, Shawn did clean and found God. They do talk about how Shawn became a born again Christian; basically, it was because of his second wife, Rebecca Curci, AKA WCW Nitro Girl Whisper. They don't spend much time on his faith, but it is still an important part of the documentary. And, the infamous Shawn Michaels and God VS Vince and Shane McMahon match is mention. Then, it talks about Shawn's return to WWE, his feuds with Triple H, Chris Jericho, Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan, etc. And, then the documentary ends with praisal of Shawn Michaels's career and wrestling skills. Overall, the documentary is good. At times, it is a little too bias to Shawn, but there is a good amount of honesty about his hard times to balance it. There are some good extra features. We get two promos: a Heartbreak Hotel from April 4, 1994, and the promo where Shawn impersonates Hulk Hogan on the Larry King Show. There is also the Tell Me A Lie music video; I believe it was made to hype up the Iron Man Match at WrestleMania XII. There are four deleted scenes: one on Shawn Michael's Wrestling Academy, one on how he became a Bible Teacher, one on a mountain climbing expedition he made with some friends, and one on his match with Kurt Angle at WrestleMania 21. There are also some stories: one from his mom about how much of a prankster he was in high school, one from a high school friend about how he and Shawn put on a wrestling match for their high school talent show, one on how Shawn got his letter jacket, one on how Shawn needed his mom's approval on what wrestling attire to wear for his Rockers debut, one from Marty Jannetty on how Shawn was told to rub a towel on his face to create a fake bruise for an angle in the AWA only to be told by Greg Gagne that they weren't going to do that angle, another from Marty Jannetty on a fight that broke out between him and Shawn and how Randy Savage kept them from getting arrested by telling the cops the fight was just a wrestling angle, one on how Shawn was uneasy about jumping off the ladder at WrestleMania 22, and one on those horrible brown pants he wore at the 2002 Survivor Series. Then, there are the matches. Sure, his most famous ones aren't on here; but they have been released on other DVDs. So, we get some rare matches that are still just as good. Six of the matches involves the Rockers: VS Buddy Rose and Doug Somers for the AWA Tag Team Titles, VS Super Ninja and Ninja Go for the AWA Tag Team Titles, VS the Brainbusters (Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard), the infamous match with the Hart Foundation where the Rockers won the WWF Tag Team Titles only to have the decision overturned because the top rope broke and the match wasn't going to be aired on TV, VS the Orient Express at the 1991 Royal Rumble, and their reunion match in 2005 against La Resistance. As for the singles matches, we get one of Shawn's first matches, against Billy Jack Haynes in WCCW in 1985; two matches with the British Bulldog, one for the Intercontinental Title in 1992 and the other for the WWF Title at the 1996 King Of The Ring; the 1995 Royal Rumble, which is a veritable who's who of WrestleCrap, featuring The Blu Brothers, Duke "The Dumpster" Droese, Doink the Clown, Kwang, Well Dunn, Men On A Mission, Mantaur, Aldo Montoya, Henry O. Godwinn, Adam Bomb, etc.; an Intercontinental Title Match against Jeff Jarrett (I forgot how athletic and fast Jarrett use to be; the guy's on fire in this match); a World Heavyweight Title Match against Triple H on the last RAW of 2003; the WrestleMania 21 rematch against Kurt Angle at Vengeance 2005, and the infamous match against John Cena that last an hour on RAW back in April. Now, a lot of these matches are very good. Some are so-so, like the Billy Jack Haynes match; it's basically Haynes squashing Michaels in a minute; and the 1995 Royal Rumble. And, it would have been nice for at least one of Shawn's big matches to have been on here. Nevertheless, you won't be disappointed in most of them. All in all, it's a good DVD. It's not perfect, but it is good for what it is: a good chronicle of Shawn Michaels's career. Highlight: The Rockers VS The Brainbusters. Great match. You have a young Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty taking on Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard in their prime. It's just a fantastice outing from both teams. Recommended.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 30, 2008 21:45:16 GMT -5
What the hell! Here are the first two seasons of the Venture Bros.: The Venture Bros. Season 1. 2-Disc DVD. I know a lot of people crap on Adult Swim, saying it’s gone to crap with a bunch of crappy TV shows; and they’re mainly right. However, there is one show on the channel that is very good, despite it being relatively new: The Venture Bros. For those of you who don’t know much about the show, here’s the premise: the show is about Dr. Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture. He was once a young boy who got into a whole bunch of adventures with his father, Dr. Jonas Venture, and the original Team Venture. Then, Rusty grew up; and things went to crap, especially after Rusty didn’t finish college because of his dad’s death. Now, in his 40s, Dr. Venture is a crappy super-scientist who has been riding on his dead dad’s coattails for years. Rusty is also a father of two boys: Hank and Dean, AKA the Venture Bros. Hank is an adventurous young boy who looks like Fred from Scooby Doo, has a Batman obsession, and might be gay. Dean is more bookish and effeminate, but is surprisingly straight and has a crush on Triana, the Goth daughter of the Ventures’ necromancer neighbor, Dr. Byron Orpheus. There is also the Ventures’ bodyguard: Brock Samson, AKA the most dangerous man on the planet. Seriously, this guy will smurf YOU UP!!!! It’s good that Dr. Venture and his boys have such a manly and dangerous bodyguard as they always seem to get into trouble and have numerous villains, like: The Monarch, an incompetent villain with a butterfly fetish and a group of equally, if not more, incompetent henchmen; Baron Werner Ünderbheit, a Doctor Doom-like villain with a metal lower jaw who rules his country with an ironfist and blames Dr. Venture for his condition; Phantom Limb, an evil man with invisible arms and legs; Dr. Girlfriend, the masculine-voice love of the Monarch’s life, and Phantom Limbs; and many, many more. There is also, H.E.L.P.eR., the Ventures’ very loyal and emotional robot; Pete White, an albino computer scientist; and Master Billy Quizboy, “boy genius” who’s actually in a middle-age man (think Gary Coleman as a scientist and white). Well, that’s about it in a nutshell. Now, onto the episodes! 1. "Dia de Los Dangerous!"—August 7, 2004 1-01. When the Venture Family visits Tijuana for a lecture Dr. Venture is giving at the (community) University of Mexico, the dastardly Monarch weaves a cocoon of villainy that leaves the Venture Brothers trapped in his clutches, Dr. Venture kidney-less and Brock...dead? If only Dr. Venture would return his calls... This was a pretty good episode, not the funniest, but they were just starting; and it takes a while for a show to hit its stride. It’s still pretty good and introduces the characters really well. It’s a nice first episode. 7/10. 2. "Careers in Science"—August 14, 2004 1-02 The Venture Family must travel to space to repair an orbiting space station that Dr. Venture's father built in the 1970's, but a mysterious space phantom could be haunting the station! This gets even more intense as Brock's presence adds heat to an already tense romantic relationship between the station's two officers, Colonel Bud Manstrong and Lieutenant Anna Baldavitch. It didn’t take this show long to hit its stride. This episode is really funny, with Brock sleeping with the butter-face Baldavitch with Hank and Dean cheering him on, thinking he’s fight “Phantom Spaceman”; Dr. Venture nearly killing Brock when he’s flipping switches trying to get that “Problem” light to go off and accidentally opening the cargo doors; and H.E.L.P.eR. flying around space. It’s a really good episode. 9/10. 3. "Mid-Life Chrysalis"—September 25, 2004 1-03 The Monarch sends Dr. Girlfriend undercover to seduce Dr. Venture in order to inject him with a body-altering serum. Meanwhile, Brock is deeply depressed to learn his secret agent license to kill has expired, but the boys are hell-bent on helping him cram for his government exam. This was a pretty good episode. The best part of Brock taking the test, though Dr. Venture being turned into a caterpillar seemed a little weak. Still a good episode. 7/10. 4. "Eeney, Meeney, Miney... Magic!"—September 4, 2004 1-04 Dr. Venture's new experiment has the entire family interested, not to mention trapped inside! The Ventures' strange new neighbor, master of mysticism Dr. Orpheus, may be the only one who can help them escape. Meanwhile, Dean falls for Dr. Orpheus's teenaged daughter; and Brock has an encounter with his old flame, Molotov Cocktease. This is a very good episode, as it introduces us that wonderfully overdramatic necromancer: DOCTOR BYRON ORPHEUS!!!! He’s hilarious, and this episode is a good introduction to him. 8/10. 5. "The Incredible Mr. Brisby"—August 28, 2004 1-05 Dr. Venture is offered a job by theme park owner and cartoon magnate Roy Brisby, who won't take no for an answer in his quest for worldwide entertainment dominance. Meanwhile, the boys are given the Patty Hearst treatment by the Orange County Liberation Front, a group of militant suburbanites who want to take down Brisby's empire. Brock enlists the aid of former lover and fellow superspy Molotov Cocktease to "mount" a rescue, but she may have her own agenda. This episode features a wonderful parody of Walt Disney, a terrorist group based in Orange County that brainwashes Hank and Dean, the sexy yet unavailable Molotov Cocktease, Dr. Venture being drugged and thinking he’s Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” and a giant panda. What’s not to love! 10/10. 6. "Tag Sale – You're It!"—October 9, 2004 1-06 Always short on cash, Dr. Venture decides to unload some of his father's old scientific equipment in a huge yard sale that attracts fellow scientists and supervillains alike. Everyone is supposed to be on their best behavior, but the Monarch can't resist the temptation to wreak havoc once he finds himself inside the "belly of the beast"...and in desperate need of a bathroom. Another great episode. It marks Baron Ünderbheit's debut, with a disgusting scene where he removes his jaw, as well as Phantom Limb’s. It also has a hilarious security agent who likes to punish men who disobey him by making them wear dresses. There’s a great fight scene started when the Monarch shoots Ünderbheit in the butt, and he thinks some guy looking at Playboy featuring Sarah Michelle Gel-LAR is responsible. And, we learn that you don’t want to incure the WRATH OF THE MONARCH!!!! (That means he’ll take a dump in your toilet and won’t flush.) 10/10. 7. "Home Insecurity"—August 21, 2004 1-07 To protect the Venture compound while Brock is on his yearly mountain survival sabbatical, Dr. Venture builds a panic room and a robotic bodyguard, which are soon put to the test when both the Monarch's and Baron Ünderbheit's henchmen choose the same night to launch attacks. While the supervillains bicker over who has dibs on Dr. Venture, Brock is busy befriending the strangest couple in the Cascadian mountains, and H.E.L.P.eR. runs away in a fit of jealousy. This is a good episode, but it will give you the creeps with thoughts of the Six Million Dollar Man getting romantic with a Sasquatch. EWWW!!!! 8/10. 8. "Ghosts of the Sargasso"—September 11, 2004 1-08 On a scientific expedition in the Bermuda Triangle, Doc's experimental equipment awakens and possibly enrages the submerged ghost of Major Tom, a test pilot who crashed in an experimental aircraft designed by Doc's father. While there, the Venture's hydrofoll is hijacked by a group of fake ghost pirates who've been stranded in the sargassum since Jesus Jones was popular. If you like pirates, David Bowie references, and a guy using his butt to swing a pirate around into killing another pirate, then this is the episode for you. The best part is Dr. Venture running around the bottom of the sea, looking for that experimental aircraft, especially at the end. 10/10. 9. "Ice Station – Impossible!"—September 18, 2004 1-09 Dr. Venture, Pete White, and Master Billy Quizboy are invited to take part in a top secret government think tank run by supergenius Professor Impossible (coincidentally their former college professor), but Doc's life is in jeopardy once he learns the dark secrets of Impossible's sequestered family. Meanwhile, Hank has become a walking time bomb thanks to a stolen Cold War serum, and Brock and Dean are in a race against the clock to save him. I liked this episode, especially for the Fantastic Four reference: you have a Mr. Fantastic who’s a huge egotistical jerk, which is pretty much what Mr. Fantastic is like today; an Invisible Woman who can only turn her skin invisible, a Human Torch who can’t control his powers; and the Thing if he was mentally retarded. I also like the Race Bannon appearance. Interesting side note, the creator of the show, Jackson Publick, was going to use a character based on Bannon for episode until he learned that Cartoon Network owned the rights to the show Johnny Quest and decided to use the actual character. 10/10. 10. "Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean"—October 2, 2004 1-10 The Monarch finally has the Venture family right where he wants them, hanging upside down above the Amazon River! But, his victory is postponed when Dean suffers a strange ailment: according to the bylaws of the Guild of Calamitous Intent, a temporary truce must be called in order to get Dean medical attention, so Brock and Hank are held as collateral. Doc calls on his friends, Master Billy Quizboy and Pete White, to help Dean with his mysterious ailment. This is a hilarious episode. I mean, it basically says that there is a supervillain organization that will torture kids if they are healthy but won’t if they are sick and/or injured and will let them get medical treatment! I also enjoyed Brock attacking the Monarch’s henchmen simply to give the villain something to do and the Monarch acting all paternal to Hank. Though, I didn’t like Dean’s ailment, mainly because it was testicular torsion. I imagine it’s as painful as it sounds. However, the scene where Dr. Venture gets his friends to cheer Dean up after his surgery is hilarious, as is the testicular torsion PSA at the end of the episode. 9/10. 11. "Past Tense"—October 16, 2004 1-12 When Brock and Dr. Venture are kidnapped from the funeral of a college friend, the boys enlist the aid of the original Team Venture: a group of superscience adventurers who worked for their grandfather in the 1960s. Meanwhile, the mysterious kidnapper reveals the secret of his twenty year old grudge through a series of flashbacks to when he, Brock, Doc, Baron Ünderbheit and Pete White were all in college together. This is my favorite episode of Season 1. I mean, some guy kidnaps his college buddies at his funeral because they wronged him college, and these “wrongs” mainly revolved around his obsession with some girl he had a crush on in college, which extended to him stalking the girl and building robots with her face on them. I also enjoyed the part where Brock escapes and attacks the old Team Venture. And, the original Team Venture is wonderful: you have Colonel Horace Gentleman, a gay version of James Bond, complete with Sean Connery voice; Kano, a silent martial artist/origami folder; Otto Aquarius, the exiled fish-man from Atlantis who is now a Mormon; and The Action Man, who appeared in the “Ghosts of the Sargasso” episode, once a tower of physical fitness, he’s now a shell of his former self and will die in two years from a stroke because Dr. Orpheus said so. All in all, this is a wonderful episode. 10/10. 12. "The Trial of the Monarch"—October 23, 2004 1-13 The Monarch is on trial for the one crime he may not have committed, under mysterious circumstances stemming from his bitter breakup with Dr. Girlfriend. The boys and Dr. Orpheus are forced to testify, but only Brock is aware that something far more sinister is afoot. This is the Monarch at his best, from his anger at the tell-all book written about him to his jealously of Dr. Girlfriend to his overly dramatic outbursts. There is also a hilarious fantasy sequence at the beginning of the episode; it’s basically Hank and Dean’s testimony in which Hank is Indiana Jones, Dean is Thomas Magnum of Magnum, P.I., Brock is himself but with a nice suit and castrating a giant ancient statue, the Monarch is a much better villain that he is in real life, and Hank and Dean can turn into an Anime robot of Shiva, the Hindu goddess. 10/10. 13. "Return to Spider-Skull Island"—October 30, 2004 1-11 Dr. Venture finally learns the secret of his recurring nightmares when a stomach tumor turns out to be something far more sinister: his twin brother he consumed in the womb! In a fit of jealousy over their mistaken belief their father is pregnant, the boys run away from home. But, their newfound freedom is short lived once they run afoul of the law and land themselves in a "Scared Straight"-style outreach program headed by none other than the recently incarcerated Monarch. If there’s anything funnier than the Monarch and a gay talking gorilla are running a “Scared Straight” program, then I don’t know what it is. There is also Dr. Orpheus trapping two rednecks into a Homeboy figurine, the Ventures and Brock dressed as characters from “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and a SHOCKING ending. SPOILERS. Two of the monarch’s henchmen accidentally kill Hank and Dean. SPOILERS END. All is all, this is a good episode; and it gives us a new character, Jonas Venture, Jr., Dr. Venture’s twin brother with a baby body and a flipper hand. It’s a good season finale with a great cliffhanger. 9/10. There are also some great special features. The DVD has two bonus episodes: The Pilot "The Terrible Secret of Turtle Bay"—February 16, 2003 0-01 The Venture family travels to New York City, where Dr. Venture is presenting his newest invention to the United Nations. Meanwhile, they are pursued by the Monarch and a mysterious ninja named Otaku Senzuri. This is pretty much like the show, expect the animation is very different. Also, the Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend look very different, and Prof. Impossible makes his first appearance but with a different voice and no name mentioned. In the pilot, Publick’s brother Peter McCulloch does the voice of the stretching scientist; in the “Ice Station — Impossible!” episode, Steven Colbert does the voice. However, this is your typical Venture Bros. It’s about like the first episode: not that great, but still pretty good. 7/10. "A Very Venture Christmas"—December 19, 2004 S1 Dr. Venture throws a Christmas party for many of his friends, but the party goes awry when Dean and Hank find Dr. Orpheus's spell book. Meanwhile, the Monarch has hatched yet another plan to kill Dr. Venture, this time involving a nativity scene booby-trapped with C4 explosive. This is a very good episode, even though it’s only 11 minutes as oppose to the other 22 minute episodes. It has a lot of good moments, like Dr. Venture’s Christmas movies-induced dream; Hank finding some Christmas-theme pornos; Dr. Venture getting “punished” by The Krampus, a Germanic demon that accompanied Saint Nicholas in olden times that meted out punishment to the bad children while Nicholas rewarded the good children with presents; and the Ventures’ X-1 jet crashing in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. It was really good. 9/10. The other features include deleted scenes from several episodes, commentary from the cast and creators, and two mockumentary featurettes: one has the actors who do the voices of Dr. Venture, Dr. Girlfriend, The Monarch, and Henchmen No. 21 and 24 dressing up like the characters they voice and describing what it’s like to “work” on the show; and the other is Pete White and Billy Quizboy narrating a preposterous animating technique for a shot of Hank and Dean doing the “Go Team Venture!” hand sign. All in all, this is a great show. In my mind, it’s not only the best show on Adult Swim; it’s the best animated show on TV today. I mean, it’s hilarious. The characters are wonderfully over-the-top yet still relatable. The episodes are very original and chock full of references from movies, TV, music, comic books, science fiction, and other facets of pop culture that would give any nerd an orgasm. It’s just a wonderful show. Highlight: There’s a part of the “Behind The Scenes Of The Venture Bros. Live Action Movie” featurettes where creators Jason Publick and Doc Hammer yell at “Dr. Venture” until he gets a line a right. It’s hilarious. Highly recommended.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jun 30, 2008 21:45:44 GMT -5
The Venture Bros. Season 2. 2-Disc DVD. Same show, new season. And, this season is better than the first one. When we last left the Ventures and their companions, Dr. Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture had a tumor removed from his body that turned out to be his twin brother Jonas, Jr., that he consumed in the womb. Brock’s hair got burned off, but luckily it was burnt into a nice short number. The Monarch has lost his girlfriend, Dr. Girlfriend, to that “humorless dick” Phantom Limb and was sent to prison. Henchmen Nos. 21 and 24 were out of jobs. And, the big one, Hank and Dean were NO MORE!!!! It takes some big balls to kill the title characters at the end of the first season and have the fans wondering how the show’s going to continue. But, that’s one of the reasons this show is so great. Anyway, ONTO THE EPISODES!!!! 14. "Powerless in the Face of Death"—June 25, 2006 2-20 Life goes on after the tragic deaths of Hank and Dean in this Season Two opener, though Dr. Orpheus seems to be taking it particularly hard. After a month-long sabbatical, Dr. Venture returns to find that his brother Jonas, Jr., has become a doctor himself and has completed several government projects. So, J.J. gives Rusty one of his projects to complete: a teleportation machine, which Dr. Venture tests even though it’s half-way completed and ends up in the wall, TV, and near the sewage dump of a prison. Meanwhile, the Monarch plans to escape from prison. And, we learn the INCREDIBLE secret of the Venture Bros.: SPOILERS. Hank and Dean are clones, and this is 15th death they’ve gone through. SPOILERS END. This is a good episode, and it gives a very good explanation as to how the show will continue. Though, it did seem a bit predictable to me. Nevertheless, it’s still good. Plus, you have a gay gorilla trying to rape the Monarch. I don’t know why, but I find that hilarious. 8/10. 15. "Hate Floats"—July 2, 2006 2-19 Things return to normal in the lives of the Ventures. The Monarch confronts Dr. Girlfriend in a mall food court while his new henchmen stumble upon the Venture family shopping. Then, things get out of control when the Monarch’s new henchmen take over his cocoon. This all leads to Phantom Limb and Brock Samson teaming up to rescue Dr. Girlfriend and the Ventures; Dr. Girlfriend, Hank, and Dean teaming up to rescue Phantom Limb, Brock, and Dr. Venture; and the Monarch, Henchman No. 21, Henchman No. 24, and Dr. Venture teaming up to overtake the Monarch’s cocoon. With the Monarch trying to rebuild his empire to three rescue missions going on at once, what’s not to love about this episode? Plus, Brock kills a guy by sticking the guy’s finger up his own butt. 9/10. 16. "Love-Bheits"—August 20, 2006 2-14 On their way home from a Halloween costume party, the Ventures crash land in Ünderland. Baron Ünderbheit captures them, obsessed with taking revenge on Dr. Venture, but mistakes Dean for a girl and attempts to make him the 8th Baroness of Ünderland. Meanwhile, Brock, Hank, and Dr. Venture are rescued by Catclops and Girl Hitler's underground resistance group. Another great episode with lots love. I mean, you have the Ventures losing a costume contest because Hank dressed up as Batman instead of a Star Wars character, much like the previous year when they went as Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and Batman and the year before that when they went as the awesome rock group composed of Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehely, and Batman. Plus, Baron Ünderbheit mistakes Dean for a girl, also hilarious and not hard to see as Dean is very skinny, effeminate, and dressed up as Princess Leia in that “Return Of The Jedi” bikini. And, there is also the resistance group of Catclops and Girl Hitler. For those of you who don’t know, in the Season 1 episode “Home Insecurity,” Baron Ünderbheit nearly killed his top assistants, Catclops (a man with a tiny cat’s head for eyes), Girl Hitler (a German woman who looks like Hitler, complete with mustache), and Manic 8-Ball (a man with an 8-ball costume and can only communicate by shaking himself, allowing for a message to appear in a porthole in his chest, like a magic 8-ball), by giving them tiger balm and then unleashing tigers with bombs attached to their stomachs. GET IT! Tiger BALM—Tiger BOMB! Anyway, they all survived with 8-Ball being tied up in Ünderbheit’s bedroom and Catclops and Girl Hitler starting a resistance group. However, said resistance group is totally useless as their idea of “resistance” is playing practical jokes. Yes, they are going to take down a powerful, Doctor Doom/Darth Vader-like dictator with flaming bags of poop and cat hair in his drinks. The best part of the episode is when Hank, Brock, and Dr. Venture try to stop the wedding of Ünderbheit and Dean, but Brock and Dr. Venture get trapped in a cell. This leaves Hank to try and take on Ünderbheit’s army by himself. Though Brock and Dr. Venture try to talk him out of it, Hank gives a passionate speech about how Dr. Venture tried to isolate and destroy the gay gene and runs off to take on the army of Ünderland, only to fall and cut his tongue on his Batman mask. 10/10. 17. "Escape to the House of Mummies Part II"—July 16, 2006 2-18 Team Venture find themselves trapped in the clutches of a bloodthirsty Egyptian cult and their time machine. Doc narrowly escapes but promptly forgets to mount a rescue when he’s distracted with a bet between him and Dr. Orpheus over whether you can shrink yourself better with science or magic. So it's up to Brock and a pantheon of history's greatest men to find another way out. This is my favorite episode of Season 2 for several reasons. One, it’s a Part 2 episode WITHOUT a part 1. Second, the main plot of Team Venture trying to escape the lair of a time-traveling Egyptian cult quickly becomes the subplot as much of the episodes focuses on Dr. Venture and Dr. Orpheus’s bet on who can shrink themselves first. Third, there are some great scenes with Dr. Orpheus interacting with his mentor in the form of a three-head dog. Fourth, the “main plot” delves into Dean being decapitated but surviving, Hank getting a pet mummy, and Brock enlisting the help of famous men from history: Caligula, Dr. Sigmund Freud, Edgar Allan Poe, and Brock from earlier in the day when the Ventures were captured. And, finally, it turns out there’s a PART III, which is never shown. 10/10. 18. "Twenty Years to Midnight"—August 6, 2006 2-17 In the middle of spring cleaning, Brock's discovery of a lost videotape from Jonas Venture Sr. sets Team Venture off on a global scavenger hunt for the hidden pieces of a fantastic and potentially deadly machine. But to save humanity from a terrible fate, they'll have to overcome death, drug addiction, Jonny Quest, and Professor Impossible, all under the watchful eye of the mysterious Grand Galactic Inquisitor. Another hilarious episode, especially for the Grand Galactic Inquisitor. He’s a 12-foot alien who’s incredibly loud and shouts “IGNORE ME!” a lot. Plus, I loved the Jonny Quest cameo, in which the former boy adventure has become a drug addict and living in a tiny submarine in the ocean. However, Professor Impossible getting stretched out in the end is a little disgusting. 9/10. 19. "Victor. Echo. November."—August 13, 2006 2-15 The Phantom Limb and Dr. Girlfriend agree to a double date with The Monarch and some girl he met "on the LiveJournal" in order to discuss the Monarch's official re-entry into the Guild of Calamitous Intent. Tempers flare, and Doc and Brock become the unwitting pawns in a low-grade pissing contest when Phantom Limb sets the Guild's commandos on the Venture family to prove his dominance. This is good episode. It shows just how badass Brock can be when he kills a bunch of people in the nude. Also, I loved the various origins of Phantom Limb; and Dr. Venture mistaking the musical “The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas” for a porno. 9/10. 20. "Assassinanny 911"—July 9, 2006 2-16 When Brock is asked by the Office of Secret Intelligence to track down a rogue agent, he makes a deal with the Nobodyenary Molotov Cocktease to protect the Venture Compound from enemies within and without during his absence. This is a good episode but a little disturbing. It shows us how Brock became the man he is today and how he met Molotov Cocktease. Their first meeting is so wonderful, and it isn’t hard to see why Brock fell in love with the girl. And, Cocktease teaches the Ventures how to be independent from Brock, complete with shooting a submachine gun at them. As for the disturbing parts, we have Dean falling for Molotov and getting pricked by the blade of her stiletto-boot that’s laced with a hallucinogen that causes Dean to want to kill his father as the Doors’ “The End” plays in the background. And, Brock is sent to kill his old mentor, who left the spy business to get a sex change operation. We even see the man post-op. It’s creepy because he has nice breast…I should stop now. 8/10. 21. "Fallen Arches"—September 3, 2006 2-22 When the Guild of Calamitous Intent finally approves Dr. Orpheus for his very own arch-nemesis, he calls upon his old friends Jefferson Twilight and the Alchemist to resurrect their former super-team, The Order of the Triad. This is another good episode. I mean, you have Dean trying to impress Triana with the worst production of "Lady Windermere's Fan" of all time Dr. Venture going on and on about his giant walking eye, Henchmen Nos. 21 and 24 trying to become supervillains themselves with jetpacks, the Monarch putting a hooker through hell, and a supervillain leaving the stinkiest dump aftersmell of all time. Lots of good stuff in this one. 9/10. 22. "Guess Who's Coming to State Dinner?"—September 10, 2006 2-21 When the Gargantua-1 Space Station breaks orbit and crashes into a number of wanted terrorists, Colonel Bud Manstrong becomes a national hero. But did it really happen, or is Bud's mother, the indomitable Mrs. Manstrong, behind an insidious plot to assassinate the President? The mysterious blinking bandage on Bud's neck might be the key to a mystery only the ghost of Abraham Lincoln and Team Venture can solve. If you like “The Manchurian Candidate,” then this episode is for you. Or not; I don’t know. Anyway, we have the return of super-square Bud Manstrong, with his foul-mouth and horny-for-Brock mother. Also, we has Lincoln’s ghost trying to stop the assassination plot of the President with Hank, Dean, and a lot of 5 dollar bills. Plus, we learn the wonderful powers of club soda. 10/10. 23. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills"—September 24, 2006 2-23 The Monarch continues to rebuild his villainous empire with the aid of his shadowy new Number 2, Dr. Henry Killinger, but #21 is suspicious of the good Doctor's unctuous charms. Meanwhile, as Dr. Orpheus attempts to exorcise a Japanese demon from Dr. Venture, a mysterious woman from Doc’s past resurfaces... In this episode, we meet the woman who may or may not be Hank and Dean’s mother. There’s a good possibility that she is or just some crazy woman whom Dr. Venture banged once. Also, the Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend get back together, thanks to an evil Henry Kissinger, which may be the actual Henry Kissinger. And, Brock pulls out another badass move by stopping the crazy woman by simply falling back into the car she’s about to hit him with. It’s just another reason why you don’t want to smurf with Brock Samson. 10/10. 24. "¡Viva los Muertos!"—October 1, 2006 2-24 When Dr. Venture finally succeeds in attaining the holy grail of superscience, the revivification of a human corpse for fun and profit, a washed up gang of wandering former teen sleuths is convinced that the Venture Compound is haunted. Their investigation uncovers something far creepier. Meanwhile, Orpheus shepherds Brock through a crisis of conscience with the help of a New Age shaman and a bizarre tea party. This is weirdest episode of the whole series, and that’s saying something. I mean, we have a crazier and more evil version of the Scooby Doo gang, Dr. Venture creating his own Frankenstein monster, and Brock having a drug dream involving a pink dolphin and giant version of his mentor, who’s naked with his female body. A very sexy giant female body…I better stop again. 10/10. 25. "Showdown at Cremation Creek (Part I)"—October 8, 2006 2-25 The Monarch finally (for, roughly, the fourth time) has Team Venture in his clutches at the one time he doesn’t want them: smack dab in the middle of the social event of the supervillain season. The stage is set for a deadly, ultimate showdown between The Monarch and Phantom Limb for the hand of Dr. Girlfriend. The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend are GETTING MARRIED!!!! And, the Monarch’s henchmen finally capture the Ventures right when he doesn’t want them to. Plus, guest appearance by David Bowie (Note: David Bowie did not actually lend his voice for this episode; it was just a crappy impersonator.) Also, Phantom Limb shows some badassery by hunting the prisoners who helped the Monarch escape and attacking the wedding of the Monarch. Just a very good first parter. 9/10. 26. "Showdown at Cremation Creek (Part II)"—October 15, 2006 2-26 As Phantom Limb makes his stunning power play, only Brock can rally The Monarch’s forces to mount a defense. The fate of almost everyone in the Venture universe hangs in the balance as The Sovereign reveals his true identity and guys and stuff explode all over the place. And, this is a very good second parter. Brock shows how cool he can be, even wearing a butterfly costume. Phantom Limb becomes the Sovereign of the Guild of Calamitous Intent by taking out David Bowie. Yes, David Bowie runs a supervillain organization. And when you he couldn’t get any cooler, Bowie does. Plus, Dean has a hilarious hallucination involving him saving a magic kingdom. And, the Order of the Triad and the Sullustan from “Return of the Jedi” (they materialized him from a Star Wars trading card in the previous episode) come to the rescue, with hilarious results. Also, this episodes ends in a cliffhanger: after leaving the attack unharmed, the Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend go on their honeymoon. However, Dr. Girlfriend has a secret for the Monarch, but we have no idea what it is as the episode ends without the horrible secret being revealed. Though, it seems obvious what that secret might be. POSSIBLE SPOILERS. She used to be a dude. POSSIBLE SPOILERS END. All in all, this was a good episode with a nice cliffhanger, but the cliffhanger at the end of the first season was better. 9/10. There aren’t that many special features: commentary from the cast and creators, a whole bunch of deleted scenes, and a tour of Astro Base Go!, the production company that makes the show. Though there might not be much features, they are good ones. As for Season 2, it is very good and much better than the first one. In the first season, the show was trying to find its ground; and it didn’t take long for it to do so. With this season, it just got better and better; and this season should be indication that The Venture Bros. will be just as good or get a lot better in the years to come. Highlight: The beginning of “I Know Why the Caged Bird Kills.” The Monarch pulls off one incredibly badass entrance when he ambushes the Venture. His men are at top form, there are huge explosions, a lot of people die, etc. It’s the best one he’s ever done. However, it turns out he hadn’t attacked Venture compound but rather the offices of his accounting firm. It’s the funniest entrance I’ve seen. Highly recommended.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Sept 13, 2008 22:24:59 GMT -5
DVD review time. The Life And Times With Mr. Perfect. 2-Disc DVD Curt Hennig was one of the best wrestlers of all time. He was a former AWA World Heavyweight Champion and the longest reigning Intercontinental Champion of the 1990s. He was great in the ring, a good technical wrestler with some high flying and brawling skills. And, he was very charismatic and good on the mic. Outside of the ring, he was pretty good at anything he tried: baseball, basketball, football, hockey, golf, darts, bowling, chess, ping pong, diving, hunting, fishing, etc. He was absolutely PERFECT. Ironically, this DVD is not. You see, a lot is left out. There are no details about Curt's relationship with Verne Gagne in the AWA. There’s no delving into how Hulk screwed Curt out of winning the Rumble, resulting in Curt winning the IC belt. There is no real mention of his feud with Hulk Hogan in 1989 except for some vignettes and a WWF Title Match against Hogan. There’s no real mention of his babyface run in 1993 except for one match against Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam 1993. The documentary doesn’t mention his WM X comeback and leaving again for awhile (most likely cause Lex is involved). His interference for Hunter during the Mero match was overstated and misrepresented, like he was Triple H's manager or something. No reason is really given for why Curt left for WCW, i.e. no "problems" with Vince. It didn’t mention much about his time in WCW and didn’t go into much detail about the feud between the West Texas Rednecks and the No Limit Soldiers, i.e. they just said that Curt was in a group called the West Texas Rednecks and didn’t mention the Soldiers at all, which is a real shame because we have deprived of Swoll saying “Hoody Hoo!” on DVD! The "Plane Ride From Hell" isn’t mentioned at all; hell, they didn’t even state why Curt was released from WWE in 2002. There is no delving in to why he was doing cocaine. The DVD doesn’t feature his match against Tito Santana in which he won the Intercontinental Title, the King Of The Ring match with Bret Hart (though that is on the Bret Hart DVD), the tag match with Macho Man against Ric Flair and Razor Ramon at the 1992 Survivor Series, the Loser Leaves Town match against Flair on RAW (thought that is on the RAW 15th Anniversary DVD, no matches with Flair in WCW, and no match from his 2002 WWE run. And, it skips too much in between, 1993 and 1998. However, this DVD shows how good WWE is at putting together DVDs: even though it is pretty much half-assed, it is still a damn good DVD. The documentary focuses more on Curt Hennig the person rather than his career. It doesn’t really focus on the negatives of Curt’s life but rather spotlights the positives, which was really nice. It’s also a little sad considering how Curt died and everyone talking about it. But, that doesn’t hinder the DVD, only adds to it. Other good parts of the documentary are Wade Boggs appearing on it and sharing the story of how Curt saved his life on a hunting trip. His first stint in the WWF in 1982 is mention; there’s even a match from that era with Eddie Gilbert. And, the DVD features appearances from Tony Garea, Hulk Hogan (near the end of the doc), and Brock Lesnar (this was filmed when he was with the company). But, the real treats of this DVD are the special features. It has Hennig’s Hall Of Fame induction, the “Rap Is Crap” music video, several vignettes of Curt being Perfect (the documentary also talked about the filming of the vignettes, and Bruce Prichard killed the myth of Hennig being Perfect; apparently, Hennig could do all the things he did on the vignette, just not when he was being filmed. When he knew the camera was on, he couldn’t hit a basket or get bull’s eye to save his life. So, Prichard and director Kerwin Silfies just didn’t tell him he was being filmed, filmed his rehearsals, and then edited the vignettes so that he did look perfect), and a few stories about Curt. There are also very good matches on the DVD, but not many. Most of the time is taken up by a 60 minute match between Hennig and Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA World Heavyweight Title. However, it is a very good match. There are also the aforementioned matches with Michaels, Gilbert, and Hogan as well as a rare match with Terry Taylor, the match in which Hennig and Scott Hall become AWA Tag Team Champions by beating Steve Regal (not the British one) and Jimmy Garvin, an Intercontinental Title match against Kerry Von Erich with Roddy Piper as referee, and three matches with Bret Hart: one from 1989, the SummerSlam 1991 Intercontinental Title Match, and one from Uncensored 1998. Honestly though, they could have taken off one of those Hart matches and put on a different from, preferably one from his WCW run; he had some great matches during that time. And, there are five Easter Eggs on the DVD. On Disc 1, hit right two times on the "Rap is Crap" music video under Special Features to see the live performance of Rap is Crap on Thunder; hit right two times on "Curt Loved Karaoke" under Special Features to hear Chris Jericho tell a story about how Curt lit a stink bomb when he and some nWo guys were under the ring; hit left two times on "Mr. Perfect" under Chapters to see a AWA Promo; and hit right two times on "The Prankster" under Chapters to hear Wade Boggs tell a Hennig rib story. On Disc 2, hit left two times on "Mr. Perfect vs Hulk Hogan" under scene selection to see Mr. Perfect destroying the WWF Heavyweight Title. All in all, it’s a good DVD, but it could be better. It isn’t perfect. But, Curt Hennig sure as hell was. Highlight: it’s a tie between the vignettes with the Genius on them (Lanny Poffo is so hilarious on them, especially with the way he looks at Hennig like he’s in love with Perfect) and Hennig’s selling of Hulk Hogan’s atomic drop (the man flew like Superman). Recommended, but remember it isn’t the best DVD WWE has made. Also, thanks to Triple Kelly, heyguesswhatidid, and darthpipes. I used there posts in the Mr. Perfect DVD thread to help put this review together. They’re on page 2 in case you want to see them: realwrestlecrap.proboards89.com/index.cgi?board=WWE&action=display&thread=129366&page=1
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Nov 4, 2008 23:38:39 GMT -5
It’s time for a DVD review: The Incredible Hulk 3-Disc DVD My favorite superhero is the Hulk. That shouldn’t be a shocker, considering that “Hulk” is in my screen name. I’ve just always liked the Hulk. He’s the most sympathetic superhero I’ve seen (except for Rogue). And, it would be a lot of fun to be able to destroy as much property that the Hulk does. Anyway, I’ve read the comics and watched the TV show, animated series, and the movies. There have been two. You may remember the first Hulk movie from back in 2003: It was made by Ang Lee, starred Eric Bana (Bruce Banner/Hulk), Jennifer Connelly (Betty Ross), Sam Elliot (Gen. Ross), Josh Lucas (Glenn Talbot), and Nick Nolte (David Banner/The Absorbing Man). Not a lot of people liked it (even though it made $245.36 million). So, Universal Studios and Marvel decided it would be better to ignore that movie ever existed and reboot the franchise. Louise Leterrier was made director, and it starred Edward Norton (Banner/Hulk), Liv Tyler (Betty Ross), William Hurt (Gen. Ross), Tim Roth (Emil Blonsky/The Abomination), and Tim Blake Nelson (Dr. Samuel Sterns (AKA The Leader, but he didn’t really become The Leader until the end). Here’s the plot. There are spoilers, so if you don’t want the movie spoiled: A montage during the opening credit sequence details the film's backstory and the origin of the Hulk. General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross (Hurt) meets with Dr. Bruce Banner (Norton), the colleague and lover of his daughter Betty (Tyler). He wants him to revive a World War II-era military bio-force project, but tells Banner the goal of the experiment is to make human beings immune to gamma radiation. The experiment fails, transforming Banner into the monstrous Hulk (voiced by Lou Ferrigno), and injuring Betty. Now a fugitive from the United States Army, Banner has been on the run for five years. As the film opens, Banner works at a soda bottling factory in Brazil while searching for a cure for his condition (through analyzing the properties of certain rare, Amazonian plants and herbs) with the help of a colleague on the Internet, known only as "Mr. Blue". He is also learning meditative breathing techniques from a martial arts expert (Rickson Gracie) to help regulate his pulse rate and keep his anger under control, and has not transformed in 158 days. After Banner cuts his finger, a drop of his blood ends up in one of the bottles, and is eventually ingested by an ill-fated consumer (Stan Lee) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This accident points Ross to Banner's location and he sends a team, led by Russian-born British special ops expert Emil Blonsky (Roth), to capture him. Banner escapes Blonsky by transforming into the Hulk and fighting off his team inside the bottle factory. After Ross explains how Banner first became the Hulk, a vengeful Blonsky agrees to be injected with the super soldier serum, which gives him increased strength, speed, agility, reflexes, endurance and healing. Meanwhile, Banner returns to Culver University (where the Hulk was born) in the United States and reunites with Betty, who is dating psychiatrist Leonard Samson (Ty Burrell). On the day he decides to leave, Ross and Blonsky's forces attack Banner at Culver University to draw out the Hulk, having been tipped off by the suspicious Samson. The Hulk wins the battle and flees with Betty. After he calms down, Banner and Betty go on the run. After several stops, Banner again makes contact with "Mr. Blue", who urges them to travel to New York City to meet him. He turns out to be cellular biologist Dr. Samuel Sterns (Nelson), a college professor. They learn that Sterns has developed a possible antidote that may cure Banner's condition, or merely reverse each individual transformation. After a successful test, Sterns reveals that he has synthesized Banner's blood sample (which he sent from Brazil) into a large supply with the intention of using it to enhance the human condition to the next evolutionary level. Appalled by what Sterns had done and fearful of the Hulk's power falling into the wrong hands, Banner attempts to convince Sterns to destroy the blood supply, but he is attacked by Ross' forces and he and Betty are taken into custody. As Sterns goes with an interrogation with a female soldier about his work, Blonsky strikes her down and demands Sterns to inject him with Banner's blood sample. Sterns warns that the combination of the supersoldier formula (which Blonsky has overdosed on, mutating his skeleton) and a gamma treatment would be an unpredictable combination that could turn him into an "abomination". Unconcerned, Blonsky forces Sterns to administer the gamma charge, and he mutates into a powerful monster. He knocks Sterns aside and escapes, rampaging through Harlem to draw the Hulk out. At the lab, an irradiated sample of Banner's blood-derivative drips into an open wound on Sterns' temple, causing his cranium to mutate and expand. Banner, realizing that he is the only one who can stop the monster, convinces General Ross to release him. He falls from Ross' helicopter as it hovers over the city, hoping the fall will trigger a transformation. Banner's plan succeeds, and after a brutal battle, the Hulk defeats Blonsky by nearly strangling him to death with a huge chain, relenting his grip only after Betty's plea. The Hulk then flees. Thirty-one days later, Banner is in Bella Coola, British Columbia. Instead of trying to suppress his transformations, he is attempting to initiate them in a controlled manner. As his eyes turn green, a grin appears on his face. Meanwhile, General Ross is drinking in a bar when he is approached by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) who reveals that a "team" is being put together. END OF SPOILERS!!!! CONTINUE READING!!!! The movie was pretty good. I enjoyed it. Though, I slightly liked the 2003 Hulk movie better. That isn’t to say that this Hulk movie wasn’t an improvement over the first one. There were a lot of things about this movie that I liked over the other one: It was shorter. The 24-style multiple shots on screen weren’t there; I liked those, but they got very distracting after a while. It had a much more satisfying climactic battle; the Abomination just makes more sense to be the villain for a Hulk movie. Plus, I could see this fight, unlike the Hulk and Absorbing Man’s battle in the dark in the 2003 movie; you couldn’t have had that fight at daytime Ang Lee, or at the very least, have a full moon present. Norton gives a much better performance than Bana. And, the references to the TV show and comic book were nice. But, there were some things I liked from the 2003 movie over this one: I like William Hurt; he’s a fantastic actor. However, he just wasn’t the right fit for Gen. Ross. Sam Elliot was a much better casting choice. Plus, I didn’t really like how Gen. Ross’s character was portrayed in this movie. He came off as too much of a villain, as a man driven to possess the power of the Hulk. In the comics, he’s much more likeable as a man who is an antagonist to the Hulk but just wants to put him down so that the Hulk doesn’t hurt a lot people. That makes him very sympathetic and likeable, but I never saw that in this movie, which is a shame, because Hurt could have really played that up well, having a little bit more range than Elliot. His performance felt like he was trying to force anger out of himself that wasn’t there. And, I didn’t like how the Hulk looked in this film. I know a lot of people said that the Hulk in the 2003 movie looked like Shrek, but in this one, he didn’t look any better. I would say that he looked like Shrek on steroids. As for the movie as a whole, it was good, but it was playing to action fans who just want fights and explosions and don’t care about plot and dialogue. The Hulk has all sorts of interesting aspects to his personality. You have two beings fighting for control: an intelligent man and a destructive brute. There is a war raging inside of Bruce Banner, and he is trying desperately to win it. But, the Hulk, while dumber than Banner, usually ends up prevailing over the smarter man. A lot of people just see the Hulk as “HULK SMASH,” but there are a lot more complex issues to the character. The 2003 movie really played these issues up, but the 2008 movie pretty much ignore. I’m not surprised: the 2003 movie was directed by Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee, who has made such films as “Sense And Sensibility” and “Brokeback Mountain.” The 2008 movie was made by Louis Leterrier, who has made the Transporter movies. Those are basically the problems with both movies: the 2003 movie emphasized substance over style; the 2008 movie emphasized style over substance. I feel that the best Hulk movie is the one that can blend style and substance together. The special features include an alternate opening, that has a glimpse of Captain America (blink and you’ll miss it), deleted scenes, The Making of The Incredible Hulk, an in-depth look at the making of the blockbuster film, featuring interviews with Edward Norton, director Louis Leterrier, and producers Avi Arad, Kevin Feige and Gale Anne Hurd and the entire cast and crew that covers the film’s innovative take on the character, look and storyline, as well as the casting process, production and profile of director Louis Leterrier; Becoming The Hulk, this featurette focuses on Edward Norton’s approach to the iconic role and the incredible visual effects employed by award-winning studio Rhythm & Hues to create the character on screen; Becoming The Abomination, from the first motion-capture session to the visual effects at Rhythm & Hues, viewers go behind the scenes with actor Tim Roth and watch as he transforms both his mind and body into the super villain known as The Abomination; Anatomy of a Hulk Out, behind-the-scenes looks at three of the movie’s most exciting action sequences: Hulking Out in the Bottling Plant, go inside the first action sequence of the film where both viewers and the army are given a glimpse of the Hulk to come; Hulking Out on Campus, a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a Hulk action sequence, featuring airplanes, guns, and even a sound machine; Hulking Out in Harlem, from pre-visualization animatics to visual effects, this featurette shows how filmmakers created one of the largest action sequences in Marvel film history; and From Comic Book to Screen, see the incredible comic books come to life courtesy of narration, sound effects and “living” panels of action. Also, the third disc of the DVD is a digital version of the film. All in all, these featurettes don’t add much to the film. I mean, you have your standard making of featurettes and deleted scenes that were deleted for a reason (that means they weren’t good). The only special feature worth anything is the alternate opening. It’s the one scene that really shows the inner turmoil going on inside of Bruce Banner’s mind. I don’t know why it was cut! Hell, if it had been the actual opening, there wouldn’t be any reason for you to get the regular DVD without any special features, unless you HAVE to know how they made the Hulk on computers. Highlight: HULK SMASH!!!! Yeah, I know I said the Hulk is more than “HULK SMASH,” but Goddammit! When the Hulk said that and opened a can of whoop ass on the Abomination, it was very fucking SWEET! Recommended for the single disc edition; mildly recommended for the 3 disc edition.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Nov 11, 2008 23:04:00 GMT -5
What’s this? Another DVD Review? Futurama: Bender's Game Yeah, this is another review of a straight-to-DVD Futurama movie. Yeah, I’m gonna review them all! Big whoop! Wanna fight about it? No, well then, I’ll continue: THIS IS ANOTHER LONG DETAIL SYNOPSIS OF THE PLOT OF THE MOVIE!!!! IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE MOVIE AND DON’T WANT THE MOVIE SPOILED FOR YOU, THEN: Due to an apparent shortage of dark matter, which is used to power starships, fuel prices have begun to rise, prompting Professor Farnsworth to prohibit flying the ship unless absolutely necessary. However, Leela has begun to develop anger issues, leading her to enter the ship in a demolition derby. As punishment for wasting precious fuel, as well as a means to control her temper, Leela is forced to wear a shock collar that activates whenever she has a violent thought. Meanwhile, Bender feels left out when he sees Cubert and Dwight playing Dungeons & Dragons and can't play because robots are not installed with imaginations. Trying as hard as he can, Bender manages to imagine himself as a medieval knight named "Titanius Anglesmith" and joins the game. However, since he was never meant to have an imagination, Bender believes himself to be a real knight in the magical world of "Cornwood" and, after being subdued during a rampage through the city, is sent to the HAL Institute, a robot insane asylum. Farnsworth learns that Mom, who controls the dark matter industry, has amassed a record-breaking fortune despite investing heavily on her dark matter mine in Alaska. As it turns out, the "shortage" is a ploy Mom is using for profit. Farnsworth reveals that when he was still working for Mom many years ago, dark matter was a completely useless substance. While experimenting with it, he inadvertently produced two crystals: an energy crystal that turned dark matter into fuel, which Mom took for herself, and an opposite "anti-backwards matter" crystal, which Farnsworth kept hidden. Farnsworth says that should the two crystals ever meet, they would render dark matter useless once more. The anti-crystal, now believed to be missing, is currently being used as a 12-sided die in the kids' game. Learning this, Mom sends her sons Walt, Larry, and Igner to retrieve it, but Farnsworth manages to find it first, and he, Fry, and Leela take it to Mom's dark matter mine to put an end to her plans. Infiltrating the mine, the crew learns that it is actually a farm where Nibbler and countless other Nibblonians are forced to excrete unlimited amounts of dark matter. The three are spotted by Igner who, having overheard a startling secret Mom revealed about him to Walt and Larry, helps them escape his brothers. They confront Mom with the energy crystal and try to bring the two crystals together, but Farnsworth is forced to swallow it to keep it safe from Mom, who threatens to remove it with laxatives. While this happens, the crystals cause all dark matter in existence to resonate oddly, including the matter Bender had stored within himself, having collected it as "treasure" earlier during his insane crusade. While his imagination is being removed, it reacts to the dark matter resonance and creates the realm Cornwood an alternate universe, sending him, the whole Planet Express crew, Mom and her sons into it. Only Fry and Leela are shown emerging in Cornwood with the anti-crystal; not only that, but Leela has transformed into a centaur, and no one else there seems to have any memories of the real world. They are met by an armored Bender in his "Titanius" persona, who names his friends "Frydo" and "Leegola," respectively. The three are pursued by Mom's sons, now named Waltazar (Walt), Larius (Larry), and Ignus (Igner); in the ensuing confrontation, Frydo accidentally drops the anti-crystal which rolls like a die and lands on a 7, banishing their pursuers to a swamp. They meet up with the Great Wizard Greyfarn (Farnsworth) and learn that the anti-crystal, or the "Die of Power," was created by the evil sorceress Momon (Mom), who hopes to re-obtain its immense power. To stop her, the heroes must travel to Momon's lair in the Geysers of Gygax and cast it into the molten plastic from where it was molded, which is the only way to destroy it. At the start of their quest, the group is stopped by an intersexual centaur named Hermaphrodite (Hermes) who promotes his/her people's nonviolent lifestyle, despite being master archers. He/she refuses to let the group pass through their land, but is such a wimp that the group is able to pass anyway. The heroes decide to traverse the Cave of Hopelessness, home of the dreaded Tunneling Horror. Aiding them is Gynecaladriel (Amy), Queen of the "Water Nymphos" with the ability to seduce anyone. The group is stopped by Zoidberg, now a giant lobster-like creature. Leegola assumes Zoidberg to be the Tunneling Horror and brutally slays him in cold blood, only to learn he is not the same monster. Wracked with guilt over killing an innocent creature, Leegola abandons her friends just as the real Tunneling Horror, a giant worm, emerges, but not before accidentally decapitating Zoidberg by casting her sword aside. Frydo rolls the Die of Power which lands on a 3, which turns Frydo into a giant and allows him to defeat the Tunneling Horror. Frydo begins to grow obsessed over the Die and becomes a mad, impish creature. After a botched attempt to murder his friends, Frydo flees. As Leegola learns the ways of peace from the centaurs, the others travel to Wipe Castle to amass an army against Momon, only to learn Roberto, as its insane king, had sent it on a pointless suicide mission, leaving the heroes to defend Wipe Castle alone as Waltazar and Larius besiege it. Learning that her friends are in trouble, Leegola regains her will to fight and rallies the centaurs into an army, swiftly lifting the siege. Frydo, meanwhile, is met by Zoidberg's still-living head, having sprouted tentacles and survived on its own after being cut off, who offers to help Frydo destroy the Die of Power. Reaching the Geysers of Gygax, Frydo finds he is too attached to the Die to destroy it, so Zoidberg bites him to help him let it go. As Frydo drops the Die, Momon turns into a dragon to stop him. The Die rolls on a 12 which turns Frydo into a dragon as well, and he battles Momon as his friends arrive. Ignus, in his attempt to help the heroes flee from danger, reveals that, having overheard from Momon, he is Greyfarn's son, meaning Igner is Farnsworth's son in the real world. Emotionally overwhelmed, Greyfarn falls from the heroes' perch and lands on Zoidberg who, in his temptation, had stolen the Die of Power, allowing Momon to obtain it and causing Cornwood to collapse on itself. Everyone is suddenly sent back to the real world, regaining their original forms and memories. With the anti-crystal back in his stomach and Mom threatening to remove it again, Farnsworth asks to hug his son Igner, instinctively determining Igner had swallowed Mom's energy crystal in defiance. Their embrace brings the crystals in their stomachs close enough to render dark matter useless and effectively ruining Mom's dark matter empire. As a temporary substitute for fuel, the Planet Express crew uses the captive Nibblonians like sled dogs to pull their ship home. END OF SPOILERS!!!! I liked this movie a lot. It is the best Futurama movie yet; I’ll reserve that judgment for when the fourth one comes out. Sure it doesn’t have a lot of the cool secondary characters (no Zapp Brannigan, Kiff, Hedonismbot, President Nixon’s head, the Robot Devil, etc.), but it does feature some characters that weren’t in the first two movies, like Mom, her sons, Roberto, the robots from the episode “Insane In The Mainframe” (the episode in which Fry and Bender are sent to the HAL Institute for Criminal Insane Robots), Cubert, etc. This movie is very different from the first two. It’s not as confusing as “Bender’s Big Score” with its confusing time paradox filled plot. And, it’s much more exciting than “The Beast With A Billion Backs.” I should point out that I enjoyed the second movie much more than the first, but I do that there were quite a few Futurama fans who felt the opposite. Well, have no fear, this movie is better than the third one. It is pretty much a straight forward adventure with some good references and parodies of Dungeons And Dragons and The Lord Of The Rings. Basically, if you’re a huge nerd, then you’ll love this movie. Another thing I like about this movie was that it didn’t really focus one or two characters. This was more of an ensemble movie. There was only one real subplot: Leela trying to control her anger issues; and that ended up tying back to the overall plot. However, it was more tied in with the plot than Hermes getting decapitated in “Bender’s Big Score” and Amy and Kiff getting married and breaking up in “The Beast With A Billion Backs.” Those were loosely tied to the plot, whereas this subplot end up having a big effect on the end of the movie. Though, I did have one problem with the movie: I felt it took too long to get the magical D&D-like world. That part should have taken up most of the movie as it was more interesting and had funny and sexier moments. Other than that, I enjoyed this movie very much. The special features include audio commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, Billy West, John DiMaggio, Tress MacNeille, Michael Rowe, Claudia Katz, and Dwayne Carey-Hill; storyboard animatic, which is basically the rough storyboard animation of the first 20 minutes of the film; Futurama Genetics Lab, in which to take two characters from a selection (Fry, Leela, Bender, Professor Farnsworth, Dr. Zoidberg, Morbo, and the Hypnotoad), select them, merge them together, and get a photo of what it would look like they had a kid; D&D&F (Dungeons & Dragons & Futurama, which is a featurette in which David X. Cohen, Eric Kaplan, and Mike Rowe (three of the writers of the film) talk about and show scenes of D&D references throughout the show and then play D&D ; How To Draw Futurama In 83 Easy Steps, in which the animators show you how to draw the Futurama characters; 3-D models of the ships in the demolition derby scene with animator discussion; a deleted scene, in which the Cubert and Dwight (Hermes’s son) go get some “ice cream” that taste like “strawberry”…yes, it’s “strawberry” alright; Blooperama 2, which is outtakes from the voice recording for the film (sadly, this one isn’t as long as the one from “The Beast With A Billion Backs”; I guess they didn’t make as many mistakes in this movie); an anti-piracy warning from Bender; and a sneak preview of the fourth Futurama film “Into The Green Wild Yonder” ( I couldn’t really tell what’s going to happen in this movie, but I think that there is some kind of apocalypse going on; what I do know is that it has Zapp Brannigan and the Robot Mafia. ) The special features are much better than the ones from “The Beast With A Billion Backs,” but they’re not as good as the ones from “Bender’s Big Score.” All in all, this is very good DVD. However, it needed to focus more on one specific character: the Hypnotoad! ALL HAIL THE HYPNOTOAD!!!! Highlight: Leegola and Gynecaladriel’s kiss. I found it strangely erotic. I said EROTIC!!!! Recommended, especially for Futurama and Dungeon and Dragons’ fans.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 1, 2009 1:08:05 GMT -5
Here’s a DVD review to ring out 2008 and ring in 2009: Edge: A Decade Of Decadence 3-Disc DVD Throughout the year, I’ve been pondering this question in my mind: Edge, great wrestler or the Greatest Wrestler Of All Time? I mean, sure he is great. But, does Edge deserve the title of the Greatest!? Should he be in the company of Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicklaus, Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, and others? I mean, he does have an impressive resume: 11 time WWF/E World Tag Team Champion with 4 different partners (Christian (7), Chris Benoit (2), Randy Orton (1), and Hulk Hogan (1)) 1 time WWE Tag Team Champion with Rey Mysterio 5 time WWF/E Intercontinental Champion 1 time WCW United States Champion 3 time World Heavyweight Champion 3 time WWE Champion 2001 King Of The Ring First man to win the Money In The Bank Ladder Match and to win it from another competitor Slammy Award Winner for Couple Of The Year with his wife Vickie Guerrero Edge or Copeland or whatever he last name would be now. 14th Triple Crown Winner The stats don’t lie! The man has done practically done it all! But, is it enough to make him the Greatest. I mean, there’s more to being the Greatest than just stats! You also need charisma, poise, intelligence, ruthlessness, skills, talent, good looks, and a nice smile. He has all this, but to be able to show this in the spotlight, with millions of people watching…does he have it? If only I had someway to judge Edge’s greatness! Oh wait! I do! WWE has released a 3 disc set showing the highlights of Edge’s first decade with the company. Sure, there is no documentary, but that can wait until the end of this career. He’s in his prime. So, we shouldn’t give him a send off but a celebration of who he is and how he got to the top! And, here it is: The DVD begins with Edge introducing himself, even though he doesn’t really need any introduction. If you don’t know who Edge is, then you’re a chumpstain!!!! Then, we get a little vignette on Edge struggles in the business before making it to the WWF. After that comes the first match: 1. Edge VS Owen Hart – Breakdown, September 27, 1998. Ah, Edge’s first gimmick: the silent loner. It was a cool gimmick and made stood out. However, Edge proved that he was too good on the mic to be silent for long. Anyway, the match is fantastic. You can really see that Edge has all the tools to one day become a World Champion. And, Owen Hart is in top form as well. Plus, it has an appearance from Christian!!!! All in all this match was a great start to what is shaping up to be a great DVD for an undoubtedly great man. 10/10. (Though, you non-Edgeheads would probably give it a 7/10.) 2. Terri Invitational Tournament-Ladder Match for $100,000 and the managerial services of Terri Runnels: Edge and Christian vs The New Brood(The Hardy Boyz) – No Nobodyy, October 17, 1999. Now, we move on to one of the greatest times in Edge’s career: his tag team days with Christian. Those two guys totally reeked of awesomeness! They held the WWF World Tag Team Titles 7 times and beat chumpstains left and right! They beat teams as easily as they drank soda. By the way, SODAS RULE!!!! This also features one of their main rivals: those dastardly Hardy Boyz! Anyway, this match also set a benchmark for other ladder matches to follow it. The Hardys and Edge and Christian did things in this match that hadn't been done before in ladder matches. However, since then, other ladder matches have overshadowed this one, but it is still a very great match. 10/10. (You non-Edgeheads would have to agree this is a good match, but you all would probably rank it 9/10 simply because you don’t like Edge. I HATE YOU ALL!!!!) Then, we get a little preview for our next match: 3. Triangle Ladder Match For The WWF World Tag Team Titles: Edge And Christian VS The Hardy Boyz VS The Dudley Boyz – WrestleMania 2000, April 2, 2000. This is one of my favorite matches of all time. It was one of the few highlights of an otherwise miserable WrestleMania 2000. I was upset this match didn’t make it onto the Ladder Match DVD from last year, but WWE has made up for it by putting it on this one. This was an incredible match. All six men in the match were making their WrestleMania debuts, and they certainly cemented their legacy by putting their bodies on the line and putting on a classic. It was just a wonderful match with many cool spots. 10/10. (Even you non-Edgeheads would have to give this a 10/10; if not, then you’re just jealous.) Before I go on to the next match, I have one complaint: there’s not enough Edge and Christian! I mean, only two matches! C’mon, WWE! These guys were the greatest tag team of all time! They totally reeked of awesomeness! You could have at least put on one or two more! Anyway, on to the next match: 4. Intercontinental Title Match: Edge VS Lance Storm – SummerSlam, August 19, 2001. Now, this is a contrast of styles: the cool, cockiness of Edge VS the focused, seriousness of Lance Storm. But, these styles were able to come together and put on a great match. Plus, you could see Edge’s skills getting better, doing some things that Owen Hart did to him in the first match. 10/10 (8/10 for you non-Edgeheads.) 5. Intercontinental Title/United States Title Unification Match: Edge VS Test – Survivor Series, November 18, 2001. Edge VS Test!? This must have been a cake walk to Edge! I mean, Test!? That chumpstain! PLEASE!!!! Though, I was amazed that Test was able to get in some offense. I guess being in the presence of greatness made Test step up his game. Though, Edge was still able to pass the Test and unify the Intercontinental and United States Titles. Yes, it wasn’t for long, but he still did it! 10/10. (You non-Edgeheads would give this a 7/10, and I hope it was mainly for Test.) Next, Edge returns! He talks about how beating Test ended his “Best Supporting Actor” days, and it’s true because after that Edge went on to face legends like Mr. Perfect, Kurt Angle, and Eddie Guerrero and even partnered with Hulk Hogan. But, don’t take my word for it: 6. Edge VS Mr. Perfect – Sunday Night Heat, March 3, 2002. SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT!!!!? This match took place on HEAT!!!!? WHAT!? No, no, no! This should have been on PPV or RAW or SmackDown! at the very least. To make matters worse, the commentators are Tazz and Coach. UGH! WWE should have brought Gordon Solie back from the dead to commentate this match! I mean, one of the greatest in the game and Mr. Perfect wrestling, and you waste this on Heat with Coach and Tazz on commentary! For shame, WWE! FOR SHAME!!!! Anyway, this was a great short match. In fact, I would say it was the Greatest Match In The History Of Heat!!!! 10/10. (Non-Edgeheads would give it a 6/10.) 7. Hair VS Hair Match: Edge VS Kurt Angle – Judgment Day, May 19, 2002. I admire Edge’s bravery in putting his golden locks on the line against the likes of Kurt Angle. I mean, Kurt won the Olympic Gold Medals in wrestling; and he did it with a BROKEN FREAKIN’ NECK!!!! Truly, Edge knows no fear. It’s not in his vocabulary. He probably doesn’t even know how to pronounce the word. Not only that but also Edge holds his own and beats Kurt Angle, making him the bald man we all know and love today. This was a great match made even greater due to the fact that Edge saved his lovely hair from the barber’s shears and actually shaved Angle bald. 10/10. (You non-Edgeheads would give it an 8/10, mainly for your precious Kurt Angle. YOU PEOPLE MAKE ME SICK!!!!) 8. Steel Cage Match: Edge VS Kurt Angle – SmackDown!, May 30, 2002. Edge showing no fear again, this time facing Kurt Angle inside of a steel cage! Of course, Angle was wearing that ridiculous wig he wore because of losing the previous match. Edge comes through again, despite being bloodied and Angle escaping the cage when the referee was down. This match also features an appearance from Hulk Hogan and the Hart Family. It’s got it all!!!! 10/10. (8/10 from the non-Edgeheads.) 9. WWE World Tag Team Title Match: Edge and Hulk Hogan VS Billy And Chuck – SmackDown!, July 4, 2002. Now, this is amazing: Edge and Hulk Hogan teaming together. I mean, it must have been an honor to team with one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. I’m sure Hulk Hogan was quite proud to be teaming with Edge. He must have been on cloud nine teaming with Edge, a man who idolized Hogan, in a match for the WWE World Tag Team Titles. Anyway, this was a great tag match. With Billy and Chuck, you might even say that it was FABULOUS!!!! 10/10. (7/10 from the non-Edgeheads.) 10. Edge VS Eddie Guerrero – Unforgiven, September 22, 2002. It’s fitting that the Rated R Superstar would wrestle in L.A. Yeah, I know this match took place before Edge started using that nickname! It’s still fitting! Anyway, Latino Heat and the Rated R Superstar put on a fantastic match. 10/10. (You non-Edgeheads would probably give it a 7/10.) That’s all the matches on Disc 1, but it does have a special feature: The Totally Awesome Best Of Edge And Christian! It’s 5 minutes of some of Edge and Christian’s best promos and 5 second poses for the benefit of flash photography! I’m amazed they only put 5 minutes when that could easily have been a whole disc! In some way, this does make up for the lack of awesome Edge and Christian matches, though there still could have been more! I mean, you can never get enough of Edge and Christian!!!! Well, that ends Disc 1. Onto Disc 2: I’m gonna start off with the special features on this disc. On Disc 2, it was two special matches with Edge and Matt Striker on commentary: Adam Copeland VS Christian – Cornwall, Ontario, November 10, 1997. This is a dark match in which we see a young Edge, before he even was Edge, wrestling against his future partner Christian. Basically, both of these guys were showing off what they could do. You can easily see that both of these guys going to become huge stars, especially Edge. Hell, they were getting the crowd to cheer for them even though those people didn’t know who they were. Truly, a mark of greatness. Plus, you get to hear Edge doing commentary and giving insight about where he was and what he will eventually become. 10/10. (This would rank a 7/10 from you non-Edgeheads.) Intercontinental Title Match: Edge VS Jeff Jarrett – Toronto, Ontario, July 24, 1999. This is when Edge won his first Intercontinental Title in his hometown of Toronto, the day before Fully Loaded 1999. Edge and Matt Striker do commentary again. Anyway, this match proved that he could be such a great wrestler. Sure, his first Intercontinental Title reign only lasted a day, but this match proved that Edge was special, that he could win titles and beat established guys, that Edge would someday become the Greatest. 10/10. (A 6/10 ranking from you non-Edgeheads.) Now, on to the main features: Disc 2 starts off with a vignette about Edge’s return after his neck injury and his feud with Randy Orton in 2004. Then comes the first match on Disc 2: 11. Intercontinental Title Match: Edge VS Randy Orton – Vengeance, July 11, 2004. Before they were partners as Rated RKO and dominating RAW, Edge and Orton were enemies, fighting over the Intercontinental Title. And, this was a great battle for that title. It was definitely worthy of the prestigious legacy the title has. 10/10. (Which would be a non-Edgehead 8/10 ranking.) 12. Street Fight: Edge VS Shawn Michaels – RAW, February 28, 2005. This was a nice rivalry. Edge, the rising star, up against Shawn Michaels, a veteran still able to go after so many years. And, these weren’t wrestling. Oh, no, no, no. This was a knock-down, drag-out street fight. Something that would be more at home in ECW than in the days of George Hackenschmidt and Frank Gotch. Nevertheless, this was a fantastic brawl. Though Shawn Michaels won, Edge had already beaten him in a regular match at the Royal Rumble of that year. So, Edge is the better wrestler, and Shawn had to use weapons to beat him. 10/10. (You non-Edgeheads would give it a 9/10.) 13. Gold Rush Tournament Final For A Shot At The World Heavyweight Title: Edge VS Kane – Raw, May 16, 2005. It’s the match that started the torrid love affair between Edge and Lita. Okay, this wasn’t when their affair actually began, but it was the start of it on-screen. This was also the match in which Edge won a shot at the World Heavyweight Title when he already had a shot in the form of the Money In The Bank briefcase. He’s the only man in history to have two shots at World Title at once! And, he beat Kane by using Lita to seduce him and trick. Edge and Lita got into Kane’s head, when it’s usually the other way around! Edge is truly a genius. 10/10. (Though, it would get a 7/10 from you non-Edgeheads.) Then, we move on to the most personal feud in Edge’s career: Matt Hardy. For those of you who don’t know, Edge started seeing Lita while she was still dating Matt Hardy. When he found out about the affair, Matt didn’t take it too kindly. He announced the affair on his website, breaking kayfabe and upsetting WWE. He was fired. However, Matt got another chance and was rehired, beginning the best feud of 2005 and one of the best in a long while. The angle was a worked shoot or a shoot/work or whatever you want to call it. Basically, it blurred the lines between fiction and reality. And, the DVD has the best and most intense match of the feud: 14. Street Fight: Edge VS Matt Hardy – RAW, August 29, 2005. Now, this was an awesome match. I loved it. The only problem I had with it was the finish. Don’t get me wrong: that side effect Matt Hardy gave Edge off the RAW entrance stage was awesome, but I didn’t like that they stopped the match. If the ref had just given Edge some time, he could have easily gotten up and pinned Matt. It was still a great match despite that. Also, those tears in Edge’s eyes at the end were because he was upset that he didn’t get to pin and beat Matt. 10/10. (Even you non-Edgeheads would have to give this a 10/10.) 15. WWE Title Match: Edge VS John Cena – January 8, 2006. First off, it shows the tail end of the Elimination Chamber match that preceded this match. For recollection, that match involved then WWE Champion John Cena, Kane, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Carlito, and Chris Masters. Basically, we come in when Carlito and Masters were double-teaming Cena. It looked like Cena was finished, but Carlito betrayed Masters. This gave Cena some time to recuperate and sneak a pin onto Carlito, retaining the title. Cena had just won a grueling and hard-fought match. However, his night wasn’t over. Edge cashed in his Money In The Bank World Title shot and beat Cena. Smart man. He waited until the champion was going to be in a match that would be hard to win, so he would be tired and possibly injured. Then, Edge cashed in his shot and won the title. Edge is truly a genius on the level of Albert Einstein, Nicola Tesla, Alexander the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, Gen. George Patton, and Julius Caesar. 10/10. (You non-Edgeheads would give this like a 5/10 since it’s just a squash on a man who had just wrestled in a dangerous match. Well, if you people can’t appreciate genius, then you all can kiss my ass!!!!) Sadly, that first WWE Title reign wouldn’t last long. Three weeks later at the Royal Rumble, John Cena regain the WWE Title from Edge. Then, in a rematch with Mick Foley as special guest referee, Edge lost again, thanks to Foley. Needless to say, Edge was pissed, and he wanted to not only beat up Mick Foley but also prove that he was overrated. This set up our next match: 16. Hardcore Match: Edge VS Mick Foley – WrestleMania 22, April 2, 2006. This was a great match. I remember on the bonus disc of Mick Foley’s DVD, Foley said that Edge was trying to steal the show in this match and that he felt Edge had done so. He also said that this match helped to make Edge look like a tough guy in WWE fans eyes even though he had been in some brutal matches before this one. Well, I felt Edge was already tough; but this match sure as hell didn't hurt him. 10/10. (I guess it would be an 8/10 from you non-Edgeheads.) 17. 6-Person Extreme Rules Tag Team Match: Edge, Mick Foley, and Lita VS Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer, and Beulah McGillicutty – ECW One Night Stand, June 11, 2006. Edge not only beat Mick Foley at WrestleMania 22, but he also won Foley respect. After beating the hell out of each other, these two bitter enemies became great friends. And, they were both established as hardcore legends. However, two other hardcore legends were jealous of them: Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer. So, we got this match. At the beginning, Foley cut that infamous promo, saying how he sold out..."MADISON SQUARE GARDEN!" and his classic "LONG LIVE THE ALLIANCE!" line. Then, Edge and Lita came out and cut a classic promo. Then, Dreamer, Funk, and Beulah came; and Beulah challenged Lita to make the match a 6-Person Tag Match. And, that's what happened. Beulah and Lita pretty much stayed out of the match until the end, which was smart for them. This match was violent and bloody. It got gruesome when Edge and Foley brought out a plywood covered in barb wire. And, all four men got a taste of barb wire during the match. Funk had to be taken out of the match due to a cut above his eye. But he came back with a 2-by-4 wrapped in barb wire, set it on fired, and used it to knock Foley through the barb wire plywood. In the end, Edge pinned McGillicutty after a Spear won the match for his team. But, the hardcore ECW fans still appreciated Funk, Dreamer, and Beulah's effort, even though they had been soundly beaten by Edge, Mick Foley, and Lita. Of course, those same fans came to appreciate Edge, Foley, and Lita; and rightfully so. It was a great hardcore match. 10/10. (You non-Edgeheads would definitely have to give this a high ranking, like 9/10, minus one because Edge won.) 18. Triple Threat Match For The WWE Title: Edge VS Rob Van Dam VS John Cena – RAW, July 3, 2006. Oh, Rob Van Dam. You shouldn’t be speeding while you’re weeding. However, RVD’s loss is Edge’s gain. I was very surprised that Edge won the WWE Title. I seriously thought John Cena would win; he was on such a role at that time. However, I shouldn’t have doubted Edge. Though, I’m kind of glad I am; it was a pleasant surprise. The match itself is, of course, great. And, I still like seeing that Cena fan in complete shock. 10/10. (Or, an 8/10 for you non-Edgeheads.) And, thus ends Disc 2. However, the fun is not over. Onto Disc 3: It begins with a little video setting up the stage for the first match on this disc: 19. WWE Title Match: Edge VS John Cena – SummerSlam, August 20, 2006. It’s funny: for two years in a row, Edge is a part of the best feud of the year in WWE. It’s not surprising considering how great Edge is. This time, he’s feuding with John Cena. This was a perfect feud: both men represent the exact opposite of everything that the other represents. I mean, Edge is the Rated R Superstar; and the core of Cena’s fanbase are practically kids! They are polar opposite. It makes sense that these two men would feud. I should point that there was a special stipulation in this match: if Edge got DQed, then he would lose the WWE Title. It is obvious that this stipulation was put into place to hold Edge down. The Man is trying to censor the Rated R Superstar!!!! However, it didn’t work. Edge won, beating Cena in his hometown of Boston! Suck on that, The Man!!!! Sure, Cena beat Edge in his hometown of Toronto a month later and won the WWE Title, but Edge did it first! 10/10. (Which would be a 7/10 from the non-Edgeheads.) Then, Edge shows up again to brag, which he deserves to do. Then, he talks about how he got a cracked jaw in the next match on the DVD but continued to wrestle despite the injury. I’d like Sabu do that! Wait, I think he did. Hey! Edge is as tough as Sabu!!!! 20. Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Edge VS Rob Van Dam – RAW, February 19, 2007. This is interesting. At the time, there had only been two Money In The Bank Ladder Matches, and these were the winners of those matches, Edge in 2005 and Rob Van Dam in 2006. Before this match was shown, Edge said that RVD is one of his favorite people to wrestle because they always put on a great match. And, he wasn’t lying. This was…well, a great match. 10/10. (I believe you non-Edgeheads would give it a 7/10.) Before I go on to the next match, another complaint: no Rated RKO matches!? What the hell!? They feature most of Edge prominent partnerships: with Christian, with Hulk Hogan, with Lita, with Mick Foley, with Vickie Guerrero. But, no Randy Orton!? They were World Tag Team Champions! They couldn’t have put one Rated RKO on this DVD, like their match with D-X at New Year’s Revolution. I mean, they took out Triple H in that match. But, no, the only time you’ll see Orton on this DVD helping Edge is in the previous match. However, WWE was sure to put their break-up match on this DVD: 21. Edge VS Randy Orton – RAW, April 30, 2007. Even though we get not Rated RKO match, we do get this gem. I wasn’t surprised that this would be a great match. Orton and Edge have put on classics before. In fact, one of them is on this DVD! Anyway, this is a great match. Plus, both men were able to get the whole crowd excited about the match even though they were both heels. It just shows you how great their wrestling skills are, especially Edge’s. 10/10. (I’m sure you non-Edgeheads would give it a 9/10.) Next, we get a recap showing how Edge became the only man to win ever win the Money In The Bank briefcase twice. Sure, the second time wasn’t in the MITB Ladder Match, and he attacked Mr. Kennedy before their match. But still, Edge beat him. He won the title shot. It’s in the record books. Of course, Edge cashed it in, in a similar way to the first time he did this: 22. World Heavyweight Title Match: Edge VS The Undertaker – SmackDown!, May 11, 2007. We start off at the end of the Steel Cage Match for the World Heavyweight Title between The Undertaker and Batista. That match ended with Batista and Undertaker exiting the cage and dropping to the floor at the same time. The Undertaker retained his World Heavyweight Title. However, ‘Taker was attacked by Mark Henry after the cage was raised. Then, Edge showed why he is called the Ultimate Opportunist! He came out, cashed in his newly won MITB Title Shot, pinned the Undertaker, and won the World Heavyweight Title. Much like he did with Cena, Edge took on the Undertaker at a time when he was vulnerable. Edge shows his genius by proving that he could do the same thing twice to win a World Title. Besides, he had to do it this way. The Undertaker ain’t human! You got hit him with a Mack truck to beat him! Edge had to take him on when he was weak and beat up. I applaud Edge for his intellect and perfect timing. 10/10. (Though, you non-Edgeheads would give this a 5/10. How can you people be biased against Edge!? What is it: jealousy? It has to be jealousy.) 23. Last Chance World Heavyweight Title Match: Edge VS Batista – Vengeance, June 24, 2007. Ah, Batista. He has this annoying little habit of getting unlimited World Title shots. However, Edge decided to put the kibosh on Batista’s Konami code ways by giving Batista only one last chance to beat him for the World Heavyweight Title. And, Edge nearly had Batista beat by lowblowing Batista and getting himself DQed to retain his title and get Batista out of his hair. Yet, Theodore Long, who has had it out for Edge since he got to SmackDown!, restarted the match and changed the rules, saying that Edge would lose the World Heavyweight Title if he got DQed. However, Batista choked! He got himself counted out by giving Edge a Batista Bomb on the outside; he couldn’t get Edge and himself back into the ring in time. Not only did Edge outsmart Batista and overcome Theodore Long’s biased rule changing but he also got to see Batista humiliate himself. 10/10. (That would be an 8/10 from you non-Edgeheads.) Now, we move on to the latest chapter in Edge’s life: his relationship with Vickie Guerrero. Hmmm…I just realized: Lita, Vickie Guerrero. Edge likes Latinas. If, God forbid, his marriage to Vickie was to come to an end, I predict that Edge will end up with Melina next. Sadly, we don’t see their hook-up or get one of their lovely romantic montages of Edge and Vickie showing their love for each other. But, we do get to see Vickie cheering Edge on and that no good punk Theodore Long get his comeuppance for what he did to Edge in the previous match: 24. World Heavyweight Title Match: Edge VS Rey Mysterio – Royal Rumble, January 27, 2008. New York City is a wonderful town. It is filled with people who cheer for Edge and give him the respect that he deserves. You can definitely see that in this match: the Madison Square Garden crowd is firmly behind Edge and against Rey Mysterio. Sure, you may point out that the marks and kids are cheering for Rey, but I don’t count them. Interesting fact: this is the fifth match on this DVD in which Edge wrestles a partner during his career and the fourth in which said partner held a Tag Team Title with Edge (Foley and Edge never held a Tag Team Title together, though they are co-holders of the Hardcore Title). Anyway, this was a great match, and it showed just how much Vickie loved Edge. I mean, she put her own body on the line to make sure Edge would remain World Heavyweight Champion. Now, that is love! 10/10. (8/10 from the non-Edgeheads.) Next, Edge shows up again to talk about his specialty: the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match. And, in 2008, he would need it as he faced his toughest challenge to date: 25. TLC Match For The Vacant World Heavyweight Title: Edge VS The Undertaker – One Night Stand, June 1, 2008. Needless to say, the Undertaker was pissed at Edge for taking the World Heavyweight Title from him in 2007. Not only that but Edge also cost him that title twice at the end of the year, keeping the Undertaker from beating Batista in a Hell In A Cell Match at Survivor Series 2007 and beating both men for that title in Armageddon 2007. However, Undertaker won the World Heavyweight Title back from Edge at WrestleMania XXIV. But, he did so using a dangerous maneuver, the Hell’s Gate. In fact, it was so dangerous that Vickie banned him from using it. However, Taker used it on the Great Khali, and Vickie stripped him of the World Heavyweight Title. So, Taker and Edge fought over the title for a few months, culminating in this match. Not only was the World Heavyweight Title on the line, but so was the Undertaker’s career!!!! Edge pulled out all the stops to beat the Undertaker, even bringing in La Familia to help him. And, it worked: Edge won, and the Undertaker’s career was over. 10/10. (Even you non-Edgeheads would have to give this a 10/10.) 26. Hell In A Cell: Edge VS The Undertaker – SummerSlam, August 17, 2008. Okay, so it wasn’t the end of the Undertaker’s career. Dammit, Edge! Why did you have to screw things up!? You were in like sin! Then, you got out like trout! For recollection’s sake, Edge kissed the wedding planner for his and Vickie Guerrero’s wedding. Triple H somehow got it on video tape and showed it to the world. Vickie was pissed, so much so that she re-hired the Undertaker and put him in a Hell In A Cell Match with Edge. Now, Edge would have to face the Undertaker in his specialty match. However, it looked like Edge could pull off the upset and beat the Undertaker. Edge got in touch with his inner psycho and freaked Vickie the fuck out in the weeks leading up to SummerSlam. Unfortunately, he wasn’t crazy enough to beat the Undertaker. But, he held his own. Not only that but Edge also got sent to Hell and came back after only three months!!!! 10/10. (This better get a 10/10 from you non-Edgeheads.) Then, the DVD ends with Edge talking about how he is the most important wrestler in WWE, and we get a vignette on Edge’s greatness. All in all, this is a good DVD. I do have some problems with it, like the aforementioned lack of Edge And Christian and Rated RKO matches. Plus, it could use a few more TLC Matches and some more promos, maybe even a few of his Cutting Edge talk show segments. Nevertheless, this is a fine DVD. And, I’m sure there will be more on Edge’s second DVD. I mean, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Eddie Guerrero, and Rey Mysterio got two DVDs. Surely, Edge will get one. He has to. As for my question: Edge, great wrestler or The Greatest Wrestler Of All Time? Well, I have come to the answer after watching this DVD: Edge is THE GREATEST WRESTLER OF ALL TIME!!!! I mean, he’s got it all: charisma, talent, great wrestling skills, the ability to adapt to any type of match, several title reigns, the ability to work with anyone, intelligence, perfect timing, a winning smile, good looks, and great facial hair. Sure, he has lost several key matches over the years, but he learned from losing. He learned from his mistakes and became bigger, faster, stronger, and wiser. He has persevered through physical and emotional injuries. He’s been around for 10 years, and he shows no signs of stopping. Edge is in his prime. He’s at the top of his game. And, if he’s the Greatest Wrestler Of All Time and he’s just in his prime, that means he’s only going to get greater and greater. That truly makes Edge the Greatest. Highlight: the Totally Awesome Best Of Edge And Christian. It totally reeks of awesomeness! Highest Recommendation. GO OUT AND BUY IT NOW, CHUMPSTAINS!!!!
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 5, 2009 19:09:47 GMT -5
What’s this? Another DVD review!? Why yes, it is! Iron Man. Ultimate 2-Disc Edition. Now, I know what you’re thinking: “This DVD came out in September, and you’re now reviewing it!? What the hell, Hulk!?” Well, I’m lazy! EXCUSE ME!!!! Anyway, 2008 was a good year for movies, and I say this because of the summer. Now, usually, good movies come out in the beginning of the year. Then, the summer comes, and we get the mindless blockbuster crap that appeases the masses and keeps them from having to use their brains as explosions go off or the latest cool comedian makes a fart joke. Then, the season changes, and the good movies return, a time for critics to rejoice as they get thought provoking films that will win Golden Globes and Oscars come next February. However, this year was different. That usual mindless crap, this year in the form of “The Happening,” “The Love Guru,” and “Meet Dave” all bombed. Meanwhile, thought-provoking movies all became hits, what with “WALL-E” poking fun at the bloating of super consumerism and giving us an almost depressing (especially considering how it could be a reality) how it will affect our environment; “The Dark Knight” blurring the lines between justice and madness and had audiences rooting for a sociopath in clown make-up; and “Tropic Thunder” using sharp satire to cut dumbass Hollywood at its core. There was also, of course the movie I am reviewing today; don’t worry, I’m going to go into more detail. Anyway, this was a great year for blockbusters. They got smarter, and people actually paid money to see them. Hell, “The Dark Knight” grossed more money in its opening weekend than “Happening,” “Guru,” and “Dave” did in their entire runs. COMBINED!!!! Yes, people still went to see movies like “You Don’t Mess With The Zohan” and “Beverly Hill Chihuahua,” and things are going to get stupid in 2009, what with “Transformers 2” and the mega-disaster flick “2012” coming out. But, still it was great to see people choosing smart movies over dumb ones. And, hopefully, Hollywood will learn that the summer movies don’t have to sacrifice intelligence for explosion but rather they can go together. Of course, there was one movie that came early in the summer that showed that this was going to be a great summer at the box office: “Iron Man.” Now, here’s a synopsis. It will contain spoilers, so if you haven’t seen it then: Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) avoids his own Apogee Awards ceremony to gamble at a Las Vegas casino, leaving his deceased father's friend and business partner, Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges) to collect the award. As Stark leaves the casino with his entourage, he is approached by Vanity Fair reporter Christine Everhart (Leslie Bibb), whom he charms into a one-night stand at his Malibu house. As she awakens the next morning, she is escorted from the house by Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), Stark's personal assistant, who tells her Stark is away on a business trip, though Stark is really still in the house, until Potts informs him how late he is. Stark flies off to Afghanistan for a successful demonstration of Stark Industries' new weapon, the "Jericho" cluster missile. On the way back, however, the military convoy is attacked. In the ensuing firefight, Stark is wounded by one of his own company's bombs, which knocks him unconscious and embeds shrapnel in his chest, one fragment dangerously close to his heart. Waking up hours later in an Afghan cave, Stark discovers an electromagnet attached to his chest, powered by a car battery and designed to keep the shrapnel from piercing his heart and killing him. Stark has been captured by the terrorist group known as the Ten Rings, who order him to build a Jericho missile for them. Instead, during the three months of his captivity, he and fellow captive Dr. Yinsen (Shaun Toub) begin building a miniature "arc reactor", a smaller version of a power source previously invented by Tony's father, Howard. With the reactor powering his electromagnet, Stark and Yinsen secretly build a crude but strong power armor as a means of escape. Unfortunately, the process of activating the armor takes more time than expected and Yinsen hurries out to buy time. Once the armor is ready, Stark charges through the caves. Near the exit, he comes across a dying Yinsen, who tells him not to waste his life. Upon leaving Yinsen, Stark burns all the Stark Industries munitions the terrorists have accumulated and then attempts to fly away, only to crash into the desert a few miles away. After being rescued by his friend and company military liaison Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes (Terrence Howard) and returned to the United States, Stark declares at a press conference that his company will no longer manufacture weapons. Stane tells him shortly thereafter that this move is being blocked by the members of the board of directors of Stark Industries. Returning home, Stark retreats from the public eye and instead focuses on the design of his power suit, refining its size and improving its flight and fighting capability while making an improved arc reactor for his chest. During his work, Potts gives Stark his first miniature arc reactor as a gift encased in glass and bearing the inscription, "Proof that Tony Stark has a heart." During Stark's first public appearance since his return, at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, he spots Potts, who is wearing the dress she bought for herself as a birthday present on his behalf. He is struck by her beauty and briefly dances with her, causing him to realize that he has romantic feelings for his assistant. As they're about to share a kiss, Potts interrupts by asking for a martini, as a ploy to hide her insecurity because of Stark's promiscuity. While ordering the drinks, Stark is accosted by Everhart, who shows him pictures of Stark Industries weapons back in the hands of terrorist groups, including Jericho missiles. He realizes that Stane has been supplying both the Americans and their enemies, and that Stane has been attempting to remove Stark from power. Enraged, Stark dons the power suit, flies to Afghanistan and rescues Yinsen's village from the Ten Rings, also destroying the latest Stark weapon shipments in the process. During the operation, Stark inadvertently attracts the attention of the United States Air Force and Lt. Col. Rhodes, who dispatches two F-22 Raptors to intercept and eliminate the unknown target. During the dogfight, one of the planes is accidentally destroyed, but the pilot is rescued by Stark, who during the fight privately calls Rhodes to reveal that he is the unidentified object. Rhodes later classifies the incident as a training accident to the press, at Stark's recommendation. Determined to atone for his mistakes, Stark sends Potts to find the shipping records of Stark Industries, so he can track the illicit shipments and destroy them. While hacking into the system, she discovers that Stane hired the Ten Rings to kill Stark and the group reneged on the deal upon discovering Stark was the true target. She also learns Stane has recovered the power suit prototype and reverse-engineered his own version, but his engineers are unable to duplicate the miniature arc reactor to power the new suit. Stane ambushes Stark in his house, using an experimental Stark Industries device to temporarily paralyze him. Stane removes the arc reactor from Stark's chest to power his own suit. The dying Stark manages to re-install his first reactor from Pepper's gift and Rhodes finds Stark in bad shape but alive. Although his first reactor was not designed to power his latest armor, Stark takes it to battle with Stane atop Stark Industries, the surrounding streets and up into the air. Finding himself outmatched by the Iron Monger's potential for brute force, Stark lures Stane atop the full-sized arc reactor at Stark Industries to end the battle. With no more power left for his suit, Stark instructs Potts to overload the arc reactor. Potts overloads the reactor, causing a massive electrical surge that knocks Stane unconscious, causing him to fall through the ceiling into the reactor itself, destroying the facility, the armor and Stane. In the next day, the press has dubbed Stark's alter ego "Iron Man." Rhodes informs a press conference that what happened at the company's site was a malfunctioning of a robotic prototype, and one of Stark's security personnel was the Iron Man who bravely donned a prototype exoskeleton he designed to stop it. Before speaking, Stark briefly makes an attempt to establish a romantic relationship with Potts, but is put on hold. During the press conference, Stark tries to tell the cover story given to him by his S.H.I.E.L.D. contact, but after inadvertently revealing hints about his alter-ego, as well as facing a trick question from Everhart, Stark abandons the alibi and announces to the press his identity as Iron Man. In a post-credits scene, Stark is visited by S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) who notes that Stark is not "the only superhero in the world", and states he wants to discuss the "Avenger Initiative". END OF SPOILERS!!!! YOU MAY RESUME READING!!!! You know, it’s funny. Iron Man wasn’t at the top of Hollywood’s list of Marvel heroes to make a movie about, yet the “Iron Man” movie became one of the most-buzzed about movies of the year. It is a great film. It’s a jet-fueled bit of escapism that never pandered to its audience, taking a long-maligned boozer of a hero and transforming him into a cultural icon. Robert Downey, Jr., was perfect for the role, and not just because he’s a former drug addict playing a character who was an alcoholic. He had a swagger and raffish charm that made him really likable, which is hard to do playing a hero who isn’t that heroic. Let’s face it, Tony Stark is smug and self-absorbed. He’s probably one of the least liked heroes in the Marvel Universe, especially after Civil War. But, Downey makes him a joy. He also handles Stark’s personality change very well. He makes Stark’s transformation from being selfish to gaining a conscious so well. And, this transformation is very natural: it makes sense that a man who has lots of money, resources, intelligence, and self-reliance to build a better version of himself. But, this is just Downey’s show. Jon Favreau was a great choice to direct this movie. He brought a nice Indie film touch to it that grounded it. He wisely chose supporting actors that were talented enough to hold their own with Downey. Terrence Howard is great as James Rhodes, easily showing the right amount of envy, frustration, and happiness when needed. It’s a shame that he isn’t going to comeback for the sequel. Gwyneth Paltrow was good as Pepper Potts. She doesn’t play her as a damsel in distress but rather a woman who is weary of Stark who gets scare in dangerous situations like anyone would. And, Jeff Bridges was awesome as Obadiah Stane. By playing a character who isn’t that well known, he was able to really have fun with it. Also, this movie is so great because it’s so plausible. If you get bitten by a radioactive spider, you’re going to die of radiation poisoning. There’s no way you could survive a nuclear explosion or radiation from outer space, let alone gain superpowers from them. And, I doubt people are going to evolve into having such powers like quick-healing and control over weather. But, a man building a weaponized piece of body-armor is not only believable but most likely inevitable in the technology-driven world of today. But, what really makes this movie great is that it doesn’t look like it was made by people who felt they were above making a comic book movie. There are no shallow, insincere attempts to pander to the audience. There’s no drastic, ironic, post-modern interpretation of the character that distances itself from the original material. It’s just a great film. You can really see that Favreau had affection for the material. He said that his goal was to make the movie both fun and thoughtful, “We just treated it as though we were making a regular movie.” In fact, making an action movie let him get away with some substance that would have turned off many audiences if there were no explosions. “It gives you room to comment on what’s going on in the world without being seen as a heavy political film,” he says. “People are just along for the ride.” The special features include deleted and extended scenes; a 7-Part “I Am Iron Man” making-of documentary; a 6-Part “The Invincible Iron Man” featurette on the history of Iron Man; “Wired: The Visual Effects Of Iron Man,” a featurette on, well, the visual effects; Robert Downey, Jr.’s screen test; “The Actor’s Process,” a featurette showing the actors rehearsing a scene; still galleries; and preview of the Iron Man animated series coming to Nicktoons some time this year. All in all these are good special features. The deleted scenes are quite a delight, especially since many show a drastic change between what was filmed and what ended up in the actual movie. I mean, entire scenes were changed. Also, “The Invincible Iron Man” featurette was nice, though it did leave out some of Iron Man’s history, like his alcoholism, Kurt Busiek’s reboot, and the modern era Iron Man. However, the special features are good and really complement the movie. Highlight: the scene at the end of the credits with Samuel L. Jackson’s cameo. It was quite awesome, and he looks exactly like Ultimate Nick Fury. Recommended.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 6, 2009 20:20:54 GMT -5
Another DVD review! I’m on a roll! Well, it’s more like that I got nothing to do but watch DVDs and review them. Pineapple Express. 2-disc Unrated Special Edition. See! I’m not that lazy! This movie just came out on DVD today, and I’m reviewing it! So, put that in your pipe and smoke it!!!! SPEAKING OF pipes and smoking, you know, there are not a lot of stoner action comedies. In fact, this is the first one. Hopefully, we’ll get more, and this will become a big genre. Anyway, “Pineapple Express” is the latest Judd Apatow comedy. Well, he didn’t direct it; David Gordon Green directed the movie. But, Apatow produced it. He was involved. Anyway, here is the synopsis. So, if you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want it spoiled: Dale Denton (Seth Rogen) is a 25 year-old process server who, in delivering a subpoena to a drug lord named Ted Jones (Gary Cole), witnesses Jones and a corrupt female police officer, Carol Brazier (Rosie Perez), commit murder. Dale panics and leaves a roach at the scene containing a rare strain of cannabis called Pineapple Express. Ted and Carol run outside to catch the witness, only to miss him. Ted picks up the roach and identifies it as the rare strain that he has only sold to one dealer. He sends his henchmen, Matheson (Craig Robinson) and Budlofsky (Kevin Corrigan), to the dealer, Red (Danny R. McBride), who discloses that he has only sold this cannabis to Dale's dealer, Saul Silver (James Franco). Dale tells Saul what he saw because he anticipates that the roach will lead Ted to Saul. They flee Saul's apartment. Ted's henchmen persuade Saul's supplier, Red, to arrange a meeting between Red and Saul, but this fails because Dale and Saul spend the night in the woods. Matheson and Budlofsky learn Dale's identity through Red. Dale and Saul sleep 18 hours after getting stoned, so they visit Red after the agreed upon time. They hope that talking with Red in person will help them determine that Ted has not linked them, and is not in pursuit of them. Instead, Dale determines that Red intends to reveal their whereabouts to Ted, and the three fight. Convinced that Ted's men are pursuing them, they decide that they must leave the city. Dale goes to his girlfriend Angie's (Amber Heard) house to warn her and her parents, but Angie's dad doesn't believe him. Instead, he threatens to shoot Dale. Matheson and Budlofsky pursue Dale and Saul to Angie's house, and her family goes into hiding. To leave town Dale and Saul sell some of Saul's Pineapple Express to raise bus fare. A police officer catches Dale torching a joint and arrests him. Handcuffed in the back of a squad car, Dale manages to convince the arresting officer that Officer Brazier is corrupt. Saul 'saves' Dale by gaining control of the squad car, and drives away with Dale handcuffed in the back seat. Officer Braizer hears a police radio call of Dale's arrest for battering a police car, and pursues Dale and Saul in a high speed chase, but Dale and Saul evade her. Dale and Saul argue about the mess they've found themselves in, resulting in Dale telling Saul that they aren't friends and never were, much to Saul's surprise. They then split up and continue on their own, despite how miserable they later become. Saul visits his grandmother in an assisted living home and finds Budlofsky and Matheson looking for him. They kidnap Saul and take him to Ted's lair, a barn and underground pot grow house which used to be an old Army base. Dale enlists Red to help him rescue Saul from Ted, but Red backs out at the last minute and Dale is captured. While Dale and Saul are captive, they make up and Dale admits that Saul really is his friend but was reluctant to admit that earlier. A rival Asian drug gang then attacks the barn in revenge for Ted and Carol killing the fellow gang member that Dale witnessed. Dale and Saul free themselves, and Dale fights with Ted and Saul fights with Carol. Red returns and saves Saul, while killing Matheson with his car. A rival gang member sets off a bomb that destroys the barn, and kills Ted and Carol. Dale carries an unconscious Saul out of the burning barn, and Red crawls from the wreckage. Saul, Dale and Red go to a diner for breakfast, reminisce about the events and bond, before Saul's grandmother takes them home. END OF SPOILERS!!!! CONTINUE READING!!!! This movie is freaking hilarious. It was just so funny. There were several funny moments, with my favorite being the fight between Red against Dale and Saul. I was amazed how it looked like cool fight but at the same time had be laughing so hard my jaw was hurting. Seth Rogen is his usual funny self, and we get some great comedic performances from Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, and Kevin Corrigan. By the way, Robinson and Corrigan have great chemistry together. I would love to see a movie starring these two. I also enjoyed Gary Cole and Rosie Perez; they really held their own in the more serious roles and even had some funny moments. And, there’s a nice cameo from Ed Begley, Jr. However, James Franco pretty much steals the show as Saul Silver. He makes for one hilarious stoner. The things he does and says are just funny as hell. Originally, Rogen was going to play, but Apatow suggested that Franco audition for the role. And, thank God this decision was made. Sure, the movie would have been good if Rogen and Franco’s roles were switched, but I don’t think it would have been as funny. The role really allowed Franco to show some range. And, I like it didn’t play into expectations. Anyone could easily see Franco as a process server and Rogen as a pot dealer. However, with the roles switched, the filmmakers had to make the audience really believe the reverse: Franco as a pot dealer and Rogen as a process server; and they really succeeded. The movie is also well written. Yeah, I know there was a lot of improving, but I liked how it was plotted. Rogen and Evan Goldberg did a wonderful job making the film as realistic as possible. And, I love the plot of the movie in general: a couple of stoners trying to keep from getting killed. That’s original and funny, and haven’t you wonder what Cheech and Chong would do if people were shooting at them? Well, probably not, but you are now! And, I bet it’s funny! There are plenty of special features. There are a few on the first disc. It comes with the original theatrical version and the extended unrated version of the film, commentary from the filmmakers and cast, extended and alternate scenes, a gag reel, and making of featurette. On disc 2, we get more extended and alternate scenes; deleted scenes; Line-o-rama, a series of different improvised lines from several of the actors; Direct-o-rama, director David Gordon Green giving different directions to the actors; Phone Booth, two alternate version of the phone booth scene with Judd Apatow reading the girl’s part; Item 9, a fake 1930s PSA telling people to not smoke pot by showing three men on pot hilariously describing the experience; Saul’s Apartment, basically it’s different characters from the movie coming to Saul’s apartment and talking with Saul and Red; raw footage of four scenes (Dale and Saul smoking the cross-joint, Dale and Saul meeting up with Red, Dale trying to get Red help him, and the big fight scene at the end); rehearsal footage; the first table read; the Comic-Con Panel; a making of featurette on the action sequences; a featurette on a cleaning product from Ed Begley, Jr., Begley’s Best; Red And Jessica’s Guide To Marriage, it’s Red and his wife Jessica giving marriage advice; a featurette on all the injuries the actors received; a featurette on the “stunt coordinator” Ken Jeong; the red band trailer; and a digital copy of the film. The special features are great. Some are hilarious, and they all really add to the movie. As for the DVD as a whole, it’s fantastic. The movie is great, and the special features really complement it. Highlight: A tie between the fight Saul and Dale against Red and the Item 9 PSA. Highly recommended.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Jan 19, 2009 2:38:43 GMT -5
It’s DVD Review Time: Starrcade: The Essential Collection 3 Disc DVD Set. I miss WCW. Why? It was a good alternative to the WWF. The WWF was about sports entertainment; WCW was about wrestling. During WCW’s big boom period, 1996-1997, it had some of the best wrestling on TV. You had a lot of great talented wrestlers in the undercard with an amazing storyline in the main event: WCW VS The nWo. However, it didn’t last. WCW almost seemed destined to fail, from the days of being ran by old bookers who couldn’t adapt to the new times (Bill Watts, Ole Anderson) and people who didn’t know a thing about wrestling (Jim Herd) to the days of crappy shows that didn’t make a lot of sense (under the control of Kevin Nash and Vince Russo). Nevertheless, WCW always had great wrestling, and there was a time when it could do no wrong. Now, it’s gone, with its memory living on in WWE DVDs. We’ll probably never get a full-fledge WCW DVD (and I’m a little glad, because I just imagine one big piece of revisionist history crap). The closest we’ll ever get to that are The Monday Night War DVD and DVDs on former WCW wrestlers, like Ric Flair, the Four Horsemen, Dusty Rhodes, etc. Oh, and this one: Starrcade: The Essential Collection. Starrcade was to WCW what WrestleMania is to WWE. Now, I know Starrcade originally started as an NWA event. However, I didn’t mention the NWA earlier, because I didn’t really see much of the NWA. I was born in 1985 and grew up after Jim Crockett Promotions were bought by Ted Turner and became WCW. However, I do enjoy seeing anything NWA related just to see what I missed. Plus, that whole alternative to the WWF that was prominent in WCW started with the NWA. Starrcade was the premier event for the NWA and later WCW. In fact, it was pretty much the precursor to WrestleMania. It came before WrestleMania and started the idea of booking to a big special show. And, it had a better calendar position than WrestleMania; to me it makes more to book to a show in November or December than to a show in March or April. Anyway, WWE has given us this DVD to be enjoyed by any NWA or WCW mark or anyway who just wanted to see what they missed. It contains a 1 hour documentary on the event. Many NWA stars are featured on it: Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, Dusty Rhodes, David Crockett, Magnum T.A., Jim Cornette (though this obviously came from the Road Warriors DVD), Road Warrior Hawk, Paul Elring (also clips from the Road Warriors DVD), Harley Race, Arn Anderson, Greg Valentine, Jerry and Jack Brisco, etc. It starts off chronicling the origins of the event with Dusty Rhodes talking about how he came up with the name and the idea to have a PPV on Thanksgiving and mentioning a little of the history of Jim Crockett Promotions. And, the first Starrcade is heavily featured, chapters on the infamous Dog Collar Match between Roddy Piper and Greg Valentine and, of course, the main event: Ric Flair VS Harley Race in a steel cage for the NWA Title. Then, it shows how the event got built up into the premier event for the NWA, how it branched out to close-circuit TV and the simulcast between the Greensboro Coliseum and the Omni in Atlanta. The documentary also mentions the rise of Magnum T.A. They were really building him up to be the NWA’s Hulk Hogan. Unfortunately, a car crash ended his career and those plans. Then, it moves on to 1987. As you may remember, that was the year the Survivor Series debut. At the time, Starrcade was branching out. It was going to be in Chicago and going to be up onto PPV for the first time. However, Vince McMahon decided to air his new PPV on Thanksgiving Night, the same night as Starrcade. Vince basically gave the PPV companies an ultimatum: either air the Survivor Series and WrestleMania or air Starrcade and don’t get WrestleMania. The NWA decided to air Starrcade at an earlier time, allowing for both PPVs to be aired by all the PPV companies. But, Vince was still adamant about his ultimatum. So, many of the PPV companies went with Vince. And, that began the end of Jim Crockett Promotions. He would later sell his company to Ted Turner, who changed it to WCW. Then, the documentary talks about pros and cons of the early WCW Starrcade years. The pros: Ted Turner had a lot of money and that money was used for the production values. Now, Starrcade’s look could match its card and the build to it. The cons: WCW basically turned Starrcade into a gimmick PPV. The WWF’s Royal Rumble and Survivor Series matches were successful, and WCW wanted to capture some of that. So, they came up with some gimmicks of their own. One was the Iron Man Singles and Tag Team Tournaments, which was an elaborate points system that a little confusing. The other was the infamous Lethal Lottery Tag Team Matches, in which teams would be made randomly and the winning teams would wrestle in a two-ring battle royal called The BattleBowl. These weren’t successful because they were done at the wrong PPV and were only a few times. Then, we get Eric Bischoff. They talked about how he brought prominence back to Starrcade but didn’t really mention how he did. Sure, they praised him for bringing in top guys like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall as well as great wrestlers from around the globe. But, they didn’t a thing about the storyline for Starrcade 1997. That was one of the best things going for WCW: they were building to Sting VS Hollywood Hogan. You had Hogan leading the nWo and basically destroying WCW week in and week out. And, you had Sting being booked by doing nothing but looking down from the rafters, dressed up as the Crow, and only coming down the beat the crap out of the nWo with a baseball bat. This was a storyline that had been booked for over a year, with the payoff going to take place at Starrcade 1997. Yet, no mention of it. I figured there would have been some talk about, even to just rip WCW a new one because of the controversial finish. However, they did mention Goldberg and his undefeated streak. There were some conflicting viewpoints on whether or not Goldberg’s streak should have been ended at Starrcade 1998: Arn Anderson said “Yes”; Jim Ross said “No.” Jim Ross also gave an accurate description of WCW at the time: they had the right tools to be the best wrestling company in the world, but just didn’t use them. It does sound like a WWE guy just ripping on WCW, but it is true. WCW just kept on relying on guys who had made a name somewhere else, like Hogan, Savage, Nash, and Hall; but they never created new stars out of Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Chris Jericho, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, etc. Then, the documentary just moves on to the legacy of Starrcade, not mentioning 1999 or 2000, though I don’t really blame them. Now for the matches: Usually on a WWE DVD with a documentary, I don’t dwell on the matches individually and rank them. I reserved that for the matches only DVDs because, well, it just the matches; and because the main feature of the others is the documentary; the matches are basically special features. However, since this documentary is short (only 45 minutes compared to the others that are 90 minutes or 2 hours) and since they are introduced by presenters (Gene Okerlund, Jim Ross, Tully Blanchard, Ric Flair, Road Warrior Animal, David Crockett, Dusty Rhodes on this DVD) like in the match only DVDs, I will go in depth with all the matches. Now, the matches were voted on by the fans and appear in the ascending order of their rankings: 25. Rowdy Roddy Piper VS Hollywood Hogan—Starrcade, December 29, 1996 This match had a lot of good drama to it. You had Piper and Hogan, long life enemies going at it again, this time with Piper as the face and Hogan as the heel. However, it was somewhat of a disappointment. It was booked like a title match with Hogan’s WCW World Heavyweight Title on the line, but the title wasn’t on the line. To me it doesn’t make much sense to have such a high profile match with no World Title on the line. Even if they wanted to keep the title on Hogan, they could have put it back on him at the next PPV. Also, Piper and Hogan were past their prime. In fact, Piper had had surgery on his hip before this match. So, it wasn’t like they could put on a 5 star classic. However, they did put on the best match that they could have. And, the hype and drama surrounding the match really added to. Also, I was amazed that a match in 1996 ended in a sleeper hold! 7/10. 24. Iron Man Singles Tournament Match: Sting VS The Great Muta—Starrcade, December 13, 1989 Next, we get a match from the Starrcade considered to be the best one ever! Or, at least, that’s what Jim Ross says in the intro of it. It’s Starrcade 1989, the year with the Iron Man and Iron Team Tournaments. They were round-robin tournaments featuring four competing individuals and tag teams respectively. The point system went as followed: 20 points for a pinfall or submission victory, 15 for a countout victory, 10 for a disqualification victory, 5 for a time-limit draw to each competitor or team, and 0 for a loss. And, every match had a 15-minute time limit. Well, this one was a pretty good match, and a good inclusion of the DVD. Though, I can see why it was ranked so low. 8/10. 23. Unified NWA/WCW World Tag Team Titles Match: Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas VS Barry Windham and Brian Pillman—Starrcade, December 28, 1992 A note: It’s nice to see that Jesse Ventura’s commentary is in tact. Usually, WCW matches with Ventura’s commentary are shown sans Ventura. Anyway, this is a great match. Pillman and Douglas were young wrestlers who would only get better, and Windham and Steamboat were in top form. It’s a shame Steamboat had to retire in 1994 because if he hadn’t had gotten that back injury who knows how long he would have gone. 9/10. 22. WCW World Heavyweight Title Match: Goldberg VS Kevin Nash—Starrcade, December 27, 1998 This is the infamous match in which Goldberg’s streak was ended. This was a bad move. Goldberg was hot as hell at the time, and the fans weren’t tired of him or the streak. But, egos got in the way, namely Hogan and Nash’s. Though, the finish was okay, with Scott Hall shocking Goldberg with a stun gun. A dirty finish allows for Goldberg to lose but keep some of his credibility. As for the match, it was pretty good. And, I was impressed with cross armbar Nash pulled out of nowhere. I mean, Kevin Nash WRESTLING!!!! 7/10. 21. BattleBowl Match—Starrcade, December 29, 1991 Our next match is the BattleBowl, the two ring battle royal featuring the winners of the Lethal Lottery Tag Team matches that took place earlier in the PPV. There were 20 participants: Marcus Bagwell, Jimmy Garvin, Steve Austin, Rick Rude, Dustin Rhodes, Ricky Morton, Bill Kazmaier, Jushin “Thunder” Liger, Lex Luger, Arn Anderson, Ricky Steamboat, Todd Champion, Sting, Abdullah The Butcher, Vader, Mr. Hughes, Scott Steiner, Firebreaker Chip, Ron Simmons, and Thomas Rich. All twenty wrestlers started in the first ring. Elimination from the first ring occurs when a wrestler is thrown over the top rope and into the second ring. Elimination from the second ring occurs when a wrestler is thrown over the top rope to the floor. This continues until one wrestler remained in the first ring, and one in the second ring. Elimination then occurs when a wrestler is thrown over the top rope to the floor. The remaining wrestler will be the winner. I don’t understand why they didn’t just put 10 guys in one ring and 10 in the other. Then again, this was WCW. Plus, if I was confused was confused watching it, imagine how confused the wrestlers were wrestling in it. The match itself was okay. And, it was smart booking to end it with Sting and Luger, since they had the major storyline at the time. 7/10 20. 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match For The WCW United States Title: Dustin Rhodes VS Stunning Steve Austin—Starrcade, December 27, 1993 After two years of the BattleBowl, Starrcade return to what it was suppose to be: the biggest show of the year with Flair and Vader as the main attraction. However, the undercard was just as good, with this match as proof. Austin was a very good wrestler before the neck injury; he was still a good wrestler after it, but not as good as he once was. And, Dustin is a very underrated as a wrestler. He was fine in this match. Though, I did find it funny that Tully Blanchard called Goldust an icon in the intro to the match. Also, the lights go out during this match. 8/10. And, that’s the end of Disc 1. Onto Disc 2: 19. NWA World Tag Team Title Match: Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard VS The Road Warriors—Starrcade, November 26, 1987 Now, we get a match from Starrcade’s heyday, back when it really meant something. And, we have two of the best teams of all time: Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard taking on the Road Warriors. This was a good match, but I didn’t like the finish. I mean, to do a Dusty finish to the Road Warriors in their hometown of Chicago, that’s not cool. Also, this match has alternate commentary from Todd Grisham and Road Warrior Animal. 7/10. 18. Rey Mysterio, Jr. VS Jushin “Thunder” Liger—Starrcade, December 29, 1996 Piper and Hogan may have been the main event, but Liger and Mysterio stole the show. Now, this is a fine example of WCW’s winning formula at the time: an undercard filled with great wrestlers putting on great matches and a main event with a lot of hype and drama to get people to tune in. Now, this was a good match. Liger always puts on a good show, and Rey Mysterio was great back then. Let’s face it: WCW Rey Mysterio > WWE Rey Mysterio. Now, Rey Mysterio is still a good wrestler, but he’s just gotten so formulaic and repetitive. In WWE, you see the same old same old, but in WCW, you can tell he was encouraged to improvise and shake things up. This is one of the main reasons I miss WCW: great wrestling that didn’t repeat itself much. 8/10. 17. Scaffold Match: The Rock ‘N’ Roll Express VS The Midnight Express—Starrcade, November 26, 1987 One of the greatest feuds of all time was the Midnight Express (the Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane duo) VS the Rock ‘N’ Roll Express. Now, I’m not a big fan of scaffold matches. There usually not very good. It’s mainly just a lot of punching and kicking on top of a scaffold. I understand why: the participants aren’t really concerned with putting on a good match; they’re more concerned with trying not to fall and break their necks. There’s a reason they’re not done much anymore. But still, they’re usually not good. But, this one was okay. Though this match doesn’t really showcase what great wrestlers all for men were, it does have a lot of drama and made sense as a feud ending match since these two teams hated each other. 6/10. 16. NWA World Heavyweight Title Match: Ric Flair VS Lex Luger—Starrcade, December 26, 1988 You know, I haven’t really missed Ric Flair since he left, until I saw the intro he gives for this match. It’s just a 30 second intro, but he makes it spectacular. Flair’s amazing. SPEAKING OF Flair being amazing, he’s in top form in this match. Luger is also good; he’s another underrated wrestler I feels doesn’t get the praise he deserves. 8/10. 15. Eddie Guerrero VS Shinjiro Otani—Starrcade, December 27, 1995 In 1995, they had WCW stars wrestle guys from New Japan Pro Wrestling in the World Cup Of Wrestling. Now, this was a good idea, but not one they should have done for their biggest PPV of the year. Then again, this was 1995 WCW. The biggest storyline of the year was Hulk Hogan VS the Dungeon Of Doom. So, I don’t blame Eric Bischoff for doing a WCW VS NJPW show at Starrcade. Anyway, this is a very good technical bout. This was another reason WCW usually had the WWF beat when it came to wrestling action: Bischoff was smart to bring talented wrestlers from around world, like Japan and Mexico, to have great wrestling matches that American fans had never really seen before. 8/10. 14. NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Road Warriors VS Sting and Dusty Rhodes—Starrcade, December 26, 1988 Road Warrior Animal shows up to introduce this match. This match also took place in the first Starrcade to take place in December. Anyway, this was a pretty good bout. Sting and Dusty Rhodes worked well as a team, and the Road Warriors are just awesome. 8/10. 13. King Of Cable Tournament Final Match: Sting VS Vader—Starrcade, December 28, 1992 Ah, Sting and Vader. They had a great feud. I mean, Sting is one of the best babyfaces in the business, and Vader was an awesome heel. It seemed like whenever these got into the ring together, it was magic. They had an awesome feud in 1992, and this was one of their best matches. Now, it wasn’t their best bout (in my opinion that was their match at The Great American Bash 1992 for the WCW World Heavyweight Title); but it was still very good. 9/10. 12. NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Brisco Brothers VS Jay Youngblood and Ricky Steamboat—Starrcade, November 14, 1983 This is the first match of the DVD from the first Starrcade, but it sure won’t be the last. This is a pretty good match. The Briscos were great technical wrestlers, and it was a real treat to see the team of Steamboat and Youngblood. Plus, I just love hearing Gordon Solie pronounce the word “suplex” as “su-play.” 8/10. 11. NWA World Heavyweight Title Match: Ric Flair VS Dusty Rhodes—Starrcade, November 28, 1985 Again, Ric Flair gives an awesome intro. And, he’s great in this match, too. As for Dusty, well, he’s not the best wrestler in the world; but he is very charismatic and can still put on an entertaining bout. And, this was an entertaining bout. Though, what I really like was the end, in which a bunch of wrestlers came out and tried to life Dusty after he won the match. 8/10. 10. WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Eddie Guerrero VS Dean Malenko—Starrcade, December 28, 1997 One of the things WCW really had going for them was their Cruiserweight Division. Week end and week out, it was usually the smallest wrestlers on the roster that were putting on the best matches. And, Malenko and Guerrero were two of the best. So, it should be no surprise that this was an excellent match, almost stealing the show at Starrcade 1997. Plus, during the cruiserweight matches, Mike Tenay would come out and give some great insight on the wrestlers, their backgrounds, and the moves they used. Much like WCW Rey Mysterio, WCW Mike Tenay is 100 times better than TNA Mike Tenay. He is so much better as an analyst, and TNA has just made him so freaking annoying. 9/10. And, that ends Disc 2. Onto Disc 3: 9. Iron Man Tag Team Tournament Match: The Road Warriors VS The Steiner Brothers—Starrcade, December 13, 1989 Long before he was the Big Bad Booty Daddy, became jacked up with steroids, and impressed us with all that math and debating skills he learned from a higher educated university, Scott Steiner was a great technical wrestler and was one half of one of the best tag teams of all the time: The Steiner Brothers. And, his brother Rick was just as good in the ring as Scott. Man, it is still weird seeing Scott back then and knowing what he will become. Anyway, this match took place at the 1989 Starrcade with the Iron Man and Iron Team tournaments. Now, the idea for the tournaments may have been confusing and used at the wrong PPV, but there were some good matches at this Starrcade. As for this match, it’s an okay match. But, I don’t think it should have gotten as it did. Oh well. 6/10. 8. Ladder Match For A Contract For A WCW World Cruiserweight Title Match: 3 Count VS The Jung Dragons VS Jamie Noble and Evan Karagias—Starrcade, December 17, 2000 This one is from the last Starrcade. Even though WCW wasn’t very good in 2000, things were getting better around the end. Starrcade was one of the better PPVs that year, and this was one of the best matches on the show. Plus, one of the best things about WCW in 2000 was the Jung Dragons (Yun Yang, who would become Jimmy Wayne Yang; Kaz Hayashi, and Jamie-San, AKA Jamie Noble) and 3 Count (Shannon Moore; Shane Helms, who later became The Hurricane and then Gregory Helms; and Evan Karagias). Now, these guys put great matches throughout the year, and the feud between them was very interesting, especially after Noble and Karagias left their respective groups and formed their own team. Plus, 3 Count was one of the best gimmicks ever! I mean, a wrestling boy band! That is just filled with comedy gold, and it was, with Tank Abbott as their number 1 fan and their debut album that went platinum, which would be followed by an album the group said was going to be even bigger and go gold! Just classic stuff. And, it was smart to have a boy band gimmick at a time when boy bands were really popular. It was weird to see how much Helms, Shannon Moore, and Jimmy Yang have changed over the years. Amazingly, Jamie Noble looks pretty much the same. Anyway, this match didn't start off promising with all three teams beginning the match like a tag; but it quickly developed into ladder match goodness. All three teams really showed off their skills, and there were some good spots in the match. The only bad thing about this match: Mark Madden on commentary. God, he sucks!!!! 9/10. 7. Iron Man Singles Tournament Match: Sting VS Ric Flair—Starrcade, December 13, 1989 This is another pairing that always seems to put on a great match no matter what. Though, it’s not that shocking. Ric Flair pretty much made Sting a star in a 45 minute classic, and Sting just got better and better as time went on. Though this isn’t their best match, it is a good one. Plus, this began the storyline in which Sting became a member of the Four Horsemen. 8/10. 6. Dog Collar Match: Greg Valentine VS Rowdy Roddy Piper—Starrcade, November 24, 1983 Now, this is a classic. I’m surprised it’s at number 6. I would have put it in the top 3. It is a great match, very violent and very bloody. And, it still holds up today, even after there have been much more extreme matches. Though, I was confused about whether or not the United States Title that Valentine held at the time was on the line or not. The announcers said that it was and then said that it wasn’t. Regardless, this was a great match. 10/10. 5. Scaffold Match: The Road Warriors VS The Midnight Express—Starrcade, November 27, 1986 Like I said earlier, scaffold matches aren’t that good. But, this one was. It helped that the Road Warriors were brawlers, so it didn’t really matter if there weren’t a lot of great wrestling holds done in the match. Plus, there was a lot of hype surrounding this match. The Road Warriors were in a big feud with the Midnight Express (Eaton and Dennis Condrey). In fact, the 1986 Starrcade event was subtitled “The Night Of The Skywalkers” after this match. And, it really lived up to its height. Also, Jim Cornette took a nasty bump off the scaffold, which blew out his knee; he still has knee problems to this day. I admire him for taking the bump. He’s not a wrestler, and he’s afraid of heights; but he showed a lot of guts for doing it. 8/10. 4. WCW World Heavyweight Title Match: Hollywood Hogan VS Sting—Starrcade, December 28, 1997 After the gimmick years of Starrcade, Eric Bischoff brought the PPV back to prominence with the Sting and Hogan. It was brilliant booking. He had Sting become a silent loner who did nothing but look down from the rafters and every once in a while come down to beat up the nWo. He went from an energetic face to the Crow. He didn’t speak. He didn’t wrestle. He just watched the event from the rafters and occasionally hit someone with a baseball bat. And, he had the WCW audience captivated. Also, Bischoff had the nWo built as an unstoppable force, with Sting basically being the only one who had gotten the best of them. It worked as Starrcade 1997 was WCW’s most successful PPV, getting a 1.9 buy rate. However, the match was anti-climatic. Hogan and Bischoff disagreed over the finish, which led to the fast count pin and Bret Hart as special enforcer restarting the match and Sting winning the WCW Title. However, the fast count wasn’t fast, with it rumored that Hogan paid referee Nick Patrick to not give a fast count. This pretty much marked the beginning of the end for WCW, as it would become consumed by egos and crappy booking that would eventually lead to its demise. Nevertheless, this is a pretty good match despite the crappy finish. 8/10. 3. Steel Cage Match For The NWA World Heavyweight Title: Harley Race VS Ric Flair—Starrcade, November 24, 1983 Now, we get to the first main event in Starrcade history. This was a changing of the guard: Race would lose the title to Flair. Then, Race’s star would dwindle while Flair would go on to become a big star. The match itself is pretty good. It’s not the best in the world, but it is a historic bout, and it really help to make Starrcade into such a big event. Plus, it had a great build, with the storyline of Race putting a $25,000 bounty on Flair’s head. 8/10. 2. Steel Cage I Quit Match For The NWA United States Title: Tully Blanchard VS Magnum T.A.—Starrcade, November 28, 1985 Talk about a show stealer. Magnum TA and Tully Blanchard beat the holy hell out of each other in this match. This was an intense and bloody battle, and much like the Dog Collar Match, it still holds up today, despite such intense I Quit matches of recent memory. And, the finish, with Magnum sticking that piece of chair into Tully’s forehead, is painful to watch. 10/10. 1. WCW World Heavyweight Title Match With Ric Flair’s Career On The Line: Vader VS Ric Flair—Starrcade, December 27, 1993 It’s not surprising that Ric Flair would be in the match chosen as the Best Starrcade Match EVER! Though, I’m pleasantly surprised that his match with Vader was the one chosen. The fans could have easily gone with another match, like the one with Harley Race. But, I feel the right one was chosen as number 1. And, the storyline of Flair putting his career on the line for the belt was a good one. I mean, Flair was going to put his career on the line in a match against Vader! It really looked like he could lose. But, he didn’t. Anyway, this is a great match. I got excited watching, and I knew the outcome! I can see why it was voted as number 1. 10/10. I do have some complaints about the DVD. I don’t completely agree with the rankings, and I would have loved to hear all the entrance music that was missing from it. So, WWE owns WCW but not all their music!? What the hell!? However, this is a good DVD for a nostalgic trip, but it’s also sad. I mean, WCW is gone. And, I’m really bummed about it because I missed a lot of it. Sure, I watch it a bit in the early 1990s and watched a lot of the heyday of the nWo VS WCW era. But, then the WWF started the Attitude Era. I had always been a WWF fan, and things just more interesting at the time. Soon, I was watching RAW and Nitro less. Then, by the time Benoit, Guerrero, Dean Malenko, and Perry Saturn showed up on RAW, I just gave up on WCW because they were the only reason for me to even bother to tune in at the time. Now that they were in the WWF, there was no reason for me to even change the channel. I would tune in occasionally and keep up with things, but I was pretty much sticking with the WWF. And, I regret that. I really wish I had seen more of WCW when it was on the air. I mean, I knew things were bad for WCW, but I never thought it would go out of business. I just figured that Bischoff or someone would eventually relight the spark in WCW to make it a hot property again, which looked to be coming true as WCW was improving quality wise in late 2000 and early 2001. But, it didn’t happen. Now, WCW is gone the way of the dodo, and I miss it. I miss the blue, black, and yellow ropes. I miss the great matches. I miss the Cruiserweight Division. I miss Ric Flair in his prime. I miss the Four Horsemen. I miss the WarGames match. I miss early 1990s Sting. I miss the nWo. I miss Nitro. I miss Dusty Rhodes on commentary. I miss monster heel Vader. I just miss WCW. However, there are the DVDs. Highlight: “I know one thing—they can’t call that hooter girl a natural.”—Jesse Ventura, describing the ring girl taking “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes’s jacket before his match with “Stunning” Steve Austin at Starrcade 1993. Highly Recommended.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Mar 15, 2009 16:56:49 GMT -5
It’s been a while, so here’s another DVD review: Futurama: Into The Green Wild Yonder Well, since I did the other three Futurama movies, I might as well do a review for the final one. And, this is it. This is the end. With no new Futurama movies or episodes in production, this is pretty much the series finale of Futurama. So, let’s get to it. First: THIS IS ANOTHER LONG DETAIL SYNOPSIS OF THE PLOT OF THE MOVIE!!!! IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THE MOVIE AND DON’T WANT THE MOVIE SPOILED FOR YOU, THEN: The movie begins with a shot of the deepest regions of outer space. A mysterious green radiation emerges from a black dwarf star, causing DNA molecules to form on an asteroid in a nearby violet dwarf star system. The scene then cuts to Mars Vegas, launching the opening musical number with the title screen saying "The Humans Shall Not Defeat Us" in Alien Language 1. The Planet Express crew visit Amy's wealthy parents Leo and Inez, who are busy destroying the "old" Mars Vegas and constructing a newer, more extravagant one. A group of eco-feminists led by Frida Waterfall protest the resulting destruction of the environment, leading to an accident where a piece of Frida's jewelry lodges inside Fry's brain. The destruction upsets Leela also, but Leo attempts to assure her that he has received proper clearance -- by bribing Professor Farnsworth. Unimpressed, Leela saves a Martian muck leech, the last of its species, from the construction site. To compensate Fry, Leo offers him a free entry to a poker tournament and the rest of the crew a free vacation. At the new Vegas, Fry begins to hear voices in his head. He meets a transient named Hutch, who explains that they are both telepaths and advises him to wear a tinfoil hat to stop the constant flow of voices. The encounter ends with Hutch admonishing Fry never to reveal his powers to anyone and to beware of the "Dark Ones". Meanwhile, Bender begins an affair with a performing bot named Fanny and arouses the suspicions of her husband, the Donbot. After defeating Fry to win the poker tournament, Bender attempts to elope with Fanny, but a stern warning from the Donbot (being machine-gunned at close range and buried a few times) forces him to quit the affair. During a round of miniature golf with the crew, Leo reveals his plan to destroy a chunk of the galaxy and build the universe's largest miniature golf course. Farnsworth and the crew survey the proposed site and discover the asteroid from the opening sequence, now teeming with primordial life forms. Over Leela and Fry's objections, Farnsworth approves the project. After a botched protest leads to the accidental death of Vice-President Spiro Agnew, Leela and the eco-feminists go into hiding. Leela convinces the eco-feminists to take radical action and leads them on a string of crimes against Leo's projects. Leela returns to Planet Express one last time to retrieve her leech and runs into Fry, who unexpectedly offers his blessing; the two of them share a tearful goodbye. Hutch takes Fry to the hideout of the "Legion of Mad Fellows", led by the No. 9 man. No. 9 explains that the Legion are a secret society of tinfoil-wearing telepaths who have been tracking a resurgence in the life-giving force known as the "Chi", the mysterious green radiation shown at the beginning of the film. They believe that the violet dwarf star holds the key to the revival of extinct species and the dawn of a new Green Age; because Fry's mind is immune from the psionic powers of the Dark Ones, he alone can save the star. To conceal their existence and knowledge from the Dark Ones, the Legion swears Fry to secrecy. Fry then infiltrates Leo's empire as a new security guard. Leo enlists Zapp Brannigan and Kif Kroker to apprehend the eco-feminists; jealous of Leela's growing criminal record, Bender joins in. At the golf course, Bender bugs Fry's cell phone, while an argument leads to Amy denouncing Fry as a traitor and disowning her father. Fry later runs into Frida and asks her to take a discreet message of support to Leela, but an unseen Dark One learns of the message at the eco-feminists' new hideout on Mars and psionically murders Frida. The remaining Planet Express employees (Farnsworth, Zoidberg and Hermes) attempt to deliver a fence to Leo, but are intercepted by the eco-feminists (now joined by Amy, LaBarbara Conrad and others) and imprisoned while the feminists commandeer the Planet Express ship. At the hideout, the eco-feminists discover Frida's corpse. Amy suspects foul play by Fry, and Leela calls Fry to clarify things. At a Legion meeting on Mars, No. 9 explains to Fry the evolutionary origins of the Dark Ones, a malevolent species devoted to the destruction of all life, and the Encyclopods, a now-extinct species devoted to the preservation of the DNA of all endangered life forms and the recreation of species from its collection. No. 9 then explains that the violet dwarf is the only remaining Encyclopod egg. The lecture is interrupted by Leela's call, whereupon Fry realizes that the Dark Ones have murdered Frida. Fry and Leela arrange a rendezvous which is ambushed by Brannigan in the Nimbus; Leela escapes in the Planet Express ship and abducts Fry, convinced that he is a traitor. Brannigan pursues them, and after a chase through Leo's golf course and past the now-vibrant violet dwarf system, the eco-feminists are caught, convicted and sentenced. Fry arranges a third meeting with the Legion, who explain that Fry needs not only to stop the imminent implosion of the violet dwarf but also to identify and thwart the Dark One who is sure to be present. Though no one knows the current physical form of the Dark One, the Dark One's mind cannot be read, allowing Fry a means of search. No. 9 gives Fry the mysterious Omega device, able to disable the Dark One at close range. In prison, the unseen voice of a Dark One urges Leela to escape. Shortly thereafter, Bender shows up to free the eco-feminists, happy to overtake Leela's criminal record. Hermes, Zoidberg, Scruffy and a repentant Farnsworth arrive in the Planet Express ship and whisk Bender, Leela, Amy and LaBarbara off to stop the implosion ceremony. At the ceremony, Leo gives Fry the honor of imploding the violet dwarf. Unable to locate an unreadable mind in the massive audience, Fry concludes that he must be the Dark One. Before Fry can press the plunger, the Planet Express crew disrupts the ceremony. Still unable to explain his intentions, Fry implores Leela to return the detonator; after a moment of reflection, Leela does so. Having covertly wired the detonator to the Omega device, Fry presses the plunger and attempts to destroy himself. The Omega device activates, enveloping Leela and Fry in a flash but leaving them unharmed; Leela's leech reveals itself to be the lone surviving Dark One before collapsing. The violet dwarf system configures itself into a giant sperm and flies into the star, creating an Encyclopod embryo which quickly reaches adult form. The Encyclopod approaches the astonished audience, revealing an ecosystem full of formerly extinct species in its pouch. As Hutch is about to explain the events, the Dark One recovers and murders him. The Encyclopod then incinerates the Dark One; a debate about whether to preserve its DNA is quashed when Zoidberg consumes the Dark One's remains. After harvesting a sample of Hutch's DNA, the Encyclopod flies off. Unmoved by these events, Brannigan attempts to arrest the Planet Express fugitives, but they and Kif escape. As the Nimbus chases the Planet Express ship, Kif and Amy reconcile, and Fry and Leela confess their love for one another. The crew discovers a wormhole which the Professor notes could take them trillions of lightyears away. Fry and Leela kiss as the ship flies into it. CONTINUE READING!!!! Okay, this was a good movie. It heavily feature secondary characters that weren’t featured as much in the other films. In this one, those characters are the Robot Mafia and Leo Wong. However, they still could have had more of the Robot Mafia. They are featured a lot in the first 30 minutes or so. Then after that, they just sort of disappear. I was a little upset by this. I WANTED CLAMPS!!!! WITH CLAMPING AND CLAMP-LIKE DEVICES!!!! CLAMPS!!!! Ahem, anyway, the filmmakers made up for it by having my favorite character in the movie: Zapp Brannigan! And, there were guest stars: Snoop Dogg as the Supreme Court Justizzle, Penn Jillette as Penn now doing announcing for TV poker (Teller got credited, but he wasn’t there at the voiceover recording; or he was and just didn’t say anything, which shouldn’t be that hard for him), Seth MacFarlane singing the opening song (I was surprised that he got onto the movie considering that there is supposedly some bad blood between Matt Groening and MacFarlane, and by bad blood, I mean basically everyone in animation doesn’t like MacFarlane for some reason), and Phil Hendrie (I had no idea who he was, so here’s his Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Hendrie.) Anyway, it was very funny and made for a good adventure story. However, it does have a disjointed plot and a haphazard pacing; though the jokes make up for it. My main problem with the film was that when it ended, it didn’t really have that finale feeling. I mean, it didn’t feel like this was the last time we’ll see the Planet Express crew. It appears that the filmmakers left it open-ended in case the show got picked up again. However, it appears that’s not going to be the case. They could have given the movie more of a finale feeling while still leaving the ending open. But, that doesn’t change the fact that this film was very funny. To me, it’s the third best. In fact, here are my rankings: 1. Bender’s Game (It was just so good!) 2. The Beast With A Billion Backs (My personal favorite, but not a lot of people liked it; and I can see why; it was a little creepy.) 3. Into The Green Wild Yonder 4. Bender’s Big Score (I thought it was funny, but looking back, all that retconning seems pointless and hurts some of the show’s best episodes a little.) The special features include audio commentary by Matt Groening, David X. Cohen, John DiMaggio, Maurice LaMarche, Patric M. Verrone, Michael Rowe, Lee Supercinski, and Peter Avanzino; the storyboard animatic of the first 20 or 30 minutes of the film; Docudramarama, the making of Futurama, basically Lauren Tom does a lot more on that show than we previously thought; “Louder, Louder!”, the Acting Technique of Penn Jillette, which involves Penn telling us his secret to acting: it’s just yelling really loud; deleted scenes: Leo Wong destroying Dolemite Hill, the Hyperchicken, finally given a name—Matcluck, questioning Zapp Brannigan at the Feministas’ trial, an extended version of Scruffy and Dr. Zoidberg repainting the Planet Express Ship, an extended version of Morbo reading the newscast alone, and an extended version of Fry searching for the dark one; Matt Groening and David X. Cohen in Space!, well, actually they go up into an airplane that allows people to experience zero gravity; How To Draw Futurama In 10 Easy Steps, in which the animators show you how to draw some more Futurama characters; 3-D models of the asteroid that starts creating life, the Feministas Eco-van, the Gorilla obstacle in Leo Wong’s Gigantic Miniature Golf Course, the Nimbus, and the wormhole; Bender’s Movie Theater Etiquette, which basically means that he doesn’t have any (FYI, they recycled a few clips from the episode in which Bender becomes the Robot Fighting Champion); Zapp Brannigan’s Guide To Making Love At A Woman, which features recycled clips of some of Zapp’s funniest moments; and mysterious feature not mentioned on the DVD box! If you wish to remain surprised then: Basically, it is a small animation of Bender drinking a beer drawn on a roll of toilet paper. The special features aren’t anything to sneeze at. They aren’t as good as the ones for “Bender’s Big Score” and “Bender’s Game,” but they are better than the ones for “The Beast With A Billion Backs.” All in all, this was a good DVD. It was funny, but it just didn’t feel like it completed the Futurama saga. Now, I understand the reason why: the people who made don’t know if it will be picked. There seems to be a lot of optimism that it will get picked up. However, I just have this feeling that it won’t. I will be happy if it does, but I’m not going to get my hopes up. It looks like this is the end. Man, now I’m bummed out! If only I had something to take away the pain. Hey! Now, I feel better! I no longer care about whether or not Futurama will come back! I now only care about one thing! ALL HAIL THE HYPNOTOAD!!!! Highlights: I thought Zapp Brannigan’s Guide To Making Love At A Woman would be it, but I was a little disappointed by it. So, I’m giving the highlight nod to the Docudramarama. That Lauren Tom sure is a hard worker! Recommended, mainly for Futurama fans who want to complete their collections or whatnot.
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Post by Kermit The Hulk on Mar 22, 2009 0:10:27 GMT -5
It’s DVD review time!!!! The Best Of Saturday Night’s Main Event 3 disc DVD I first started watching wrestling in 1990. And, boy, was the scene a lot different then than it is today! Hulk Hogan passed the torch to the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI. Sting was facing the Black Scorpion in WCW. Shawn Michaels was just one half of the Rockers. The Undertaker was just that mystery partner for Ted DiBiase’s team at the Survivor Series! They still had squash matches with jobbers on TV! WWE was the WWF! WCW was still around! The times sure have changed! However, the most important change, and by “most important” I mean “the one that pertains to this DVD review,” would have to be the number of PPVs. Today, we get one PPV a month, sometimes two thanks to WWE. But, back then, this was not the case. Sure, WCW had a lot of PPVs, but the WWF only had the four: the Royal Rumble (in January), WrestleMania (in March/April), SummerSlam (in August), and the Survivor Series (in November). So, that left some time in between PPVs. Also, the WWF’s TV shows, Prime Time and Superstars, usually featured squash matches. Sure, there would be the occasional big superstar VS superstar match, but it would mainly be mid-card guys. You rarely saw the big names, like Hogan, Warrior, or “Macho Man” Randy Savage, on those shows. And, those two shows were on USA, a cable channel; and not everyone had cable back then like they do today! Sure, there were the Coliseum Home Video releases, but a lot of them weren’t that great. Plus, there was the money issue; not everyone could afford to buy the PPVs and home videos. Now, most people wanted to see the WWF, but if you couldn’t afford the PPV or home videos, had no cable, and/or it was on of the months with no PPV, you weren’t shit out of luck. There was a saving grace: Saturday Night’s Main Event. It was basically a mini PPV on free TV! And not cable but network TV! Yes! It was on NBC! So, practically everyone could see it! Every once in a while from 1985 to 1992, the WWF would preempt Saturday Night Live and have a two hour show of wrestling with all the top stars. Though, in 1992, SNME moved to Fox. Then, it just disappeared all together. Why? Well, the show debuted during the wrestling boom of the 1980s. However, the boom ended in 1990. Then, the show just disappeared until 2006, when WWE brought it back after moving back to USA. Sure, it wasn’t the same as when SNME was first on the air because it no longer served its purpose: to hold people over until the next PPV with star VS star matches. However, we now get PPVs every month, and we get star VS star matches on every show. WWE still airs it, though; the latest one was in August of 2008. But, enough about that! You see, SNME was one of the WWF’s flagship shows. It was a very big deal back in the day, and it produced some of the most memorable moments in WWE history. In fact, it had so many good moments that WWE decided to put all these moments together on a 3-disc DVD. Let’s get started: We start with our host “Mean” Gene Okerlund giving us a little description of SNME, reminding us what was going down in 1985, and mentioning the 1980s wrestling boom. You see, wrestling so popular back then. You had wrestling on MTV. Mr. T and Cyndi Lauper were involved with the WWF. Hulk Hogan and Mr. T hosted Saturday Night Live! The WWF was a hot thing back then. And, this led to a network show on NBC: Saturday Night’s Main Event. It debuted on May 11, 1985, a few months after the first WrestleMania. So, naturally, the first main event of SNME would be the first match on the DVD: Match 1. WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan VS “Cowboy” Bob Orton—SNME, May 11, 1985. I should mention that Orton has his pal “Rowdy” Roddy Piper in his corner, and Hogan had Mr. T in his corner for the match. And, yes, Orton had that legendary cast on his left arm. Also, Jesse Ventura’s commentary is in tact. Though, I figured it would. Ventura was pretty much on all of those SNME broadcasts. You couldn’t really do this disc without his commentary. Plus, I really miss heel announcers. We haven’t really heard many heel announcers in this decade, especially in WWE. Yeah, we had JBL, but he went back to wrestling. Though, he should go back to announcing. As for the match, it’s not the best in the world; but it’s okay. It has a bit of drama to it with Piper, Mr. T, and Paul Orndorff getting involved. All in all, it served it’s purpose. 6/10. Next, we get our first WrestleCrap induction that appears on the dist: Uncle Elmer’s wedding. Okay, here’s the thing. When I type that SNME produce a lot of memorable moments, I didn’t say that all those moments were good. In fact, some were so awesomely bad that they were entertaining. Uncle Elmer’s wedding definitely fits that category. Now, we don’t get the whole wedding. It’s mainly clips of the wedding with current WWE employees, like CM Punk, Santino Marella, and Joey Styles talking about it. Match 2. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper VS “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff—SNME, October 5, 1985. On the same night they had Uncle Elmer’s wedding, they had this match. Though, it wasn’t really a match. It was mainly just all out fight between the two. In fact, the match ended in a double countout. Though, it was pretty entertaining. 7/10. Also on that October 5 broadcast, we got a vignette for Gene Okerlund going to the zoo looking for George “The Animal” Steele. I don’t know if this has been inducted into WrestleCrap, but it should be. Or not. I don’t really care. Anyway, Okerlund shows up after that to introduce the next segment. In 1985, there was a special Halloween edition of SNME, which aired two days after Halloween. Oh well, it was closer to Halloween than the last several Simpsons Treehouse Of Horrors specials. And, it’s the second WrestleCrap induction to appear on this disc. On this Halloween special, we had some contest pitting the faces of the WWF at the time against the heels. In the first contest, Capt. Lou Albano beat King Kong Bundy in a pie eating contest. Then, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan beat one of the Hillbillies (I don’t know which one; there were like 50,000 running around the WWF at the time) in the bobbing for pumpkins contest. By the way, they really should have used water instead of chocolate for that part. Heenan looked like he got diarrhea thrown into his face afterwards. Then, finally, came the pumpkin pass, where you place a pumpkin under your chin and pass it to the next without using your hands. Here’s the thing about the pumpkin pass, two people trying to pass a pumpkin using only your chin…well…it looks like they’re making out. Anyway, the faces won when Piper freaked out trying to pass him pumpkin to Miss Elizabeth. Though, Elizabeth was in a skimpy jungle outfit. So, I can’t really blame Piper for doing so. SPEAKING OF freaking out, we then get to see Piper at his home in a cocaine induced madness giving out bricks and bowling balls to trick-or-treaters. I wish they had shown the whole vignette; that looked like comedy gold. Match 3. WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan VS Terry Funk—SNME, January 4, 1986. Interesting note: Hogan wears blue trunks and boots in this match instead of his usual yellow. Also, the ring looks small as hell. It’s like one of those CHIKARA rings that aren’t as high as usual rings. But, that’s because they usually host in venues with a low ceiling. This SNME was held in an arena. I don’t what the deal was with the small ring. Oh well, it doesn’t matter. Anyway, the match is pretty good. Funk really makes Hogan look good. This match really shows that he wasn’t just the hardcore wrestler he became in the 1990s; he was a very good technical wrestler who could work well with anyone. Though, he does show some of that hardcore spirit by choking Hogan with a piece of tape. 8/10. Next, we get Randy Orton talking about his dad, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, which sets up for our next match: Match 4. Boxing Match: Mr. T VS “Cowboy” Bob Orton—SNME, March 1, 1986. One of the reasons wrestling was big in the 1980s was that Vince McMahon was able to get celebrities involved with the WWF. And, the main one was Mr. T. He was very popular, rising to fame thanks to “Rocky III.” So, it would make sense to have Mr. T come in and have a boxing match since he became famous for playing a boxer. Now, I’m gonna be honest: I find boxing to be boring. To me, it’s just punching. However, this was entertaining, mainly because Orton pretty much cheated throughout the match. This also set up the Boxing Match between Piper and Mr. T at WrestleMania 2 with Piper and Orton attacking Mr. T after the match. 7/10. “Mean” Gene returns to show how SNME was a big deal, mentioning that it feature big name stars taking on each other in a time when most televised wrestling matches showed squash matches with jobbers. He also talks about how SNME was a show used to end feuds. This leads to our next match: Match 5. Jake “The Snake” Roberts VS Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat—SNME, October 4, 1986. Here’s a little warning: before the match, Okerlund interviews Roberts in the shower. Now, why the WWF chose to hold this interview with a naked Jake Roberts in the shower is beyond me. I’m still trying to figure out why Roberts had Damien in the shower with him. Anyway, this feud actually began at the last SNME, when Roberts DDTed Steamboat onto the concrete floor outside of the ring and then draped his snake Damien over Steamboat. (That moment isn’t on the DVD, but we do see clips of it.) So, Steamboat decided to get even by bringing in his own animal: a dragon! Actually, it was an alligator, but they just called it a dragon. Anyway, it was a good match with some good drama and psychology. 8/10. Next, we get Jake Roberts talking about SNME, which leads to our next match: Match 6. WWF Intercontinental Title Match: “Macho Man” Randy Savage VS Jake “The Snake” Roberts—SNME, November 29, 1986. OH YEAH! One of the reasons I was interested in getting this DVD set was the Macho Man as he is all over this DVD set. Randy Savage is one of my all time favorite. The man was amazing: a great wrestler with this crazy charisma and gave some of the weirdest promos of all time. I mean, he was so bad ass when he first showed up, especially when he crushed Steamboat’s throat with that ring bell. And, those robes he had were out of sight! Plus, he had Miss Elizabeth. It’s quite hilarious to hear Vince McMahon cream his shorts when Elizabeth comes out. Interesting note: both men were heels at the time. It’s nice to see a rare heel VS heel match. Though, the crowd seemed to be more behind Roberts. I heard a “DDT” chant from the Los Angeles crowd. Ya know, there are a lot of snakes in L.A.; maybe that’s why they were behind Roberts.[/comment on the entertainment industry]. Anyway, this is a very good match. I’m not surprised, though. Savage is an amazing worker, and Roberts is a master of in-ring psychology. I’d be surprised if these two didn’t have a good match. 8/10. Gene Okerlund returns to introduce one of the most memorable matches in WWE history: Match 7. Steel Cage Match for the WWF Title: Hulk Hogan VS “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff—SNME, January 3, 1987. In 1986, Orndorff and Hogan had one of the best feuds of the time. Now, Orndorff and Hogan had become friends after Orndorff’s friends Piper and Orton turned their backs on him, blaming him for the lost at the first WrestleMania. So, Orndorff decided to lend a hand to their main enemy, Hulk Hogan. The two men became friends, and Orndorff fully turned face when he fired his manager, Bobby Heenan. However, it didn’t last. People began saying that Orndorff had gone soft since teaming up with Hogan, most notably Adrian Adonis who dared Orndorff to show that he and Hogan had a close friendship. So, Orndorff famously called Hogan on TV but was told that Hogan was too busy to answer the call, annoying Orndorff to no end. When Hogan and Orndorff teamed together against the Moondogs, Orndorff wrestled most of the match himself, even scoring the pin just to show up Hogan. The next tag match they were in, against Big John Studd and King Kong Bundy, Hogan accidentally knocked Orndorff of the apron. Studd and Bundy double teamed Hogan as Orndorff stood on the outside claiming to have an eye injury. However, Orndorff eventually came to Hogan’s aid, fending off Bundy and Studd. Then, Orndorff helped Hogan up, only to clothesline back to the mat and then gave Hogan a piledriver. Orndorff rehired Heenan as his manager and became the number 1 challenger to Hogan’s WWF Title, which led to this match. This match is infamously known for the finish, in which both men hit the floor at the same time and two referees claiming a different man to be the winner: Joey Marella saying that Hogan won while heel referee Danny Davis claiming that Orndorff was the new WWF Champion. (That’s another thing I miss: heel referees. I would love to see one of those running around WWE today.) Anyway, this match is just spectacular. Sure, it doesn’t have a lot of pure technical holds and scientific wrestling; but it had a lot of drama and exciting brawling in the match. Plus, it was great way to end such a good feud. Also, was it just me, or was Orndorff in the right on this feud? I mean, if I called a good friend of mines on TV, then that guy better answer the phone and not embarrass me. 9/10. “Mean” Gene returns and talks about another big wrestling star: Andre The Giant. He mentions the feud between Hulk Hogan and their match at WrestleMania III. The reason for the mention is that our next match is one of the things that set up their epic match at WrestleMania III: Match 8. Battle Royal—SNME, March 14, 1987. Well, obviously both Hogan and Andre were in this match. The battle royal also featured Hercules, Ron Bass, Demolition (Ax and Smash), Billy Jack Haynes, Hillbilly Jim, The Honky Tonk Man, The Islanders (Haku and Tama), The Killer Bees (B. Brian Blair and Jim Brunzell), Blackjack Mulligan, Paul Orndorff, Lanny Poffo, Butch Reed, Sika, Nikolai Volkoff, and Koko B. Ware. Also, this match took place in the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan, the same city that hosted WrestleMania III. Interesting note, the match starts off with Hogan and Andre staring each other down, and then when the bell rings, all the heels gang up on Hogan while all the faces go after Andre. I liked that. I thought it was good way to start this match, especially with so much drama between Hogan and Andre. Another thing I liked in this match: Honky Tonk Man’s tights; they were neon blue with pink suspenders attached to them. Now that is fashion! Also, Andre headbutted Lanny Poffo so hard that he busted him open! Hell, Poffo had to be taken out in a stretcher. It may have been a work to make Andre look good, but it sure as hell worked! Anyway, this whole battle royal is worked to have Hogan and Andre confront each other before their big WrestleMania III match. Sure enough, it happens when Andre eliminates Hogan, and Hogan has to be held back to keep him from reentering the match. However, Andre doesn’t win; all the remaining wrestlers gang up and throw him over the top rope. The final four is Smash, Billy Jack Haynes, Koko B. Ware, and Hercules. Hercules throws Koko out with ease, and then he teams up with Smash to take out Haynes. However, Haynes is able to eliminate Smash, leaving it between him and Hercules. But, distraction from Bobby Heenan allows Hercules to eliminate Haynes. 8/10. Next, Natalie Neidhart shows up to talk about her dad, setting up for the next match: Match 9. 2 Out Of 3 Falls for the WWF Tag Team Titles: The Hart Foundation VS The British Bulldogs—SNME, May 2, 1987. One of the best things the WWF had going in the 1980s was their tag division, and these were two of their best teams. The Bulldogs were technical powerhouses, and the Hart Foundation had a great combo of technical wrestling from Bret Hart with the power and speed of Jim Neidhart. Also, it’s great to see just how good Davey Boy Smith was before he got really big in the 1990s. He was faster and more agile. Also, Danny Davis is out at ringside for the Hart Foundation, while Tito Santana is in the Bulldogs’ corner. Anyway, this is a very good, very exciting match. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 9/10. “Mean” Gene returns to set up the next match by mentioning the two big guys in the WWF in the late 1980s: “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. This is actually the beginning of one of the longest and best feuds in WWF/E history: Match 10. WWF Intercontinental Title Match: The Honky Tonk Man VS “Macho Man” Randy Savage—SNME, October 3, 1987. This match had to be on the DVD. Not only is it good, it’s also one of the most important matches it WWF/E history: the beginning of the Mega Powers, the super duo of Savage and Hogan that lasted for almost two years before exploding in one of the best WrestleMania main events at WrestleMania V. Anyway, the way they set up the pairing was great, with Elizabeth simply going to the back and dragging Hogan out help Savage from the Honky Tonk Man and the Hart Foundation. So simple yet so perfect. There was just so much drama and excitement. Plus, the crowd was so into it. They were loud throughout the whole match, and they just went nuts when Hogan came out. You just don’t hear crowds like that anymore. I know I’ve said that before, but it’s true! 10/10. Next, we get a promo from Hogan and Savage that took place after the match in which the team’s name is coined. After that, we have current WWE superstars talking about the formation of the Mega Powers. WrestleCrap Induction #3! Well, technically it’s only a part of an induction, the Piledriver album. Anyway, we get the video to the title track of that album, “Piledriver,” in all its glory! Man, Vince’s face when those women show up is still funny as hell. But, don’t take my word for it: Match 11. “Macho Man” Randy Savage VS Bret “The Hitman” Hart—SNME, November 28, 1987. I’m guessing this match happened because of what happened in the previous match, what with the Hart Foundation helping Honky Tonk Man to attack Savage. Anyway, this is a very good match: a lot of good wrestling with some great drama in Savage getting an ankle injury during the match and having to wrestle on one foot. It was a good and exciting bout. 8/10. Now, Disc 1 has ended, and before we move on to Disc 2, let’s take a look at the special features on this disc: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and the U.S. Express VS The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff, and George “The Animal” Steele—SNME, May 11, 1985. This is the first match that took place on the first Saturday Night’s Main Event. It was an okay match. Nothing memorable happened during the match, but it had some solid wrestling. However, after the match, the Iron Sheik and Volkoff attacked Steele; I think this marked his face turn. 7/10. The next special feature is the “Real American” music video. I don’t know what it is about this song, but every time I hear it, I just get so pumped up! As for the video, it’s cheesy as hell, with lots of patriotic images and Hogan playing guitar over various American locations. But, it is just good clean fun. Finally, the last special feature on this disc is a promo featuring the Junkyard Dog and his mother and highlights of his match with Pete Dougherty as the Dog’s mom looks on. Now, let’s move on to disc 2. Gene Okerlund returns to introduce our next match: Match 12. WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan VS King Kong Bundy—SNME, January 2, 1988. This match is important because Bundy had Andre the Giant in his corner instead of his manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan because he was selling his (kayfabe) neck injury. Before the match, we get a cool promo from Hogan in which he talks about a summit meeting with Ronald Reagan. Just the thought of Hogan and Reagan in the same room makes me smile. I don’t know why it just does. Sadly, Hogan didn’t end the promo with “What’cha gonna do when Hulkamania and Reaganomics run wild on you!!!!?” Anyway, this is an okay man. Nothing spectacular offense wise (Bundy and Hogan aren’t the most technical wrestlers), there were some good moments, especially when referee Jack Kruger was caught in an avalanche splash and got squashed between Bundy and Hogan. He was legitimately injured and had to be wheeled away on a stretcher; Dave Hebner took over as the official. 7/10. However, what took place after the match was more memorable and dramatic than what took place during it. After Hogan won, he challenged Andre to enter the ring. It appeared that Andre chickened out, but he entered the ring when Hogan wasn’t looking and started choking Hogan. Andre held on for a long time and several WWF had to pull Andre off of Hogan. This was an amazing moment as it perfectly set up for the next match on the DVD: Match 13. WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan VS Andre The Giant—The Main Event, February 5, 1988. Okay, this match technically didn’t take place on SNME. It took place on the Main Event, which is still the highest rated wrestling special, with a 15.2 rating and about 30 million people tuning in to see the WrestleMania III rematch. Though, the history and importance surrounding this match definitely proves that it deserves to be included on this DVD set. Before the match, they showed footage from that epic encounter at WrestleMania III and footage of the contract signing for this match. Also, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase and Virgil were at ringside with Andre; if you don’t remember, one of the storylines surrounding this match was DiBiase trying to buy the WWF Title. Now, this was a good match. In fact, I thought it was better than the WrestleMania III match, mainly because of Hogan’s offense in the beginning of the match. He was so fast and furious, and I was impressed to see Hogan go to the top rope. However, it was all for naught as Andre won and ended Hogan’s 4 year reign as WWF Champion. Though, controversy surrounding the finish (Hogan getting a shoulder up before 3 yet Andre being awarded the match and then Andre selling the WWF Title to Ted DiBiase) cause the WWF Title to be stripped, setting up the tournament at WrestleMania IV. This was the first time we learned that Dave Hebner had a twin brother named Earl. Also, when Hogan picked up Earl and threw him out of the ring, he nearly missed DiBiase and Virgil. Anyway, with so much drama and some pretty good brawling, it made for a good match. 8/10. Next, we get Ted DiBiase, Jr., talking about his dad and the Million Dollar Belt. This leads to our next match: Match 14: “Macho Man” Randy Savage VS “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase—SNME, March 12, 1988. Now, this is a pretty good match. Once again, I’m not surprised. Not only was Savage a very good wrestler, so was Ted DiBiase. So, we have two very good mat technicians in the ring putting on a great bout. Though, it wasn’t just the wrestlers who made this match entertaining. It was hilarious to hear McMahon fawn over Elizabeth. You’d think the guy was in love with the girl. I should also point out that Andre the Giant was in DiBiase’s corner and Elizabeth brought out Hulk Hogan to help Savage again. 8/10. Our next moment features Jake “The Snake” Roberts freaking Andre The Giant out with his snake Damien, causing Andre to pass out. Now again, we don’t get the whole moment, just clips and WWE superstars talking about it; but still it was nice they mentioned it. Match 15: Hulk Hogan VS “King” Harley Race—SNME, March 12, 1988. WrestleCrap Induction #4 appears. Well, technically, Race’s sting as King Of The Ring was just a part of a larger induction on the ridiculous attempt by the WWF to give the wrestlers makeshift feuds over a stupid king title that didn’t really mean anything. Now, this is a pretty big match. Well, it would have been a few years earlier, like in 1985. But still, we got one of the WWF’s biggest stars, Hogan, taking on one of the legends of the NWA, Race. Now, there aren’t a lot of technical holds in this one, but it was a pretty entertain brawl. Also, it’s amazing how heelish Hogan acts in this match. I mean, I found it hard to believe he was a face. Another noteworthy moment in this match was that this was one of the first times a wrestler went through a table in a match. Late in the match, Race laid Hogan out across a table outside the ring and attempted to hit a diving headbutt from the ring apron. However, Hogan moved out of the way and Race crashed through the table, suffering a legitimate injury that would eventually force him into retirement. Yet, Race finished the match regardless of the injury. Though, it did take him out of action for a while, which led to some hilarious vignettes in which the WWF wanted us to believe that Race was practically dead by showing Race floating up to the clouds. 7/10. “Mean” Gene returns, informing us viewers of Savage’s WWF Title win at WrestleMania IV and introducing the next match: Match 16. WWF Title Match: “Macho Man” Randy Savage VS Andre The Giant—SNME, November 26, 1988. First, we get an excellent promo from Savage, which pretty much plants some seeds for the Mega Powers exploding by saying that he wants to beat Andre because Hogan did it. As for the match, it’s okay. Nothing special, except for Jake “The Snake” Roberts coming down to the Macho Man’s aid and to freak out Andre with Damien. Next, we get “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan talking about SNME and his flag match with Boris Zuhkov on the same SNME as the previous match. Match 17. WWF Intercontinental Title Match: The Ultimate Warrior VS The Honky Tonk Man—SNME, January 7, 1989. Before the match, we get a typical Ultimate Warrior promo: weird and hard as hell to understand. The match itself it okay, nothing special. I wish it had gone on a little longer. You see, most matches on SNME didn’t last long. Hell, it was rare that a match on SNME lasted over 10 minutes. Luckily, we get several of them on this DVD. Anyway, it was a nice short match. 6/10. Next, we get Hulk Hogan’s best friend, Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake shaving Ron Bass’s head. They pretty much show clips of the rivalry between these two, some highlights of the match they had on the same SNME as the previous match, and then Bass’s haircut. After this, Gene Okerlund shows up to talk about the Mega Powers and their feud with the Twin Tower, the Big Boss Man and Akeem, WrestleCrap Induction #5 on this DVD, which leads to our next match: Match 18. The Twin Towers VS The Mega Powers—The Main Event, February 3, 1989. Once again, we have a match that took place on the Main Event rather than SNME. Though, this match is on the disc for historic purposes: this is when the Mega Powers exploded. Now, problems between Savage and Hogan had begun when Hogan took on Elizabeth as his manager, and Savage started to get jealous. Both men nearly came to blows in the 1989 Royal Rumble when Hogan accidentally eliminated Savage as he was trying to help Savage eliminate Bad News Brown. But, Elizabeth stopped it. However, the bad blood between the two came to a boil in this match. During the match, Savage got knocked to the outside by Akeem, taking out Elizabeth as well. Hogan went over to check on Elizabeth and then took her backstage to get some medical attention, giving a rousing performance similar to the one he gave in “No Holds Barred.” However, he left the Macho Man all alone against the Twin Towers. Savage didn’t take this too kindly as he abandoned Hogan when he returned to the match. Luckily, Hogan was able to win the match on his own. Then, when Hogan went back to check on Elizabeth and confront Savage, they got into an argument; and Savage attacked Hogan from behind, thus setting the stage for WrestleMania V. The match itself it pretty good, though the drama behind the Mega Powers storyline really adds to it. I feel it wouldn’t have been as good without it. Also, there is a hilarious moment in the match when Akeem falls out of the ring as backs into the ropes. I don’t know if it was on purpose or a botch, but it was hilarious! 9/10. Of course, Hogan ended Savage’s year long WWF Title reign at WrestleMania V, as “Mean” Gene tells us. However, Hogan’s feud with the Big Boss Man wasn’t over. In fact: Match 19. Steel Cage Match for the WWF Title Match: Hulk Hogan VS The Big Boss Man—SNME, May 27, 1989. Before the match begins, we get WrestleCrap Induction #6 as Zeus, the villain from Hogan’s movie “No Holds Barred,” appears and attacks Hogan before the match. Other than that, this is a pretty entertaining bout, especially with the superplex Hogan gave Boss Man from the top of the cage. That was a pretty big spot for 1989. 8/10. Match 20. 2 Out Of 3 Falls: The Rockers VS The Brain Busters—SNME, November 25, 1989. Talk about a dream match. A young Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty taking on Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard in their prime. This was also one of the Brain Busters last matches in the WWF as their manager Bobby Heenan deserts them after they lose the first fall and then Tully would later fail a drug test some time before the 1989 Survivor Series, getting him fired. Anderson would also leave the WWF, and they both tried to return to the NWA. But, Tully’s failed drug test kept him from getting the job. As for the match, it’s a pretty good little bout. 8/10. Now, lets look at the Special Features on Disc 2 before we go to Disc 3: Our first one features a special episode of the Brother Love show featuring Hulk Hogan. First, we get clips of the Big Boss Man attacking Hogan the last time he was on Brother Love’s show. Then, Brother Love shows up to introduce his guest: the Jive Soul Bro, Slick! Wait…I thought Hogan was suppose to be the guest! Hell, Hogan thought that, too, as we saw him reacting angrily to the announcement of Slick being on the show. However, Brother Love did introduce Hogan, who promptly came out. And, I love the look on Hogan’s face each time Brother Love asks him a question and pulls the microphone away before he can answer. He looks shocked each time! Eventually, Hogan tires of this and grabs the microphone to give Brother Love and Slick a piece of his mind and pulls the mic from them just as it was done to him. Then, Hogan throws Slick out of the ring. Brother Love tries to take out Hogan with his microphone, but Hogan just bodyslams him to the mat, handcuffs Brother Love to the ropes, and then clotheslines him out of the ring. Dusty Rhodes VS The Big Boss Man—SNME, October 31, 1989. This bonus match features the debut of the American Dream’s sidekick, Sapphire. It also features WrestleCrap Induction #7: Dusty Rhodes’s WWF stint. I’m glad they put this match on the DVD, mainly for Dusty’s theme song. Man, that song rocks! Anyway, the match is okay, nothing special other than Sapphire’s debut. Also, if you look behind Sapphire, you’ll see former WrestleCrap Radio TNA Correspondent Peter Gazer; he’s in the blue blazer with the stars on it. 6/10. Now, we move on to Disc 3, and “Mean” Gene shows up again, talking about Hulk Hogan’s feud with the Genius and Mr. Perfect, which leads to our next moment on the DVD: the Genius and Mr. Perfect smashing the WWF Title belt, which would later become the Hardcore Title belt in 1998. Unlike the other moments, which were just clips, here we get the whole segment. I was pleasantly surprised. Then, we get Hogan’s reaction to Perfect and Genius’s act. This leads us to our next match: Match 21. Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior VS Mr. Perfect and the Genius—SNME, January 27, 1990. First, we get a promo from Perfect and the Genius, AKA Lanny Poffo, AKA Randy Savage’s brother. Now, I’ve talked about Savage’s charisma; but Lanny is just as charismatic as his brother. They way he moves and says his poetry is just fantastic. Anyway, this match was pretty much used to build to the main event of WrestleMania VI, Hogan VS Warrior. We get a clip of Hogan and Warrior fighting in the Royal Rumble of 1990, followed by a promo from Warrior and Hogan. Then, the match begins, with Warrior and Hogan actually working well as a team. Also during the match, the Genius actually began writing a poem as Perfect was getting beat up by Hogan. Though, this is just a ploy to bring that metal scroll of his into the match. The match itself it pretty good, mainly for Perfect and the Genius’s selling; those two are just so good at it. After the match, Perfect and Genius attack Hogan and Warrior as they celebrate their victory. During this attack, Warrior accidentally hits Hogan; but Hogan thought it was intentional, leading to a stare down/shove off between the two. 7/10. Next, we get clips of Vince McMahon and Jesse Ventura riding into SNME on horseback, with WWE superstars talking about the moment. Then, we go on to our next match: Match 22. Hulk Hogan VS Mr. Perfect—SNME, April 28, 1990. This was a very good match. Quite entertaining, and it really showed Mr. Perfect’s skills, as he made Hogan look like a million bucks. 8/10. Next, we get WrestleCrap Induction #8: “The Model” Rick Martel, as he does an ad for his own cologne, Arrogance. You know, that crap he would spray into people’s eyes during matches. Anyway, we quickly move on to the next match. Match 23. The Rockers VS The Hart Foundation—SNME, April 28, 1990. Now, we get some classic tag team wrestling in this bout as two of the greatest tag teams of all time square off in a very good match. Things get a little more interesting when the WWF Tag Team Champions at the time, Demolition strolled on down to the ring to watch the match. However, things quickly dissolve into an all out brawl between all three teams. 8/10. “Mean” Gene returns to introduce our next match: Match 24. WWF Intercontinental Title Match: Mr. Perfect VS Tito Santana—SNME, June 28, 1990. First, we get a promo from Perfect and his manager Bobby Heenan. The match itself was pretty good, exciting, fast-paced, a lot of good back and forth action, some good heel tactics from Perfect and Heenan, and some good drama when the referee gets taken out with a leg injury that keeps him from counting two pinfalls for Santana. 9/10. Then, we get WrestleCrap Induction #9 as we get clips of the Oktoberfest special edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event. It was a classic episode, featuring such wonderful moments as Jim Neidhart dancing in lederhosen, the Genius wearing a blonde wig, Lord Alfred Hayes getting drunk, and a huge food fight between all the WWF wrestlers. Match 25. Battle Royal—SNME, April 27, 1991. Yes, we get another battle royal. This one featured Mr. Perfect, The Barbarian, The Big Boss Man, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, Earthquake, Haku, Power And Glory (Hercules and Paul Roma), Hulk Hogan, The Orient Express (Kato and Tanaka), Jake “The Snake” Roberts, The Rockers (Shawn Michaels and Mary Jannetty), The British Bulldog, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, Tugboat (WrestleCrap Induction #10), Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, The Texas Tornado, and The Warlord. There were a few feuds going on in this match, most notably the Jake Roberts and Earthquake feud, which revolved around Earthquake squashing Damien and cooking him up into hamburgers, and the dissolution of the friendship between Tugboat and Hulk Hogan. Though, would you really want to be friends with a man who wears a candy-cane striped shirt? I know I wouldn’t. Anyway, the final four contains Shawn Michaels, Mr. Perfect, the Barbarian, and Greg Valentine. After a flip over the top turnbuckle in a corner, Michaels gets knocked off the apron by Perfect. Then, Valentine held his own against the Barbarian and Perfect; but they eventually overpowered him. However, as the Barbarian held Valentine and Perfect went for a dropkick, Valentine ducked; Perfect dropkicked Barbarian instead, sending flying onto the top rope; and Valentine eliminated the Barbarian. After some fighting between the two, Valentine picked up Perfect and tried to throw him over the top rope, but Perfect pulled Valentine with him, causing Valentine to fall to the floor; and Perfect quickly snuck back into the ring to claim victory. 8/10. Match 26. Bret “The Hitman” Hart VS “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase—SNME, April 27, 1991. Now, here are two guys who can constantly put on a good match with one another. I mean, you got two great mat technicians going in a very good match. And, you Sensational Sherri on the outside to add some good heel tactics to the match. We also get some hilarity when “Rowdy” Roddy Piper comes down to the ring and chases Sherri away with a broom. 8/10. By the way, those last two matches were on the last Saturday Night’s Main Event broadcast on NBC. FOX would then air the last two SNME broadcasts until 2006. This, of course, leads us to the next match: Match 27. Hulk Hogan and Sid Justice VS The Undertaker and Ric Flair—SNME, February 8, 1992. Another interesting fact, this was the first and so far only time Sid, Flair, and Undertaker wrestled on SNME. Also, this match set up the Sid/Hogan match at WrestleMania VIII, which had begun at the 1992 Royal Rumble when Sid eliminated Hogan and then Hogan grabbed Sid’s arm, allowing Ric Flair to eliminate him and become the WWF Champion. The match itself is okay, but the drama between Hogan and Sid really added to it. I also like how Sid turned on Hogan without any real provocation in the match. Hogan didn’t hit him on accident and leave him for any reason. Sid just decided to quit helping Hogan and eventually left despite Brutus Beefcake’s pleads to help Hogan. However, Hogan and Sid still won the match, mainly because of a disqualification. 8/10. Next, we get clips of the Intercontinental Title Match between “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and the Mountie from the same broadcast, in which Piper wore a shock proof vest and then shocked the Mountie with his own electric shocker. Then, we move on to the next match: Match 28. WWF Intercontinental Title Match: The British Bulldog VS Shawn Michaels—SNME, November 14, 1992. Now, this is a good match. Such a good outing from both men. I mean, you got such a good technical and power wrestler in the British Bulldog, and Shawn Michaels pretty much always delivers in the ring. 9/10. Of course, this match took place on the last Saturday Night’s Main Event. At least, that’s what everyone thought. Then, in 2005, WWE moved from Spike TV to USA. Now, USA is owned by NBC-Universal, and WWE was able to get a deal with them that allowed them to bring back SNME on NBC on March 18, 2006. Now, as I’ve pointed out earlier, there was no real reason or need for SNME anymore. But, its return was a big deal. It also helped to build to WrestleMania 22. And, you’ve have to agree that those white ring ropes and red steel posts and that entrance set look cool as hell. Plus, we’ve gotten some good matches from its return. Such as: Match 29. Street Fight: Shawn Michaels VS Shane McMahon—SNME, March 18, 2006. At the time, Michaels was feuding with Vince McMahon, which was leading to a match between the two at WrestleMania 22. But, before that match, we got this excellent street fight between HBK and Shane-O-Mac. I knew it would be good. As I’ve said, Michaels always delivers in the ring; and Shane is pretty entertaining in the ring himself, always willing to put his body on the line to do a crazy spot that will have the crowd going wild, like that superplex Shawn gave to Shane from the ladder onto those two tables. 8/10. Next, we get some clips of when Randy Orton hit the RKO on Hulk Hogan on the car, as well as Randy Orton talking about it. Then, we quickly move on to our next match: Match 30. 5-On-2 Handicap Elimination Match: D-Generation X VS The Spirit Squad—SNME, July 15, 2006. You know, I liked D-Generation X…back in 1997, when they were cool and could really be annoying assholes. However, the 2006 D-Generation X SUCKED!!!! I mean, Shawn’s a born-again Christian, and Triple H had a kid at the time. How are we supposed to take them seriously as rebels? Plus, they had the worst feud of 2006, with the McMahons. And, here they are, taking on their personal whipping boys: the Spirit Squad. I mean, you had 5 guys taking on 2, and the 5 guys got their asses kicked! And, it didn’t just happen on this! It happened week after week! And, that’s a shame. I mean, these five guys were pretty good in the ring and somehow made a male cheerleading squad gimmick work. I don’t even know why this match made on the DVD! Wait…nevermind…I just remembered, it involved the boss’s son-in-law and had an appearance from the boss himself, Vince McMahon. 4/10. Gene Okerlund shows up again to set up the next match: Match 31: WWE Title Match: Edge VS John Cena—SNME, July 15, 2006. I liked this match, mainly because my brother went to see this SNME live at the arena. I’m a little jealous of him, because he got to see Edge retain his WWE Title live! I mean, I would have given my left lung to have seen that! Plus, he hates Edge! Oh, it just brings me so much joy to think about him being pissed off that he didn’t get to see Edge lose the WWE Title. Also, Lita is there, in all of her Doctor Of Juganomics glory. God, I miss that woman. And, yeah, that beatdown Cena gave to Edge was cool, I guess. 10/10. Then, “Mean” Gene shows up again to talk about the importance of Saturday Night’s Main Event and closes out the DVD. The special features on this disc include Lord Alfred Hayes and “Mean” Gene going on a safari, with appearances from Koko B. Ware, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and the Bushwhackers; I don’t know if this has been inducted, but it should be. A lot of comedy gold there. Then, we get Shawn Michaels talking about winning the Intercontinental Title the first time, which is basically recycled from his own DVD. And, finally, we had Matt Hardy talking about his boxing match with Evander Holyfield. All in all, this is a great DVD. It has a lot of good matches, and I wasn’t really disappointed with it. I do have some complaints on the newer material. They could have left off the D-X/Spirit Squad match. And, I know there weren’t a lot of memorable moments from the newer episodes; but they could have put some better matches, like an excellent Edge and Jeff Hardy from a recent one and that Matt Hardy/Evander Holyfield boxing match. I mean, they got one of the best boxers of all time to appear on the show! Why not show it instead of just showing some clips! Also, they could have shown more of the non-wrestling moments. I mean, most of them were just clips. I was kind of hoping this DVD set would be put together like the RAW 15 Anniversary DVD, which did show whole moments that weren’t wrestling matches. However, there is plenty of good material on this DVD. They were able to get a lot of good match on the DVD as well as some of the most memorable moments in WWF/E history. And, it was so much fun to see so many great moments. It really brought me back to when I was a young, innocent, wild-eyed mark. It’s just a fun DVD to watch and reminisce about. Though, they could have done a little bit better job. Highlight: The Mega Powers EXPLODE! That was just so dramatic and put together well. Plus, it had Randy Savage. That’s always a plus. Recommended.
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