- Never before released on DVD - Hitman Hart -Wrestling with Shadows, with bonus DVD, The Life and DEath of Owen Hart
- "...truly a knockout film." - WALL STREET JOURNAL
- ". . . it could be the best documentary I've ever seen." - IAN BROWN, writer/broadcaster
- "...do yourself a favor and tune in." - L.A. Times
- "I sat mesmerized . . . mind-boggling." - The West Australian
BEYOND THE MAT RINGSIDE - DVD MovieAt first, this behind-the-scenes documentary about professional wrestling seems as if it will be an unabashed fan's whitewash of the increasingly bizarre and popular world of "sports entertainment," as it is known. But director Barry Blaustein (a
Saturday Night Live veteran who has cowritten many of Eddie Murphy's films) goes much deeper than you'd expect in a film that is at once entertaining and disturbing. By focusing on a trio of wrestlers who give him s! urprising access, Blaustein uncovers human stories that can be wrenching in their stark honesty. That's particularly true of one-time superstar Jake "the Snake" Roberts, whose career has fallen on hard times because of a crack habit; Roberts brings Blaustein along for his first encounter in several years with his grown, estranged daughter. Blaustein also goes into the lives of Terry Funk and Mick "Mankind" Foley in ways that are both revealing and, at times, upsetting. More than just a fan's appreciation, this is that rare documentary that shows you sides of a familiar subject you never knew existed.
--Marshall FineBarry Blaustein's critically acclaimed documentary about wrestling takes viewers beyond the ring and into the lives of the men and women who inhabit this colorful, competitive, and surprisingly complex world. During the five years he spent working on the film, Blaustein discovered that the control wrestlers exert in the ring is often contrasted by the lack! of control they have in their own lives. Some pursue dreams--! others a re pursued by personal demons. Always relaying his love and respect for his subject matter, Blaustein travels on the open road with the wrestlers, shares their most intimate moments with their families, and witnesses their victories and defeats in the ring. 108Â minutes.At first, this behind-the-scenes documentary about professional wrestling seems as if it will be an unabashed fan's whitewash of the increasingly bizarre and popular world of "sports entertainment," as it is known. But director Barry Blaustein (a
Saturday Night Live veteran who has cowritten many of Eddie Murphy's films) goes much deeper than you'd expect in a film that is at once entertaining and disturbing. By focusing on a trio of wrestlers who give him surprising access, Blaustein uncovers human stories that can be wrenching in their stark honesty. That's particularly true of one-time superstar Jake "the Snake" Roberts, whose career has fallen on hard times because of a crack habit; Roberts brings ! Blaustein along for his first encounter in several years with his grown, estranged daughter. Blaustein also goes into the lives of Terry Funk and Mick "Mankind" Foley in ways that are both revealing and, at times, upsetting. More than just a fan's appreciation, this is that rare documentary that shows you sides of a familiar subject you never knew existed.
--Marshall FineAt first, this behind-the-scenes documentary about professional wrestling seems as if it will be an unabashed fan's whitewash of the increasingly bizarre and popular world of "sports entertainment," as it is known. But director Barry Blaustein (a
Saturday Night Live veteran who has cowritten many of Eddie Murphy's films) goes much deeper than you'd expect in a film that is at once entertaining and disturbing. By focusing on a trio of wrestlers who give him surprising access, Blaustein uncovers human stories that can be wrenching in their stark honesty. That's particularly true of one-time supe! rstar Jake "the Snake" Roberts, whose career has fallen on har! d times because of a crack habit; Roberts brings Blaustein along for his first encounter in several years with his grown, estranged daughter. Blaustein also goes into the lives of Terry Funk and Mick "Mankind" Foley in ways that are both revealing and, at times, upsetting. More than just a fan's appreciation, this is that rare documentary that shows you sides of a familiar subject you never knew existed.
--Marshall FineUNREAL STORY OF PRO WRESTLING - DVD Movie"Sure, wrestling is fake," admits narrator Steve Allen. "We wouldn't have it any other way." So much for ripping the lid off pro wrestling, but fear not--there may be no dirty little secret, but there is a colorful history. Digging way back to its roots--when it was a genuine athletic event and not "a soap opera with a referee"--the slow mutation of wrestling is analyzed in generous detail from its height at the turn of the 19th century to its nadir as a carnival sideshow attraction and urban entertainment during the Dep! ression to its phoenix-like rebirth on early television to its modern-day explosion on cable. Interviews with modern stars, such as Hulk Hogan and veterans Classy Freddie Blassie and Killer Kowalski, wrestling historians, and even college professors tackle the subject from all sides, but the commentary is secondary to the spectacle provided by a rich array of clips--everything from prissy Gorgeous George's ringside sashays to midget wresting to a montage featuring the ubiquitous folding chair to the head.
The Unreal Story of Pro Wrestling tends to emphasize the freak-show elements of the sport--which, granted, are much of the documentary's fun--but does capture the showmanship and crazy energy that has transformed a sideshow attraction into a gonzo spectacle in a format that manages to be informative and fun at the same time.
--Sean Axmaker THE NEW Double DVD set: BRETT THE HITMAN HART
And never before released on DVD,
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF OWEN HART....
Bret Hart, five times' champion of the World Wrestling Federation, sits in a hotel room - one day before the most important fight of his life.
Sure, it's just professional wrestling, but this match is different. It will be Bret's last in the WWF, a company for whom he's been the top guy and loyal champion for years. The owner of the company, the legendary Vince McMahon, want's him out, only months after signing an unprecedented twenty years contract. Now he want's him to lose his final match as well.
It's not just another wrestling show for Bret. This fight will determine how his character 'The Hitman', wrestling's favourite good guy for the last decade, will be remembered.
Sitting in a hotel room, one day before the match. What Bret doesn't know, is that he will be the target of the biggest double cross in the history of professional wrestling.
Over the span of one year, an award winning documentary film crew followed Bret Hart. They hoped for an unprecedented look behind the scenes of the WWF. What they got was the most dramatic story in the history of wrestling.
HITMAN HART is a story about loyalty and betrayal, money and greed, dignity and disgrace. It's about fathers and sons, fans and icons, and keeping one's integrity in a world of moral uncertainty. In a word, it's a film about being human.
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