DVD Preview: 1997: Dawn Of The Attitude

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

For the first time ever, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Ron Simmons, The Godfather and Kane sit together with host Renee Young and share their behind-the-scenes experiences during 1997 – one of the most unforgettable and influential years in WWE history. With a selection of matches and moments, witness the rise of Stone Cold Steve Austin, the birth of D-Generation X, the summer of The Hart Foundation, and how The Attitude Era was created with one pivotal year in WWE history. Welcome to 1997: Dawn Of The Attitude. Also featuring The Rock, Undertaker, Psycho Sid, Goldust, Sable, Ken Shamrock, D-Lo Brown, The Sultan & more!

Visit our DVDs sub-page for full article by clicking here

DVD Preview: Kurt Angle - The Essential Collection

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

It’s true! It’s true! Kurt Angle has had some of the most epic matches in WWE history. Now for the first time ever, you can watch them all with Kurt Angle: The Essential Collection! Relive all of his rivalries with Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, John Cena, Edge, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and more in this complete collection.

Visit our DVDs sub-page for full article by clicking here

DVD Review: WWE: Best Of 2000s

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 666 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 4
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: April 24 2017

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

WWE's latest compilation brings together a plethora of impactful matches from 2000-2009, spread over four discs and more than eleven hours (check out the actual number of minutes for this DVD above). It's a weighty collection compared to other DVDs on the market, but that's okay because, to truly showcase the best of the decade, three discs simply wasn't enough given the length of some matches here. Oh, and many of the matches are superb, making this a truly epic DVD set.

Hosted by Mick Foley (who sort of reprises his old Commissioner gig with one-liners and suitably nostalgic props, along with guest appearances by current WWE stars), the DVD opens proper with Triple H vs. Cactus Jack, a belting Street Fight from Royal Rumble 2000 for the WWF Championship. Foley at the time cited this match as one of his very best, and almost everybody agrees that this bloody war truly put HHH on the map, having slightly struggled to gain acceptance as a main event heel. Next is the original TLC clash between Edge and Christian, The Hardyz and The Dudleyz from SummerSlam 2000, which is simply amazing; the rematch at WrestleMania X-Seven arguably topped it, but regardless this was unbelievable, and the deserving Match Of The Year in most polls.

Visit our DVDs sub-page for full article by clicking here

WWE Tagged Classics: Austin 3:16 Uncensored, Three Faces Of Foley, Chris Jericho: Break Down The Walls and Kurt Angle: It's True

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 252 Minutes
Certificate: 18
Number Of Discs: 2
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: September 17 2012

One of the final entries in Silver Vision's much-loved Tagged Classics series was its most packed release yet, as no less than four retro documentaries, all from the Attitude Era, were brought together on one set. The quality varies between each one, but there's a hell of a lot of entertainment to be found across the quartet of Attitude content.

Beginning with Austin 3:16 Uncensored, this 1998 VHS was the second release on Austin's career, and is based around a sit-down with Jim Ross. Austin is largely in character here, although his kayfabe answers are hardly insulting to one's intelligence. As the title suggests, Austin's language - which includes ass, b--ch, b-----d, bulls--t and one use of motherf--ker - go entirely uncensored, which was actually a selling point in 1998 (and would be in the modern PG climate, to be fair). The hour-long feature only recaps Austin's adventures from the first four months of 1998, but this does include his pre-Royal Rumble Stunners on much of the roster, his Rumble win, his confrontations with Mike Tyson, his showing in the eight-man tag at No Way Out Of Texas, his first WWF Title win at WrestleMania XIV and his clash with Dude Love from Unforgiven of that year.

Visit our DVDs sub-page for full article by clicking here

The Attitude Era Volume 3 - Unreleased now available on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

Image Source:
Fetch Publicity

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

The Attitude Era Volume 3 - Unreleased is now available in the UK on both DVD and Blu-ray.

The third volume in WWE’s Attitude Era DVD & Blu-ray series, this time bringing together previously unseen material from the period between 1996-2000. Includes “dark” matches from Monday Night Raw, non-televised matches from pay-per-view events, live events, and more never-before-released moments from WWE’s most controversial era!

Visit our DVDs sub-page for full article by clicking here

WWE The Attitude Era Volume 3 - Unreleased

Image Source:
Fetch Publicity

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 410 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: August 8 2016

(Thanks to Fetch Publicity for arranging this review.)

The third instalment in the Attitude Era DVD series is unique, in more ways than one. Whereas the first two sets provided a combination of unforgettable moments and some forgotten gems from Raw and PPV events, Volume 3 takes a very different approach of not only showcasing matches which have yet to be unreleased, but bouts which have never even aired. All of the matches are either "dark" matches (which take place before or after a televised event, with only the crowd getting to see what unfolds) or house show matches (bouts which take place on live events). It's an interesting format, and a chance to provide content which even the biggest fans of wrestling's most exciting era will have never seen (unless they had attended these shows, of course) - but does the concept work?

Presented by Corey Graves, who does a pretty good job of not only presenting matches but explaining the backstory to said bouts, the compilation kicks off with a Bret Hart-Steve Austin clash from Germany in April 1996. Hang on, 1996? Yes, the timeline here begins in the spring of '96, a time when the Attitude Era was still a pipe dream. Sure, we had the Goldust character, whose sexually-motivated behaviour was pushing the envelope for those who understood what was happening (which wasn't me at the time since I was only aged 7), the odd swear word was popping up in promos, and we recently had the introduction of the Spanish announcer's table gimmick (i.e. the act of putting one through said desk), along with some increasingly violent matches (such as Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel from In Your House 7). But one would not really suggest that this was the Attitude Era. It's true to say that the seeds of Attitude were being sown over the next couple of months, from the arrival of Mankind to the Austin 3:16 promo, but it wasn't until 1997 that the Attitude Era truly began (and some could argue that it wasn't official until Steve Austin won his first WWF Title at WrestleMania XIV, held in March 1998). To provide context, this opening Bret-Austin bout happened a few months before Steve's legendary 3:16 promo; his career was nearer the Ringmaster phase than it was the Texas Rattlesnake.

Visit our Wrestling sub-page for full article by clicking here

Best Of Raw - After The Show

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 400 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 3
Studio: Fremantle Home Entertainment
Released: April 28 2014

This is one of the more unusual WWE DVD releases. The idea of providing fans with a collection of moments which would only have been seen by the fans in attendance is a cool one; however, stretching this across three discs proves to be a bad move, as even the most entertaining scenes become repetitive.

I won't list every segment, but across the first two discs, the vast majority involve Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock or both. We tend to see some comedy exchanges, followed by a handshake or a beer toast, which results in a finisher (in some cases several finishers). Around 2001, the focus shifts almost entirely to comedy, and there are some really funny situations that develop, along with some interesting scenarios.

Visit our Wrestling sub-page for full article by clicking here

The Attitude Era Volume 3 - Unreleased coming soon on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK

Image Source:
Fetch Publicity

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Fetch Publicity

The following story is courtesy of Fetch Publicity ...

The third volume in WWE’s Attitude Era DVD & Blu-ray series, this time bringing together previously unseen material from the period between 1996-2000. Includes “dark” matches from Monday Night Raw, non-televised matches from pay-per-view events, live events, and more never-before-released moments from WWE’s most controversial era!

Visit our DVDs sub-page for full article by clicking here

WWE 2K16

Image Source: Zavvi

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Publisher: 2K Sports
Developer: Yuke's and Visual Concepts
Genre: Wrestling
Series: WWE (Previously SmackDown! and SmackDown vs. Raw)
Released: October 27 2015 (US), October 29 2015 (Australia) and October 30 2015 (UK)
Certificate: 16
Consoles: PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows

The latest WWE videogame was under big pressure to deliver. The much-ballyhooed 2K15 was a low point for the long-running flagship WWE series, with many features removed for the PS4/Xbox One iterations and a lack of real development for PS3/Xbox 360 copies. If 2K16 flatlined, it could have sent WWE games on a downward spiral from which it could take years to recover.

Fortunately, 2K16 is a big improvement on the previous entry in the series. Not everything is perfect; that's an understatement. But enough features have been restored, along with some nice improvements across the board, that this year's WWE game provides a far more satisfying playing experience.

Visit our Wrestling sub-page for full article by clicking here

The Stone Cold Truth

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 188 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Number Of Discs: 1
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: June 21 2004

Back in 2003-4 during the days when WWE DVDs were transitioning from character profiles during calendar years to in-depth looks at the entire careers of performers, the idea of a release dedicated to the life and times of Stone Cold Steve Austin seemed like an enticing prospect, especially in the early years after WWE purchased the rights to the WCW and ECW video libraries. However, The Stone Cold Truth (which shares the title and front cover as Austin's 2003 autobiography, for some reason) is little more than a basic overview of Stone Cold's highs and lows, with some pretty big chapters strangely omitted.

We do get a run-through of Austin's upbringing, his rise in wrestling and his headline run, backed up by incredible popularity during the most successful period in company history. However, as noted, some pretty big aspects of his career are not included. We do get thorough coverage of certain key developments, such as the neck injury that he suffered via a tombstone piledriver gone wrong from Owen Hart at SummerSlam 1997, but we don't get anything on other pivot points of Austin's career, a good example being his 2002 walk-out from WWE (the frustration with which is magnified by the fact that this DVD was released little more than a year after Stone Cold returned to the company from said walk-out). And while some light-hearted segments raise a smile, like the section on Austin's head-shaving routine, they are hardly suitable replacements for key elements of Stone Cold's story.

Visit our Wrestling sub-page for full article by clicking here

Stone Cold Steve Austin: The Bottom Line

Image Source: Amazon

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Running Time: 571 Minutes
Certificate: 18
Number Of Discs: 4
Studio: Clear Vision Ltd/Silver Vision
Released: November 28 2011

Released in late 2011, this DVD dedicated to Stone Cold Steve Austin looked extremely appealing beforehand: a feature-length documentary on Austin’s career, a selection of his greatest matches (as picked by the great man himself) and a round-up of his most memorable promos and angles would all be included over the course of four discs. And, fortunately, the product lives up to the hype, resulting in an essential purchase for WWE fans new and old.

The documentary on disc one, as stated, charts the life and times of the Texas Rattlesnake, from growing up and getting his start in World Class Championship Wrestling, to his stints in WCW and ECW, to his amazingly successful run in the WWF/WWE to his post-retirement success (although, as a 2011 release, this does not cover his hugely popular podcast The Stone Cold Show, which debuted in April 2013). Along the way, many outside-the-ring incidents are covered, including his notorious firing from WCW boss Eric Bischoff over the phone, his neck injury problems, and his infamous 2002 walk-out from WWE. Interspersed are comments from his peers, ranging from Vince McMahon to Bret Hart to CM Punk and many others. The documentary, running 150 minutes in total, may cover a lot of familiar ground to long-time fans, but all the key subjects are tackled in-depth, there are still a fair amount of revelations, and Stone Cold is honest and forthright with his opinions, even admitting that his 1995 WCW firing was a blessing in disguise. Add to that plenty of archive clips, and a few extra stories outside of the main feature, and this documentary ranks as one of WWE’s best.

Visit our Wrestling sub-page for full article by clicking here