DJJOEINC Reviews

Ultimate Death Match (2009 Video)

Indy wrestling production with snuff film overtones-

[2/10 · 10 November 2011]

Ultimate Death Match 2010 Ultimate Death Match Films LLC.

This turkey is built around the flimsy premise that 27 million people will pay to watch low production wrestling matches if the main event is to the death. The film starts off with Kevin Nash and Shane Douglas discussing the Monday Night wars for about 10 seconds (they are not seen again). Al Snow plays Frosty James the main announcer for this death match event. In between each match we see cut scenes with the promoter and some FBI man who is setting up a sting of the illegal operation. This is almost totally skippable- the best part of the movie is the outtake reel with Al Snow- and even so it ain't a Jackie Chan outtake reel. UDM is not worth seeking out or seeing for free- gutter entertainment produced on the cheap for no good reason as far as a I could tell. D- review by Jobber Joe panelist on Roundtable Wrestling Radio and Author of the upcoming book Wrestling With Sports and Entertainment

Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin' (2011)

Nothing can beat this superb Doc- Best Wrestling DVD of 2011

[10/10 · 4 November 2011]

Memphis Heat is the new king of professional wrestling movies. It's that damn good to steal a catchphrase. Mixing vintage pictures, archival footage, interviews with several of the key players over a rock and roll soundtrack this film manages to convey the emotion, excitement and intensity of one of the top territories in the country. The DVD adds several stellar extras including some great anecdotes that did not make the movie, several key moments from Memphis TV and the Coliseum. This is a must have for any wrestling library. B Memphis Heat which was based on the superb photo book Sputnik, Masked Men and Midgets this documentary covers the Memphis grappling scene from the 60s until the mid 80s. Jerry "the King" Lawler , "Superstar" Bill Dundee , Jerry Jarrett , Sputnik Monroe and many others share some personal memories about several key moments in the territory. Excellently paced and always engaging this should be the blueprint not just for wrestling films but documentaries in general. Check out the extras for stories about segregation, assault, bad payoffs and more. A+++ Review by Jobber Joe columnist for Wrestle Hustle and author of Wrestling With Sports and Entertainment

Hard Knocks (2009)

UK look at grappling is well worth the investment in time and money

[9/10 · 4 November 2011]

Hard Knocks is a solid documentary covering professional wrestling in Great Britain. Mixing quotes from workers, fans and promoters with viewpoints by skeptics and great in-ring footage this is a worthwhile addition to any wrestling fans library. Includes in-ring and promos from CM Punk, Al Snow, Hardcore Holly and D-Lo Brown and many others. I enjoyed the insight and the different perspectives provided in this documentary. The DVD also includes over 80 minutes of deleted scenes featuring Chris Masters and many other wrestlers. Hard Knocks also includes footage from wrestling schools and indie feds in the UK. Included in the movie are CM Punk being entertaining as usual during a question and answer session with potential wrestlers and fans and Hardcore legend Mick Foley. Well made with a solid score and steady direction I am glad this movie is part of my collection. Jobber Joe panelist on Roundtable Wrestling Radio and author of Wrestling With Sports and Entertainment

The Champions Five Supermen (1972)

fun yet bizarre lucha action flick

[5/10 · 20 January 2009]

The Champions of Justice & Mystery in Bermuda :A fun double feature of Lucha films starring Blue Demon,Santo & Mil Mascaras.Mystery in Bermuda features all 3 grapplers as they combine forces to protect the princess of Irania.This is goofy fun- with the luchadores macking on some Latina hotties at a hotel pool,fights breaking out everywhere and a very cheesy 70s score.The Champions of Justice follows several masked wrestlers take on The Black Hand- an evil scientist type who has an army of midgets with superstrength while protecting the Miss Mexico pageant.The transfer to DVD for these 2 movies is lacking to be nice about it- honestly it felt like watching a DVD-R transfer from a second generation VHS.But if you are looking for MST style fun with wrestlers playing superheroes outside of the squared circle. C Jobber Joe- Roundtable Wrestling Radio

GLOW: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (1986–1990)

leg-warmer rasslin'

[3/10 · 20 January 2009]

GLOW -Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling- Greatest TV Moments 80's Classic!- Collector's Edition 3 DVD Set! (Big Vision Entertainment 2008)- if you like sub-par Hee-Haw humor,glitter and tons of hairspray this may be the ticket for you.Mix in "Super-Bowl Shuffle" like raps by most of the performers and skits and you have a camp classic(or crap classic).A mixture of blown-spots,terrible and sexist commentary and cheeseball comedy fill these 3 discs.Sure Hollywood is sexy and it is funny to watch the weekly lapdance spot(every show a female grappler gets tossed into the front row).This set was only $19.99 and if you are a fan of Wrestlecrap than you may like this- if you are looking for 5 star classics go elsewhere.

Jobber Joe- Roundtable Wrestling Radio

TNA Wrestling: The History of TNA, Year 1 (2007 Video)

year one:TNA

[7/10 · 20 January 2009]

The History of TNA:Year 1 (2007 TNA) - more documentary than I wanted - more talking and less wrestling than I wanted and more repetition about the ring breaking before the first TNA PPV then I need to hear.Sure it is nice to hear about the struggles to get thru the first year with their unique business model and it is great getting to see the sexy Dixie Carter - but I was hoping for more wrestling than only 4 matches(4 very good matches though) and selected highlights from the first year.If you want to know how TNA and Panda Energy got together and you want to know about the beginning of the company you will enjoy this.But if you are looking for wrestling from the first year- you will get some good matches- but not enough.Maybe worth a rental for the curious.

Jobber Joe Roundtable Wrestling Radio

The One and Only (1978)

dated grappling flick

[5/10 · 20 January 2009]

The One and Only -This 70s flick about a full blown ham who can't choose between being a wrestler or married.Henry Winkler charms his way thru this Carl Reiner flick about a young man that settles for wrestling when he can't succeed as an actor in the Big Apple in the fifties.Chavo Classic makes a brief appearance as Indian Joe and Roddy Pipper has a non-speaking role as Leatherneck Joe Brady and Gene Labell,Herve Villachez,William Daniels round out the cast.Gene Saks does a good job as the old school agent/manager type-all borscht-belt schtick and lots of fun.Winkler seems to be channeling a less neurotic Woodie Allen in this flick- sure he is charming- but sometimes you feel like he is blind to the world around him.A fun look at wrestling in the beginning of television- but the movie is less about wrestling and more about Winkler's character's desire to be loved by strangers.A decent time capsule-this dated movie will be a good curio for rasslin' fans.The DVD does not provide any extras. C+ Jobber Joe-Roundtable Wrestling Radio

Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)

Dated movie with good performances

[6/10 · 20 January 2009]

Requiem For A Heavyweight - This 1962 adaptation of the Rod Serling(Twilight Zone) TV classic movie about a punch drunk boxer that turns to wrestling to make a living.This version stars Anthony Quinn as aging palooka managed by Jackie Gleason and Mickey Rooney.Quinn is Moose Riveria who is befriended by a lovely social worker who promises a way out with dignity- but in the end he sticks by his sleazy promoter and plays an Indian in a carnival like wrestling show.This movie is very melodramatic and is more speeches than action.You do get an excellent first person perspective start to the movie,a decent score and appearances by Cassius Clay,Jack Dempsey and Mike Conrad(From Hill Street Blues).The DVD has the trailer to The Greatest.This dated movie is rather slow at times-although it features a sympathetic performance by Quinn and a solid performance by Gleason.This black and white movie has not aged well and is not something I would suggest . C- JOBBER JOE-Roundtable Wrestling Radio

Bigger Stronger Faster* (2008)

well worth the time-bulk up yer mind

[9/10 · 20 January 2009]

Bigger Stronger Faster -compelling even handed documentary about steroid culture and steroid use. Covers both the pros and the cons of performance enhancing drugs-mixing tons of vintage footage with a dose of humor and from the perspective of the filmmaker's family. The Bell brothers all wanted to be larger than life- 2 of them are willing to have help to be just that.Well worth a Netflix slot. The scariest thing I saw was the genetic freak- the cow- jeezus-anyhow- worth the time.The DVD has several deleted scenes.This is even harder to watch knowing one of the Bell Brothers passed away recently. A

JOBBER JOE columnist for Wrestle Hustle

Batman: Gotham Knight (2008 Video)

several takes on gotham's hero

[8/10 · 20 January 2009]

Batman : Gotham Knight - Can't wait for the latest big screen version of Batman - this is a good stopgap.This is a compilation of 6 stories about Batman by 6 different screenwriters and 5 different directors.Animated in different styles - but consistently dark throughout - we see an iron-clad Batman and we see a realistic confrontation with Deadshot- also we see Batman learn how to master pain and a stylized ultra-creepy version of the infamous Arkham Asylum.If you like your heroes with an edge and dwelling in a darker Gotham City- this is worth at least a Netflix slot.I got the single disc version of this with a 10 minute preview of the upcoming Wonder Woman animated movie and a scholarly commentary track.This sort of felt like Animatrix- different looks at a popular universe by different folks.This compilation has a Gothic surrealistic feel to it and is rated PG-13 with some stylized violence. B+ Jobber Joe Roundtable Enhancement Division -Roundtable Wrestling Radio

Get Smart (2008)

Kahli & Rock & whatever

[6/10 · 20 January 2009]

Wanted to see Hellboy II today but the free passes I had did not include movies in their first 2 weeks- so I opted to watch Get Smart instead- the price was right.I did not hate the movie and Steve Carrell and Anne Hathaway did a good job as the leads.What made the movie fun was the ensemble cast with funny quips from Alan Arkin,Terry Crewes,Patrick Wharburton and Dwayne Johnson.Terrance Stamp was excellent as always as the villain.Former WWE champion Dalip Singh is also in the movie as a killer for Kaos- he kind of reminded me of Jaws from Moonraker- the first confrontation with him was even a parachute fight.This is mindless slapstick fun- nothing memorable nor did it forever tarnish the vague memories I have of the old show.Worth Netflixxing or a matinée if you are looking for some lowbrow shenanigans.The highlight(maybe lowlight) was seeing a preview for the remake of Deathrace 2000. C+ Jobber Joe Roundtable Wrestling Radio

ECW December to Dismember (2006 TV Special)

crapfest

[3/10 · 20 January 2009]

ECW December to Dismember :2 years ago WWE had a good idea- a one night only PPV featuring the stars of the now defunct ECW in a special PPV event.Between the PPV buys and the sales of the DVD -WWE went ahead with a second PPV- which was fine- although it lacked the one night only luster of the first.Of course Vinny Mac felt the need to capture this buzz and manages to convince the sci-fi network to carry his retooled ECW brand.Things start to go sour- first Rob Van Dame the extremist that first mentioned the ECW One Night Stand concept and the most successful and over of the ECW champs and the ECW/WWE champ gets pulled over with pot(not a huge surprise for a grappler featured in High Times magazine).So WWE decides to strip him of the belt - and decide to import the Big Show to the ECW to be champ- this enrages the hardcore ECW fans-which leads to an infamous match in NYC - where the fans belittle the product during the main event of a live broadcast- chanting "change the channel" and "TNA" during the awkward main event of the ECW show.This all leads to this turd of a DVD- the second ECW brand PPV this year and the first utilizing the extremists of the minor league brand of the WWE corporation.Going into this PPV - only 2 matches were announced- a one night only tag team reunion between the Hardy Boys and MnM and the 6 man extreme elimination chamber match for the ECW strap.The opening tag-team match had some good spots and got the crowd into the event.Sadly things go from bad to worse- we are told that Sabu is injured and won't compete- which is fine - I guess- except he is featured in the cover art of the DVD.Either way after one match- there is a lot of time to fill-so we get a retread of what is on the ECW TV show- no special matches- just the roster full of folks that aren't charismatic or talented enough to be featured on Smackdown or Raw.After and hour plus of sub-par matches- it is time for the main event.The 6 man extreme elimination chamber- featuring crowd favorites RVD and CM Punk and Bobby Lashley and a heel contingent.Sure there are some nasty spots throughout the main event - but a match featuring a huge cage,weapons ,3 legit headliners and tons of spots- still manages to enrage the crowd so much that they are chanting "change the channel" and"TNA(a rival rasslin' league).The DVD does include extra interviews and a rematch between 2 of the wrestlers the following Tuesday.Not worth getting unless you are a collector or masochist. D- Jobber Joe -Roundtable Wrestling Radio

Lucha Libre: Life Behind the Mask (2005)

4 grapplers under the mask

[7/10 · 20 January 2009]

Lucha Libre : Life Behind The Mask -new to DVD this was made in 2005.A solid look at a barber/luchadore as he prepares for his final match.If you are looking for an overview of Lucha or a historical retrospective- this is the wrong DVD.This follows 4 grapplers on the California/Mexico border that wrestler before small crowds because they are passionate about Lucha.This movie is mostly in Spanish with subtitles.The movie is 70 minutes long with no extras.If you are curious about Lucha culture -this is a nice peek into that world- however the lack of extras make this a Netflix slot at best. B-

Jobber Joe Roundtable Wrestling Radio

Lady in Cement (1968)

sleepy fishes

[3/10 · 4 October 2007]

Lady in Cement - PI spoof with ole Blue Eyes.Frank Sinatra is a shamus on a houseboat in Miami in this rarely funny "comedy".Burdened by an annoying and repetitious Hugo Montenegro score and bunch of misfiring punchlines this 1968 flick just never rises above slightly too bawdy to be on TV made for television movie status.Dan Blocker is effective in the Mike Mazurski/Ted De Corsia big galoot role and Raquel Welch should thank her personal trainer.The only thing that makes the DVD worth keeping or seeing is the collection of cheesy trailers for Welch flicks like Bandolero,Fantastic Voyage , Mother ,Jugs & Speed and Myra Breckinridge.Even if you get the DVD-skip the predictable movie and go for the trailer library in the special features.Besides tons of mysoginistic asides-Sinatra lisps @ the homosexual owners of the local Go-Go bar.A relic that needs to be put back in the time capsule. D

Ace in the Hole (1951)

The Big Carnival

[9/10 · 5 September 2007]

Ace in the Hole - this 1951 flick could not seem more timely.Billy Wilder(a former journalist) is the co-writer,director and producer for this wildly engrossing desert noir about an ambitious yellow journalist(played to perfection by Kirk Douglas-even when chewing the scenery) who exploits a man trapped in a cave-in to further his career.From yet another perfect opening sequence and introduction to the main character to the sideshow build of Leo-ville we see a master at the top of his game- great camera work,cutting dialogue and perfect plot make this a keeper.While Kirk Douglas upstages everyone while on screen- the rest of the cast is perfect - from the fed up wife to the corrupt sheriff and the cub photobug-everyone seems natural and helps drive the story forward.Ambition,greed,voyuerism and spectacle combine to create an unbelievable but realistic scenario.The DVD has a scholarly commentary, a 60 minute documentary on Billy Wilder and an interview with Kirk Douglas. A

Blades of Glory (2007)

another mix of pratfalls and chesthair

[5/10 · 26 August 2007]

Blades of Glory - Will Ferrell and crew take on figure skating in this uneven comedy.Think Ricky Bobby on skates for the Ferrell character.Jon Heder is a skating wunderkind and the milquetoast rival for Ferrell's rebel persona.Their rivalry leads to a fight at an international competition and their lifetime ban from skating as singles.Of course the only loophole is for these 2 former rivals to become the first male/male figureskating team.The movie is helped along by swell supporting performances by Amy Poehler and Will Arnett as their rivals and Jenna Fischer(looking lovely) as the love interest of the main characters.The movie has enough chuckles to qualify as a comedy-but the formula of Will Ferrell as the egotisical sports figure is quickly loosing it's appeal.The DVD has deleted scenes,a gag reel and some interview segments from their press junket.Nothing special. C-

The Stone Merchant (2006)

terrorism bad,romance worse

[4/10 · 24 August 2007]

The Stone Merchant -A romance thriller with political implications.Ambitous Italian film that wants to show the menace of the religious extremists -but ends up being a lame romance between Jane March and Harvey Keitel.Keitel seduces March I guess to utilize her vehicle as a car bomb- I am still not certain why she was needed to execute their plot-except to have topless footage of her or something.F.Murray Abraham plays an extremist who seems to be running a terrorist cell in Europe.Jori Molla is March's cuckold hubby who is a qaudraplegic cuz of a terrorist attack.Molla is obsessed with the terrorists and at one point shows footage of stoning and a hand being cut off.The movie wants to be an important statement about the problems of religious extremism-but is ruined by a lame romance and plot holes. C-

Prizzi's Honor (1985)

Turner,Nicholson,Huston

[5/10 · 13 August 2007]

Prizzi's Honor -1985 John Huston movie starring Jack Nicholson & Kathleen Turner as a pair of mafia hit men that fall in love.Problem is- the pairing never feels realistic- so this slow comedy fails to provide many laughs and felt like a chore to watch.I never bought into Jack Nicholson or his accent in this movie.He is a killer-a lifelong memeber of the mob- but starts loosing his edge when he meets Turner's character.The supporting characters in the movie do a good job-including Lawrence Tierney as an angered police chief.The real star of the movie is Angelica Houston playing the jilted daughter of a mob boss-she looks beautiful and manages to maneuver things around her.The movie is supposed to be a satire- but falls on it's own cheekiness.The lavish wedding scene that starts the movie looks great- but is a real drag and things get muddled from there.Has some decent scenery and acting - but not something I want to see again. C+

The Room (2003)

A must see for fans of unintentional comedy

[2/10 · 13 August 2007]

The Room - already a cult classic with midnight showings in L.A. this movie is a so bad it is good classic.A terrible melodrama about a conniving fiancé that seduces her beau's best friend.Written,directed,produced and starring Tommy Wiseau as an overly sensitive and generous cuckold boyfriend this movie features repitive and terrible dialogue- tons of stock footage of San Francisco exteriors and a truly frumpy female lead.A simple love triangle is mangled with some extra story lines- the patronage of Denny the lovestruck and drug addled teen and the basically dismissed breast cancer angle of the nagging mother character.Every bit of dialogue is repeated several times.During the 4 love scenes we get terrible R&B ballads that feature repetitive lyrics.I watched this with friends and with the sub-titles on- it was a lot of fun.But the movie itself is terrible.The DVD has an interview with the creative force behind the movie,deleted scenes and a behind the scenes feauturette.Truly a unique experience. F

They Live by Night (1948)

Heartbreak and heartache- noir has a heart

[10/10 · 7 August 2007]

They Live By Night - tearjerker noir.Nicholas Ray's first movie - is the story of a naive young couple in love and on the run.Farley Granger and Cathy O'Donnell have intense chemistry.Granger's character is a crook by habit- he has no love for crime- but is driven by the naive notion that he needs to raise enough money to hire a bigtime barrister to help clear his name-not realizing that breaking out of jail has added time to his sentence.After his escape he meets the daughter of one his partner's brother.The sparks fly from the first meeting.Howard DaSilva is perfect as the leader of the trio of escapees.The movie has some great location shots and one of the truly tragic and engaging plots.This movie was shelved for 2 years by Howard Hughes.The DVD has a featurette and a commentary by Eddie Muller and the star of the movie Farley Granger.Yet another swell flick from the recent Warner's noir set. A

The Loved One (1965)

would that the teak or the mahog

[7/10 · 7 August 2007]

The Loved One -Surrealistic sixties satire-beautifully shot and uneven.Based on Evelyn Waugh's novel and from a screenplay from Terry Southern-this one starts swinging from the first scene.A huge and talented cast roast 60's Hollywood and the death industry.A young British chap comes to America to visit his uncle- Sir John Gielgud playing a knighted studio artist.Rod Stieger steels the movie as eccentric embalmer Mr. Joyboy and Anjanette Comer is the lovely apple of the eye of the poet protaginist.This movie has some amazing cinematography and moments of pure mayhem mixed with a cynical eye at the macabre moneymaking biz of fatality.Some of this movie is very dated and other scenes feel a little forced- but this is well worth visiting for the unique and stunning scenery and the cavalcade of stars.The DVD has a 20 minute making of featurette. B

I Think I Love My Wife (2007)

Buscemi sighting

[5/10 · 7 August 2007]

I Think I Love My Wife - I know I love Chris Rock when he is on his A-game.His show on HBO was a must watch- and 2 of his comedy CDs are personal faves.But he has yet to translate his energy to a full length film that really captures his raw hilarious standup- I mean I enjoyed his cameo in I'm Gonna Get You Sucka and love CB4-but that was 10 years back and stuff like Down to Earth and Head of State are disposable but charming enough to endure once.This time Rock has adapted a 60s French film into a romantic comedy for guys- except that Rock manages to make this potentially ruanchy R-rated movie feel like a family film-fine that is where Rock's head is- OK.The basic premise is that Rock is happily married- until the sex stops- then he starts getting a wandering eye- and then an old friend- a drop dead gorgeous female starts trying to tempt him and proceeds to almost mess up his life-the movie has some funny moments and welcome stints from 2 folks from the Wire- but it is nothing I would revisit.The DVD has outtakes,making of featurette,commentary and deleted scenes.Better than most of the "comedies" that have been released this year- but not a laugh riot or even a giggle parade- but enough chuckles to pass the time. C+

Mystery Street (1950)

Handball,Harvard and heartache

[9/10 · 7 August 2007]

Mystery Street-I had not heard of this movie until I purchased it as part of the excellent Film Noir boxset from Warner Brothers- volume 4-so far I have seen 5 of the movies from this set and I loved each one.This movie crams a film noir plot complete with femme fatale into the first 15 minutes-a solid paced and economically told story of a B-girl who wants to confront her upscale lover.Along the way she shanghai's the patsies' patsy- a near blind drunk hubby miserable over his wife's miscarriage and takes his car.Shot on location in Boston this film changes perspective the way some folks flip channels during a vice presidential debate.One scene we follow the police(including Ricardo Montalban) and then we see the shifty landlady(Elsa Lanchester) trying to blackmail a killer,etc.This movie is near perfect -except a Thin-Manish gathering of all of the main characters with a speech from the detective before the finale.The DVD has a 5 minute featurette and a commentary track by 2 film historians. A-

Disturbia (2007)

arresting house party

[7/10 · 5 August 2007]

disturbia-solid suburban thriller about a teen during house arrest who begins watching his neighbors.Shia Lebouf is engaging as the main character.Yes this is a modern remix of the Hitchcock classic Rear Window- not a note for note retelling- but a good update-not an improvement- but an entertaining movie that will work for the modern audience.Carrie Anne Moss and David Morse help add depth to this teen-centric world.Sadly some plot holes and leaps of ill-logic make this ultimately a disposable entertainment that will goose the audience into watching once but may not engage them enough to want to re-watch it.Worth a rental.The DVD has out-takes,a featurette,deleted scenes and a cast and director commentary.I think this is the first commentary I have heard that had 3 cellphone calls on the track- the director's wife,agent and one of the co-stars call in.The commentary track for this PG-13 movie is filled with profanity by Shia Lebouf-who is joined on the track by the director D.J. Caruso and female co-star Sarah Roemer who seem to be enjoying themselves- even though it got old real quick when the director kept pointing out over and over where each scene was shot and how a yard scene from Pasadena was cut with a soundstage shot several times.The movie itself is better than most of the modern Hollywood suspense flicks-carried by the leading man and ready made to sell some DVDs and get rented for folks looking for the latest suspenseful flick.Worth a rental. B-

Rear Window (1954)

Still a fave after 4 viewings

[10/10 · 2 August 2007]

Rear Window - I was lucky enough to see this on the big screen in the 90s.The DVD is a great transfer of one of Hitchcock's most suspenseful,funny and interesting flicks.Jimmy Stewart is an adventurous photographer spending downtime in a legcast after an on the job mishap.He spends his time watching his neighbors while under the care of an insurance nurse(the always engaging Thelma Ritter) and his girlfriend(Grace Kelly looking absolutely lovely-including a breathtaking and perfect entrance).Stewart is a voyuer -watching the wannabe ballerina traipse around in her bikini or less,watching the newlyweds,the salesman and his wife quarrel,Miss Lonelyhearts,a couple that sleeps under the stars- we drink in his entertainment-a full feast complimented by excellent sound design and a visual wit that too many suspense films leave on the cutting room floor.This movie is based on a Cornell Woolrich short story and mixes elements of a true crime from the UK with a romance.The DVD has a 50 minute documentary on the making of the movie and the casting.The Jimmy Stewart character feels like a third take on his George Bailey persona-or a mix of George Bailey and Macauly Connor-as his arguments with Lisa Freemont reel like cynical remixes of some of his arguments with Tracey Lords(Katherine Hepburn) in Philadelphia Story.A must own for fans of suspense and great story-telling. A+