Dragon Ball Z Uncensored

[Potatoes]

This movie is fucking powerful.

there's a torrent of the dvd screener up at thepiratebay

[Vinny]

What's the quality like? It doesn't turn black and white periodically or anything like that, does it?
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[Servbot]

I'll have to wait until January 16th to see this film at the movie house.

[Fagzilla]

At the picture show?

[Potatoes]

The version i watched had one instance of THIS MOVIE IS COPYRIGHT IN THE USA for five seconds at the beginning, but nothing else. It was the ORC or OCR 1.38gb release.

[Servbot]

www.enzian.org

[Potatoes]

Cool Hand Luke is a good film too.

[Servbot]

It really is, I'm glad the Enzian doesn't shy away from showing older films people enjoy.

[Jason]

This was good, but worse than I expected.
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Last edited by God on Fri Apr 05, 33 4:00 am; edited 1 time in total

[Jason]

I forget when, but the final scene was filmed at a show I was supposed to attend but didn't. I was looking for my friends in the audience and couldn't find them.
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[MADali]

How accurate was the movie, Jason?

[Jason]

It actually started out on a very bad note in the first scene when the promoter tells Randy "You really put them over." That line would only work if Randy had cut a promo after his match saying that whatever company he worked that night (BWO, which I've never heard of, according to a banner hanging) was the best in the world.

Actually, even prior to that it starts on a bad note with the pan over all the clippings from Randy's golden years. They're obviously trying to emphasize how far he's fallen, but the only wrestler in history who would have that kind of publicity smorgasbord is Hulk Hogan, and he's doing all right for himself. It's totally forgivable, though; the only one that really sticks out is the headline that asks "But has he peaked?" which I don't think is very realistic a headline at all.

For the most part, the WXW locker room stuff is all very good, the only thing that upsets me was the one big guy going "Don't work his leg, everybody does that." Working the leg seems too sophisticated for these guys, especially presented as something that's overdone. It just sounds like the screenwriter was trying to arbitrarily throw in some jargon to add to the atmosphere.

The match is great, it's very authentic, very true to standard indie wrestling. I was bothered by the fact that they seemingly left the razor blade (otherwise handled perfectly) in the ring, since normally the ref would pick it up to keep the guys from falling on it or something, but the ref is on the floor when it happens. It's possible that Randy threw it out of the ring, but that wasn't shown. To set up for the finish, Randy hits a kind of mule kick even though when he was discussing the match backstage he called it a superkick; then what bothers me most is the fact that the whole crowd is chanting "Ram Jam." I've never in my life heard a crowd chant for a finishing move like that, I didn't buy it at all.

The only really questionable thing is that in the locker room scene, the booker says that that match is "for the strap," so Randy should be the WXW champion, but he clearly isn't booked that consistently, nor does he ever handle a belt. Afterward, the booker mentions the "fan fest at Ring of Honor," which is the climax of the film, but the booker probably wouldn't be cross-promoting for any other promotion, much less Ring of Honor, which is a real company that wouldn't put on a fan fest, or do a "WrestleJam" rematch.

The steroid purchase is reasonable, if a little archaic. The bleach and tanning is great, it worked perfectly.

One thing I really like is that they smartly keep all the locations strictly in the northeast, and not only that, make sure that they're cities with frequent wrestling shows. When the opponent in the first match said he worked in Allentown, it rang very true.

The deathmatch, once you overlook the fact that it's happening for absolutely no reason (in the promotion, not the film) and that Randy's doing one so hardcore, seemingly without any similar experience, is phenomenal. That's a real deathmatch wrestler he's facing, the Necro Butcher, who is playing himself to a T (both backstage and in the ring). The only thing they did that I haven't personally seen is using roach spray, but I have no reason to believe that it hasn't been done.

It's actually funny that one review mentioned this match as when believability was lost, since it's really one of the most authentic moments of the whole movie, if not the most. I'd even be willing to bet that the CZW fans weren't told to chant "Use his leg," they just did so on their own.

Maybe my favorite scene of the whole movie is when he plays the WrestleJam video game with the boy. It is, of course, entirely accurate that his popularity's height was also that of the NES, so I was really relieved to see that. Then the Call of Duty 4 exchange, against all my instincts, turned out to be right on; it was just great.

The finale was really fun for me to watch. Ring of Honor is my favorite wrestling promotion, and they used its ring, its banners, its ring announcer, its timekeeper, Pam even walks up to the same old ticket table with the same old ticket sellers. Of course, once again, ROH wouldn't put on this rematch, and the crowd wouldn't chant "USA," nor would there be an American flag hanging on the walkway, but fine, that would happen at almost any other indie promotion in the country, so whatever.

The match itself was acceptable, even though those spot calls were incredibly blatant and said with the same volume as (presumably) in-character trash talk. Coupled with the fact that the movie didn't show called spots with either of the previous matches, it seems out of place and I'd imagine that non-wrestling fans would see that and ask themselves "Doesn't the audience hear it when they do that?"

In fact I think the whole ending scene is great, from a film standpoint, except for that last fucking shot of Randy taking off of the top turnbuckle. What an incredibly poor angle, it looks like he's fucking attached to a wire. For me, it sullies the whole damn thing.

All that said, the wrestling scenes are probably my favorite part of the whole movie. The rest of it is brought down by a generally predictable story and the underdeveloped and therefore completely unbuyable daughter hate scenes, which made my enjoyment absolutely plummet both times.

It seems like all the critics are forgiving its flaws, particularly the unoriginality of the plot, because the wrestling element is so exotic to them. I can imagine what it must be like to watch the movie without ever having seen independent wrestling, and I can also imagine that this is how arrogant shitheads who have a degree in film and also deal drugs feel about how I feel towards The Wire.
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Last edited by God on Fri Apr 05, 33 4:00 am; edited 1 time in total

[Fagzilla]

tl;dr

[Username]

I'm sure MADali just wanted a "not very"

[Jason]

I had to get it all out.
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Last edited by God on Fri Apr 05, 33 4:00 am; edited 1 time in total

[Seru]

I'm sure I've heard a few DDT chants in my lifetime.

[Jason]

Additionally, despite any complaints, I'm hard pressed to think of any other film I've seen that's left me thinking about and feeling for its main character so strongly even hours after the fact, save possibly Citizen Kane. Even the best Wes Anderson movie doesn't grip me with its protagonist for so long.

And before it's ruined by that final shot, Randy's face as he's slapping his elbow at the top rope is absolutely iconic.
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[MisfitMan]

That tirade actually made me want to see it. He sounds like a cross between Jake Roberts and Ricky Morton.

But yeah, kayfabe.

[Jason]

One time at an ROH show, Necro Butcher was wearing a Kucinich '08 shirt and as he passed by me I got his attention and, while pointing at my own chest, intelligently stated "Hey, Necro, Kucinich - hell yeah. Hell yeah, Kucinich."
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Last edited by God on Fri Apr 05, 33 4:00 am; edited 1 time in total

[MADali]

Thanks for the post