ECW One Night Stand 2005 review

Because of the cornucopias amount of free time I have on my hands these days, I've decided to post a new blog reviewing an old school wrestling PPV (8 years is old school for me). So I'm posting my thoughts on the generally enjoyed ECW One Night Stand 2005, a one night revival of the defunct Extreme Championship Wrestling promotion, brought about by the success of the 'Rise & Fall of ECW' DVD.

The event featured the return of long forgotten ECW alumni, as well as those who were working with WWE at the time. A noticeable feature of the event was it's rushed pace, as even main event matches were noticeably short, and there were few ads and segments between matches. This was refreshing when compared with modern WWE pay per views, yet the time constraints of the matches meant it was difficult for any of them to be considered great. Without further adieu, here's my rundown of the matches etc.

Chris Jericho vs. Lance Storm (w. Dawn Marie)

This was a sound technical match, with Storm showcasing how underutilised he's been throughout his career. The commentary team of Joey Styles and Mick Foley got over how these 2 had their very first wrestling match against one-another, which added a special quality to this match. If these 2 had ever been given 20-30 minutes in WWE, I'm sure they'd have put on a great. The match finished with interference by Justin Credible, caning Jericho in the head, giving the fans a nice Impact Players reunion.
Match Rating: 8/10

Super Crazy vs. Tajiri (w. Mikey Whipwreck & The Sinister Minister) vs. Nunzio (w. The F.B.I)

This match didn't enthral me like I thought it would, the beginning was mainly one guy being taken out so the other 2 can fight. The obvious moment of the match was when Super Crazy performed a moonsault off of a balcony, a dangerously insane high spot. We saw widespread interference from all managers, with Nunzio being eliminated (ECW triple threats, or 3 way dances, have elimination rules) after a Whippersnapper from Whipwreck. Finally Crazy won after 3 moonsaults, a fun match, but not what I expected.
Match Rating: 7.5/10

Rey Mysterio vs. Psychosis

Though both men weren't as agile as their heydays in the 90's, this was still a good high flying match, with cool spots such as a guillotine leg drop off the top rope on the barricade, and Mysterio sentoning Psychosis in the crowd. The match ended with Mysterio hitting the West Coast Pop, which was nice for me since I havn't seen Rey do it in years.
Match Rating: 8/10

After the match, the Smackdown invaders, consisting of JBL and Kurt Angle arrived, and took seat in the balcony. The volatile ECW fans shouted vehemently at the invaders, with chants such as 'You suck dick!' to which Angle replied "Your mother taught me how!" After generic heel promos about how they hate ECW etc. the heels were interrupted by an injured Rob Van Dam, and Bill Alfonso. Van Dam cut a shoot promo on how he hated being injured on this night, and how his time in ECW was better than WWE. Though Van Dam isn't the best on the mic, the shoot aspect made it more interesting, though his mentioning of scripts and storylines didn't sit too well with me, I believe if you're gonna shoot, you should still try and keep the suspension of disbelief. Van Dam was then interrupted by Rhino, who Gored him and beat him up, only for Sabu to make the save, setting up an 'impromptu' match, despite Foley later saying how Sabu's been preparing for this match.

Sabu (w. Bill Alfonso) vs. Rhino

This was an enjoyable hardcore match, with Sabu displaying his springboard arsenal, and luckily not botching. Later in the match, Van Dam interfered, attacking Rhino with a chair and giving him a running Van Daminator, which was impressive due to his injury. After an Atomic Arabian Facebuster through a table, Sabu picked up the win.
Match Rating: 7.5/10

The Raw invaders them arrived, lead by Eric Bischoff. After embarrassing ECW heel Joel Gertner, which would've delighted die hard ECW fans, Bischoff cut his own generic promo about hating ECW and how the WWE invaders are gonna destroy it.

Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero

Due to the calibre of both men involved, I was expecting more from this match. Though fine from a technical stand point, it seemed quite slow and never grabbed my attention except when Benoit hit his vintage (Cole!) 3 German suplexes. Benoit won after a crossface, and the match itself garnered applause from the WWE invaders, though my response wasn't as enthusiastic.
Match Rating: 7.5/10

Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka

This was the match of the night for me, with crazy chair, table and powerbomb spots, I haven't seen any of their ECW matches, but if they're like this or better, then I'll give them a watch. This match also showed how Awesome was underutilised throughout his career, he was a good power wrestler with amazing agility. The thing about this match fans remember most is Joey Styles shooting on Awesome throughout, upset over the incident where Awesome left for WCW while he was ECW champion, lines such as after Awesome performed a suicide dive "Too bad he didn't succeed in taking his own life" This statement is made the more awkward by the fact that Awesome actually ended up committing suicide 2 years later.
Match Rating: 8.5/10

Paul Heyman came out to a loving reception from the ECW fans, Heyman cut a promo thanking the fans for supporting ECW and helping it succeed as long as it did. Heyman turned his attention to the WWE invaders, cutting great shoot promos on Bischoff; saying it's an ECW PPV people are attending now, not a WCW one. On Edge, referencing his affair with Lita, and Matt Hardy. Heyman then gave the line of the night by saying that the only reason JBL was WWE champion for so long was that HHH didn't wanna work Tuesdays. By far the best promo of the night.

The Dudley Boys vs. Tommy Dreamer & The Sandman

This was an enjoyable match, featuring interference from the ECW wrestlers they couldn't fit into matches, such as the B.W.O, Axel Rotten and Balls Mahoney, Francine and Beulah Mcgillicutty, and Spike Dudly. It also featured hardcore spots such as the use of a cheese grater, and the finish; a powerbomb through a burning table.
Match Rating: 8/10

Steve Austin came out, it was nice to see Austin and Sandman in the ring together, as many people argue the Stone Cold character is based off of Sandman. Austin brought the ECW wrestlers out and challenged the WWE invaders to a brawl, which they accepted. Due to the large cluster of people in the ring, the only notable action was Taz giving Kurt Angle a Tazmission on the outside. Predictably the ECW wrestlers won, then Bischoff was dragged in the ring to receive a 3-D, a 619, a Benoit flying headbutt, and a Stone Cold Stunner. A fun way to end the show, with the ultimate heel Bischoff getting his comeuppance.

Overall this was a fun show, though I'm not an old school ECW fan, I can see how this event would be highly enjoyable for those who are, as a piece of nostalgia, and the last great proper ECW event.  

My Top 100 Films of All Time!

As an avid cinephile, I often enjoy compiling film related lists, and this was a doozie. Through a 2 month process of making a giant list of films i like and swapping them around in order of excellence, then after watching a new film; looking to see if it'd been worthy of the list, I have finally completed this list. This is mereley my opinion, but i believe there are many quality films in this list worth a watch. Here...we...go...

100. The Conversation. 1974 (Dir. Francis Ford Coppola)
99. Halloween. 1978 (Dir. John Carpenter)
98. Drive. 2011 (Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn)
97. Hud. 1963 (Dir. Martin Ritt)
96. Ghostbusters. 1984 (Dir. Ivan Reitman)
95. Rain Man. 1988 (Dir. Barry Levinson)
94. The Trueman Show. 1998 (Dir. Peter Weir)
93. There Will Be Blood. 2007 (Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)
92. Memento. 2000 (Dir. Christopher Nolan)
91. Get Carter. 1971 (Dir. Mike Hodges)
90. Inglorious Basterds. 2009 (Dir. Quentin Tarantino)
89. The Quiet Man. 1952 (Dir. John Ford)
88. The Artist. 2011 (Dir. Michel Hazanavicius)
87. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. 2011 (Dir. Tomas Alfredson)
86. Twelve Monkeys. 1995 (Dir. Terry Gilliam)
85. Kind Hearts and Coronets. 1949 (Dir. Robert Hamer)
84. Witness. 1985 (Dir. Peter Weir)
83. Double Indemnity. 1944 (Dir.Billy Wilder)
82. The Wrestler. 2009 (Dir. Darren Aronofsky)
81. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. 2004 (Dir. Michel Gondry)
80. L.A Confidential. 1997 (Dir. Curtis Hanson)
79. Blue Velvet. 1986 (Dir. David Lynch)
78. The Social Network. 2010 (Dir. David Fincher)
77. Lost in Translation. 2003 (Dir. Sofia Coppola)
76. Miller's Crossing. 1990 (Dir. Joel/Ethan Coen)
75. Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 1986 (Dir. John Hughes)
74. Don't Look Now. 1973 (Dir Nicolas Roeg)
73. Trainspotting. 1996 (Dir. Danny Boyle)
72. Blazing Saddles. 1974 (Dir. Mel Brooks)
71. Seven. 1995 (Dir. David Fincher)
70. Die Hard. 1988 (Dir. John McTiernan)
69. Life of Brian. 1979 (Dir. Terry Jones)
68. Batman Begins. 2005 (Dir. Christopher Nolan)
67. No Country For Old Men. 2007 (Dir. Joel/Ethan Coen)
66. Dawn of the Dead. 1978 (Dir. George A Romero)
65. Casino. 1995 (Dir. Martin Scorsesse)
64. Donnie Darko. 2001 (Dir. Richard Kelly)
63. Raiders of the Lost Ark. 1981 (Dir. Steven Spielberg)
62. E.T. 1982 (Dir. Steven Spielberg)
61. Terminator 2: Judgement Day. 1991 (Dir. James Cameron)
60. Fargo. 1996 (Dir. Joel/Ethan Coen)
59. Alien. 1979 (Dir. Ridley Scott)
58. The Terminator. 1984 (Dir. James Cameron)
57. The Wild Bunch. 1969 (Dir. Sam Peckinpah)
56. Inception. 2010 (Dir. Christopher Nolan)
55. Aliens. 1986 (Dir. James Cameron)
54. Badlands. 1973 (Dir. Terrence Malick)
53. Back to the Future. 1985 (Dir. Robert Zemeckis)
52. The Seventh Seal. 1957 (Dir. Ingmar Bergman)
51. Raising Arizona. 1987 (Dir. Joel/Ethan Coen)
50. Rear Window. 1954 (Dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
49. The Apartment. 1960 (Dir. Billy Wilder)
48. It's a Wonderful Life. 1946 (Dir. Frank Capra)
47. This Is Spinal Tap. 1984 (Dir. Rob Reiner)
46. Unforgiven. 1992 (Dir. Clint Eastwood)
45. All About Eve. 1950 (Dir. Joseph L Mankiewicz)
44. Scarface. 1983 (Dir. Brian De Palma)
43. Seven Samurai. 1954 (Dir, Akira Kurosawa)
42. Dark Knight Rises. 2012 (Dir. Christopher Nolan)
41. Saving Private Ryan. 1998 (Dir. Steven Spielberg)
40. Jaws. 1975 (Dir. Steven Spielberg)
39. Brazil. 1985 (Dir. Terry Gilliam)
38. The Bridge on the River Kwai. 1957 (Dir. David Lean)
37. Vertigo. 1958 (Dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
36. City of God. 2002 (Dir. Fernando Meirelles)
35. Heat. 1995 (Dir. Michael Mann)
34. Dr Strangelove. 1964 (Dir. Stanley Kubrick)
33. Casablanca. 1942 (Dir, Michael Curtiz)
32. Rio Bravo. 1959 (Dir. Howard Hawks)
31. The Sting. 1973 (Dir, George Roy Hill)
30. 2001 A Space Odyssey. 1968 (Dir. Stanley Kubrick)
29. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. 2001-2003 (Dir. Peter Jackson)
28. The Shining. 1980 (Dir. Stanley Kubrick)
27. Sunset Boulevard. 1950 (Dir. Billy Wilder)
26. The Searchers. 1956 (Dir. John Ford)
25. Fight Club.1999 (Dir. David Fincher)
24. The Deer Hunter. 1978 (Dir. Michael Cimino)
23. Once Upon a Time in America. 1984 (Dir. Sergio Leone)
22. Schindler's List. 1993 (Dir. Steven Spielberg)
21. The Big Lebowski. 1998 (Dir. Joel/Ethan Coen)
20. Blade Runner. 1982 (Dir. Ridley Scott)
19. A Clockwork Orange. 1971 (Dir. Stanley Kubrick)
18. The Usual Suspects. 1995 (Dir. Bryan Singer)
17. Taxi Driver. 1976 (Dir. Martin Scorsesse)
16. The Third Man. 1949 (Dir. Carol Reed)
15. Goodfellas. 1990 (Dir. Martin Scorsesse)
14. Once Upon a Time in the West. 1968 (Dir. Sergio Leone)
13. Reservoir Dogs. 1992 (Dir. Quentin Tarentino)
12. Lawrence of Arabia. 1962 (Dir. David Lean)
11. Butch Cassidy an the Sundance Kid. 1969 (Dir. George Roy Hill)
10. Chinatown. 1974 (Dir. Roman Polanski)
9. The Dark Knight. 2008 (Dir. Christopher Nolan)
8. Raging Bull. 1980 (Dir. Martin Scorsesse)
7. Apocalypse Now. 1979 (Dir. Francis Ford Coppola)
6. Pulp Fiction. 1994 (Dir. Quentin Tarentino)
5. The Shawshank Redemption. 1994 (Dir. Frank Darabont)
4. The Godfather part II. 1974 (Dir. Francis Ford Coppola)
3. The Godfather. 1972 (Dir. Francis Ford Coppola)
2. The Good the Bad and the Ugly. 1966 (Dir. Sergio Leone)
1. Citizen Kane. 1941 (Dir. Orson Welles)