Today started like such a normal day - the sun was out, birds were tweeting, the usual - and as I turned the alarm off of my phone, I noticed a news story that literally cause my jaw to drop. This news was exceptionally sad, and meant that another small part of my childhood was lost as I head towards my late 30's / impending 40's. This news - courtesy of Rajah.com - was the following headline:
Ultimate Warrior Has Died
Surely, this wasn't the truth? I, like millions of others, stayed up into the early hours of Monday morning and watched James Hellwig (The Ultimate Warrior) earn his rightful spot as part of the WWE Hall of Fame. And last night, catching up with Monday Night Raw, I saw Mr Hellwig shake the ropes one more time, and for a split second it was just like the old days. How could, just a few mere hours later, he be pronounced dead?
As a kid, I started watching the World Wrestling Federation in November 1988, with my first taste of their product being the 1988 Survivor Series that a friend had recorded. This was where my love for sports-entertainment began. Be it for the characters, the choreography (back then I was fully aware that it was scripted, even as a naive and precocious 10 year old), the music, the splendour, I was hooked. Back in 1988, the Survivor Series card was built of a number of 5-on-5 tag team elimination matches. The superstars at this one particular event were in full flow - Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Ted Dibiase, Andre the Giant, Jake Roberts, Mr Perfect, Shawn Michaels, Marty Jannetty, The British Bulldogs, Demolition and more. However, one superstar stood out to me. He had the look, the colour, the speed, the strength, and the most recognisable theme music since Real American. That man was the Ultimate Warrior.
I was in awe of his energy and that he appeared to be almost impervious to pain. After watching him become the sole survivor of his team, I determined that I was going to be one of the Warriors, his loyal group of fans. After going back and watching every PPV up to that point, I found myself, like most kids at that point, having joint allegiances with Hulk Hogan and the Warrior. Neither had met in the ring one-on-one, but at the 1990 Royal Rumble, we had the first staredown. Then came the Ultimate Challenge at Wrestlemania 6.
Back in those days, I wasn't allowed to stay up well into the early hours, and we had no internet to give us spoiler results, so I had to wait until my one friend who had Sky Sports let me borrow his taped copy of the event. Watching the main event, I almost couldn't face the screen, as two of my "heroes" were trying to destroy each other. When Warrior got the pin, I was ecstatic. Hogan was still up there, but Warrior was so much cooler.
As I got older, my interest in the WWF (as they were at that time) waned for other interests (girls mainly). When I started watching again in 1999 (the first event I would watch happened to be Over the Edge where Owen Hart was killed doing an in ring stunt) the old guard had gone. There was no Hogan, and there was no Warrior.
I found it interesting that I, like most kids, were in awe of these two wrestlers, as watching their matches back now you can see just how bad they actually were. Aside from Wrestlemania 6 and 7, Warrior never had career defining matches, and became promptly buried by the WWE in 2005 following the release of the Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior. Watching that, you realised the guy made no sense, he was sloppy and he was unreliable. However, he still had the look, the it factor, and deserved his place at the top of the wrestling tableau at least once in his life.
I've sat through the shoot videos between Warrior and Hogan, I've heard Warrior say many things that some could consider hate crimes. Yet these two wrestlers still hold a place in my heart, a place reserved for childhood memories. And at Wrestlemania 30, Hogan came out first, but Warrior got the pop that mattered. He was loved still, all these years later - 24 years after he won the WWF title - by those that remembered him back then, those that had grown up but still remembered the music, the energy.
On Monday Night Raw, he came to the ring in a Warrior jacket, he shook the ropes, and he gave us a fantastic promo, that proved he loved the fans. Shockingly, some 24 hours later, his words have taken on a whole new meaning. We don't know how he passed, or whether he knew himself, but his words seemed to indicate that maybe, the gods from above had told him his time on earth was up, and he was to reign in the mountains above.
I've seen the loss of many a wrestler I appreciated over the years, but none as much as James Hellwig. He may not have been the greatest wrestler in the world, but he could make the hair on your neck stand up as soon as his music hit. He was one of the greatest remembered stars in professional wrestling, and he will be sorely missed by the fans, and by me - the 35 year old, and the 10 year old kid who still remembers the past glories he had.
Rest In Peace Warrior, run those ropes in heaven. Thank you for the memories you gave me and countless millions.
"Every man's heart one day beats its final beat. His lungs breathe their final breath. And if what that man did in his life makes the blood pulse through the body of others and makes them believe deeper in something larger than life then his essence, his spirit, will be immortalized."
The Ultimate Warrior, 16th June 1959 - 8th April 2014
Wednesday 9 April 2014
My Movies of 2013
I haven't written in a while - especially after I stated that I would make it my aim to do so more this year (as well as last year and the year before it) - so I figured I would try and use what short spare time I had to get back into the writing swing of things. And what better way to start this than an exceptionally late review of my favourite films of 2013!
Out of every movie that was released in 2013, I managed to obtain a grand total of 111 of them. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to sit down and watch all of them - I only managed to catch 72 of them, and still have 39 left to watch and either enjoy and keep or discard into a recycling bin.
Trying to put 72 films into a list of 10 was quite a task. There were so many good films released in 2013 that could fit into any critic or reviewers top ten, and whilst I have taken into account what the critics think, my choice is not based on their perception, but rather mine. I like films that make me laugh, that make me think, that make me want to be a part of it. If I like a film, I will re-watch it again and again (and I have re-watched 16 of the 72 films more than once already).
Whilst trying to pick my favourite films may have been tough, it was a lot easier to weed out the utter dross that was released. So it is without further ado that I confirm what I consider to be the worst films I saw in 2013:
Tied into first place as the worst films of 2013 are Movie 43 and Inappropriate Comedy. Why the hell film-makers saw fit to make these utter piles of horse crap is beyond me. Whilst they aren't at a level whereby I would rather watch episodes of Last of the Summer Wine and From May to December instead of them, they do come close. Inappropriate Comedy tries to be just like the Kentucky Fried Movie but fails in every comparison. Movie 43 has a number of A List stars in it, but has no specific plot (apparently there are versions for both the UK and US audiences that explain why we are watching crap "mini-movies", but at the end of the day, who cares? Not the viewing public, and definitely not the critics who savagely lambasted these two films - for once, I agree with the critics!
In addition to the two monstrous atrocities above, I would have to also give a shout out to Warm Bodies (a zombie romantic comedy that was devoid of laughs for me - just look at Shaun of the Dead in order how to do a zombie rom com), A Good Day to Die Hard (which took me three sittings to get through and I still hated it), Evil Dead (a remake that did not require one - we only wanted a new Bruce Campbell sequel - and that ruined everything good about the original), Pacific Rim (held so much promise, but bored the hell out of me), The Wolverine (I loved the X-Men Origins Wolverine film, but this was not up to that standard, and it felt a bit sub-par for me), Man of Steel (possibly a controversial choice, but whilst Henry Cavill was a great choice as the titular role, this was just way too over the top for me), and Snitch (I thought that this would be a good action movie with the Rock, but there was really none - all the best bits were in the trailer).
So that's 9 films off the list, leaving only 63 left to choose from. It seems right to give out some memorable honours to the following films, all of which I enjoyed, but just missed out on my top ten:
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Out of the Furnace.
Dallas Buyers Club.
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.
Carrie (2013 Remake).
Don Jon.
Jobs.
Elysium.
The Heat.
Monsters University.
12 Years a Slave.
21 & Over.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
Captain Phillips.
Iron Man 3.
Stand Up Guys.
Pain & Gain.
So, here we come to my ten favourite films of the year 2013:
10 - Gravity
09 - The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
08 - I Give It a Year
07 - Thor: The Dark World
06 - Now You See Me
05 - About Time
04 - Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
03 - The Wolf of Wall Street
02 - This Is The End
01 - Despicable Me 2
If you were wondering what were the films I had actually seen in 2013 in order to decide my above top ten, I can confirm that these were the following:
2 Guns, 12 Years a Slave, 21 & Over, A Good Day to Die Hard, About Time, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Captain Phillips, Carrie (2013 Remake), Dallas Buyers Club, Delivery Man, Despicable Me 2, Don Jon, Elysium, Escape Plan, Evil Dead (2013 Remake), Fast & the Furious 6, Gravity, Grown Ups 2, Grudge Match, Hell Baby, Her, Homefront, I Give It a Year, Identity Thief, Inappropriate Comedy, Insidious: Chapter 2, Iron Man 3, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, Jobs, Kick-Ass 2, Last Vegas, Mama, Man of Steel, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Metallica: Through the Never, Monsters University, Movie 43, Now You See Me, Olympus Has Fallen, Out of the Furnace, Oz: The Great & Powerful, Pacific Rim, Pain & Gain, Prisoners, RIPD, Runner Runner, Scary Movie 5, Snitch, Stand Up Guys, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Conjuring, The Family, The Heat, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, The Internship, The Last Stand, The Purge, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Wolverine, The World's End, This is the End, Thor: The Dark World, Turbo, Warm Bodies, We're the Millers, World War Z.
An I still have the following 2013 films left to see:
47 Ronin, After Earth, All Is Lost, American Hustle, Blue Jasmine, Bullet to the Head, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Dead Man Down, Ender's Game, Escape From Planet Earth, Frozen, Gangster Squad, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Hours, Jack the Giant Slayer, Lone Survivor, Machete Kills, Oblivion, Parker, Percy Jackson & the Sea of Monsters, Philomena, RED 2, Riddick, Rush, Saving Mr Banks, Spring Breakers, Texas Chainsaw 3D, The Book Thief, The Call, The Croods, The Haunting in Conneticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Iceman, The Last Exorcism Part 2, The Lone Ranger, The Smurfs 2, Trance, Welcome to the Punch, You're Next.
If, after watching any of the above films, I decide to change my list, I will edit this post to do so.
As I've said before, this is my list based on my tastes and opinions, so it may differ to yours, but I would love to hear your best films of 2013!
Until the next time, stay classy minions!!!!
Out of every movie that was released in 2013, I managed to obtain a grand total of 111 of them. Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to sit down and watch all of them - I only managed to catch 72 of them, and still have 39 left to watch and either enjoy and keep or discard into a recycling bin.
Trying to put 72 films into a list of 10 was quite a task. There were so many good films released in 2013 that could fit into any critic or reviewers top ten, and whilst I have taken into account what the critics think, my choice is not based on their perception, but rather mine. I like films that make me laugh, that make me think, that make me want to be a part of it. If I like a film, I will re-watch it again and again (and I have re-watched 16 of the 72 films more than once already).
Whilst trying to pick my favourite films may have been tough, it was a lot easier to weed out the utter dross that was released. So it is without further ado that I confirm what I consider to be the worst films I saw in 2013:
Tied into first place as the worst films of 2013 are Movie 43 and Inappropriate Comedy. Why the hell film-makers saw fit to make these utter piles of horse crap is beyond me. Whilst they aren't at a level whereby I would rather watch episodes of Last of the Summer Wine and From May to December instead of them, they do come close. Inappropriate Comedy tries to be just like the Kentucky Fried Movie but fails in every comparison. Movie 43 has a number of A List stars in it, but has no specific plot (apparently there are versions for both the UK and US audiences that explain why we are watching crap "mini-movies", but at the end of the day, who cares? Not the viewing public, and definitely not the critics who savagely lambasted these two films - for once, I agree with the critics!
In addition to the two monstrous atrocities above, I would have to also give a shout out to Warm Bodies (a zombie romantic comedy that was devoid of laughs for me - just look at Shaun of the Dead in order how to do a zombie rom com), A Good Day to Die Hard (which took me three sittings to get through and I still hated it), Evil Dead (a remake that did not require one - we only wanted a new Bruce Campbell sequel - and that ruined everything good about the original), Pacific Rim (held so much promise, but bored the hell out of me), The Wolverine (I loved the X-Men Origins Wolverine film, but this was not up to that standard, and it felt a bit sub-par for me), Man of Steel (possibly a controversial choice, but whilst Henry Cavill was a great choice as the titular role, this was just way too over the top for me), and Snitch (I thought that this would be a good action movie with the Rock, but there was really none - all the best bits were in the trailer).
So that's 9 films off the list, leaving only 63 left to choose from. It seems right to give out some memorable honours to the following films, all of which I enjoyed, but just missed out on my top ten:
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Out of the Furnace.
Dallas Buyers Club.
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.
Carrie (2013 Remake).
Don Jon.
Jobs.
Elysium.
The Heat.
Monsters University.
12 Years a Slave.
21 & Over.
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
Captain Phillips.
Iron Man 3.
Stand Up Guys.
Pain & Gain.
So, here we come to my ten favourite films of the year 2013:
10 - Gravity
09 - The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
08 - I Give It a Year
07 - Thor: The Dark World
06 - Now You See Me
05 - About Time
04 - Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
03 - The Wolf of Wall Street
02 - This Is The End
01 - Despicable Me 2
If you were wondering what were the films I had actually seen in 2013 in order to decide my above top ten, I can confirm that these were the following:
2 Guns, 12 Years a Slave, 21 & Over, A Good Day to Die Hard, About Time, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Captain Phillips, Carrie (2013 Remake), Dallas Buyers Club, Delivery Man, Despicable Me 2, Don Jon, Elysium, Escape Plan, Evil Dead (2013 Remake), Fast & the Furious 6, Gravity, Grown Ups 2, Grudge Match, Hell Baby, Her, Homefront, I Give It a Year, Identity Thief, Inappropriate Comedy, Insidious: Chapter 2, Iron Man 3, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, Jobs, Kick-Ass 2, Last Vegas, Mama, Man of Steel, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Metallica: Through the Never, Monsters University, Movie 43, Now You See Me, Olympus Has Fallen, Out of the Furnace, Oz: The Great & Powerful, Pacific Rim, Pain & Gain, Prisoners, RIPD, Runner Runner, Scary Movie 5, Snitch, Stand Up Guys, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Conjuring, The Family, The Heat, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Incredible Burt Wonderstone, The Internship, The Last Stand, The Purge, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Wolverine, The World's End, This is the End, Thor: The Dark World, Turbo, Warm Bodies, We're the Millers, World War Z.
An I still have the following 2013 films left to see:
47 Ronin, After Earth, All Is Lost, American Hustle, Blue Jasmine, Bullet to the Head, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, Dead Man Down, Ender's Game, Escape From Planet Earth, Frozen, Gangster Squad, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Hours, Jack the Giant Slayer, Lone Survivor, Machete Kills, Oblivion, Parker, Percy Jackson & the Sea of Monsters, Philomena, RED 2, Riddick, Rush, Saving Mr Banks, Spring Breakers, Texas Chainsaw 3D, The Book Thief, The Call, The Croods, The Haunting in Conneticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Iceman, The Last Exorcism Part 2, The Lone Ranger, The Smurfs 2, Trance, Welcome to the Punch, You're Next.
If, after watching any of the above films, I decide to change my list, I will edit this post to do so.
As I've said before, this is my list based on my tastes and opinions, so it may differ to yours, but I would love to hear your best films of 2013!
Until the next time, stay classy minions!!!!
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