As the day passed by morning to noon on a wonderful Friday, I was drenched with wandering thoughts about the weekend movie, beach or shopping etc,.

Later that eve, we all (team members) said hi! and conveyed our congratulations to Suchitra at her residence and left her place after some chit chat.

On the way back, a sudden thought struck our mind how about going out for a movie tomorrow? We all, thought about it for a while and decided let’s do it!

The day ended well as we booked tickets for the movie Peraanmai (a South Indian Tamil Movie) and planned to meet by 9:30 am near office.

Dawn broke up the valley and as scheduled we had a perfect blend for the day movie @ mayajaal, lunch @ the rock and bid good bye for the day.

af Michael Meier

At det genrehoppende doommetal/synthrock/gothmetal band Paradise Lost har en del år på bagen kunne ses på aftenens publikum, hvor der var flere sort- og nitteklædte mennesker i slut 30′erne og 40′erne end jeg nogensinde har set på The Rock. Blandt disse The Rocks sorte, grå guld fik jeg endelig set Paradise Lost live med udmærkede opvarmningsbands som plus og en basglad lydmand som minus.

Dørene på the Rock åbnedes med 15 minutters forsinkelse, da lydprøverne med aftenens bands trak ud. Aner ikke, hvad de brugte den ekstra tid til. En sidemand i køen gættede på onani. Et udmærket bud.

Ghost Brigade

Ghost Brigade

Første opvarmingsband var finske Ghost Brigade, som spillede en blanding af melo-død, metalcore (tænk: Killswitch Engage) og den der diffuse posthardcore/sludge-genre, som også Isis og Cult of Luna bevæger sig i. De trak i lyden både på svensk tradition for groove og den finske melankolske dødsmetal.

Det samlede indtryk for alle disse indflydelser og afstikkere, samt de hvirvlende guitarer, blandingen mellem poppet skønsang og dødsgrowl, samt bandets gadenære fremtoning, vakte hos denne anmelder sjovt nok især mindelser om Deftones.

Der var god dynamik og variation i musikken og numrene var ørehængende og medrivende. Ghost Brigade gjorde det godt og overraskede positivt i den kun ½ time som ukendt opvarmningsband en tirsdag aften.

Samael

Samael

Aftenens nummer to var Samael, som entrede scenen og beviste, at man godt kan se virkeligt onde ud uden nitter og corpsepaint. Deres industrialiserede black metal var også lige så skarptskårent og trimmet som forsangeren og trommeslagerens fipskæg.

Det var dog black metal i den efter min mening gode ende, hvor der inde bag støjen kunne spores antræk til rock n’ roll og fucking metal. Jeg mener dog, at have hørt et sted at Samael skulle høre til den mere eksperimenterende del af black metal genren. Hvis det betyder, at de skifter mellem elektroniske trommer og ‘rigtige’ trommer, så check, og hvis det betyder at de har skrevet i al fald et til koncerten spillet nummer med den mest irriterende billige keyboardlyd nogensinde, så check.

Et nummer fremstod dog overordentligt fedt med det gentagne, fængende råb-med omkvæd: “Damnation Generation”, som fik gang i djævlehorn og publikum. Publikum (inkl. anmelderen) virkede dog utålmodige efter at komme videre til Paradise Lost, men bandet fremstod professionelt og erfarent og kørte et show af på trods af den svingende modtagelse.

Der blev (ifølge bandet selv) spillet sange fra hele bandets bagkatalog, som jeg dog ikke kendte videre til, da jeg sidst forsøgte mig med at høre Samael for flere år siden, uden at det hang ved. Samael spillede 1 time, og gik af scenen uden ekstranumre. De kunne nok selv fornemme, at det var hovednavnet Paradise Lost størstedelen var kommet for at se.

Paradise Lost

Paradise Lost

Kl. 23.30 gik Paradise Lost endelig på. Paradise Lost er et af mine yndlingsbands, som siden deres dannelse i start 90′erne har bevæget sig fra at være blandt gotisk doommetals grundlæggere forbi eventyr i Depeche Mode-agtig synthrock og tilbage til tungere genrer igen.

Jeg nåede lige at klappe i mine små heltetilbedende hænder ved deres fremkomst, så blev jeg væltet omkuld af deres wall of sound og åbningsnummeret Pity the Sadness. Hvor opvarmningsbandene var sluppet hæderligt fra lyden, så havde Paradise Lost åbenbart indstillet sig på stadionkoncertens støjniveau. De fyre der stod foran mig til koncerten jokede med at bandet var bitre over den lille scene (hvad enkelte sidekommentarer fra forsanger Nick Holmes da også kunne tyde på), så muligvis prøvede de at kompensere.

Pga. det irriterende lydniveau forsvandt mange numre i bas og larm. Måske derfor var det først sent i koncerten og især ved de 3 ekstranumre at en lille sejr blev kørt hjem. Ekstranumrene var også velvalgte: den nye single ‘Faith divides us, death unites us’, klassikeren ‘The Last Time’ fra Draconian Times og ikke mindst allersidste (og koncertens bedste) nummer ‘Say just words’ fra One Second, som alt for sent fik koncerten helt op at ringe. Faktisk var det største højdepunkt uden for ovennævnte numre også titelnummeret fra One Second, hvor lyden begyndte at fungere bedre (bassen var stadig lidt for tung), mens Holmes stemme holdt nummeret igennem. Der blev headbanget og sunget igennem.

Især forsanger Nick Holmes var ikke særlig veloplagt. Kontakten til publikum virkede halvhjertet og man fornemmede at han kørte showet hjem på rutinen – her vil jeg dog give ham point for professionalisme om ikke andet. Stemmen virkede også slidt i flere numre. Den manglende entusiasme kunne dog skyldes tirsdagen og publikum. Måske var det gennemsnitsalderen, måske var det dagen. På trods af spredt optakt til fest var der ingen tvivl om, at det var en hverdagsaften – anmelderen skulle også selv tidligt op onsdag morgen.

Det blev dog til godt og vel 1 time og 15 min. koncert, hvor bandet spillede et bredt udsnit af det meget varierede bagkatalog. Vi fik derfor både tung doom og synthrock, gamle og nye numre. Det kan undre denne anmelder, at vi ikke fik et eneste nummer fra Paradise Lost’ selvbetitlede album fra 2005, som tilfældigvis er en personlig favorit – eller fra det klassiske album Icon. Stort minus der. Hvis det ikke var for de afsluttende højdepunkter og spændende opvarmningsbands havde det været en skuffende koncert, nu er den lige godkendt som middelmådig til udmærket.

Paradise Lost Setlist:
1. Pity the Sadness // 2. Erased // 3. I Remain // 4. As I Die // 5. The Enemy // 6. First Light // 7. Enchantment // 8. Frailty // 9. One Second // 10. No Celebration // 11. Requiem // 12. Faith Divides Us, Death Unites us // 13. The Last Time // 14. Say Just Words.

Weekly Movie Podcast – Nov. 24, 2009 16 mins (7.4 MB)
  ^ right click to save

• Jamie Gore and Chris Karpyszyn
• Chris really hates Twilight: New Moon. I mean he, REALLY hates it.
• We gush over how good (500) Days of Summer is. Go watch it if it still in a theatre near you.
• With the upcoming release of Funny People, we talk a little bit about Spanglish which is also another Adam Sandler movie that’s about an hour too long.
• All box office info come from http://www.the-numbers.com
• Click more to see the top 5 movies from this past weekend as well as a listing of the movies coming out this week both in theatres and on DVD.

 Top 5 films for the weekend ending November 22, 2009

Theatrical Releases This Week (click where available for trailer)

The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Ninja Assassin
Old Dogs

Me and Orson Welles
Precious
The Princess and the Frog
The Road

DVD Releases This Week (click where available for trailer)

Angels and Demons
Four Christmases
Funny People (click here to read my review) 
Shorts
Les Grandes chaleurs

An American in China
David and Layla
The Indian
Janky Promoters
The Maiden Heist
Megafault
Santa Buddies
Silent Screams
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Taking Chances

I’m a professional wrestling fan, there I said it. I’m now classed as a fool by the majority of the world.  When I say a wrestling fan, I mean I’m a fan of the attitude era and the few years after it. I grew up watching it, and little kids like that kind of stuff. Apparently I didn’t fully grow out of it though. However wrestling has been on the decline for a good number of years and it’s no longer up to the standards it was when I first started to ‘love’ it as a kid. So I no longer watch it weekly and I go for long periods of not paying attention to it at all.

But there’s a little part of me, my inner child perhaps?, that always makes me go and check back what’s happening. I don’t know what it is, but every few months I just need to have a look. I guess I’m hoping it will be amazing again, maybe The Rock will have returned and everything will be dandy. It never is and he’s too busy making movies. This Sunday was one of those moments, I’d started talking about the good old days of wrestling and with the idea in my head I needed to check up on it. It was Survivor Series and I expected it to be quite good, the match card looked interesting and I’ll admit I was mildly excited about watching it. Me and my friend Staggy stayed up to watch it and ‘msn’d’ our way through the night. It turned out, like all of wrestling these days, to be average and I was left disappointed. Oh well, maybe it will be better at the Royal Rumble. I’ll get my hopes up for that, though I’ll probably be disappointed about that as well.

Cuando era más joven era un fanatico de las luchas libres y unos de mis personajes favoritos era “The Rock” (la roca), y la verdad es que nunca lo imagine haciendo tantas peliculas familiares. Hoy les traigo el primer trailer de su última producción llamada “Tooth Fairy“. En esta pelicula  uno de los más rudos jugadores de hockey descubre que tendrá que ser un hada de los dientes durante una temporada, tras de haberle dicho a una niña que éstos no existían.

The Rock como una hada? porque dejaste la wwe!!!

I hate, hate, hate people who look at movies–especially older movies–as just a step in the line to the movies we have today.  It’s a slap in the face to life, by extension, and I will explain why. (Foswi, this is primarily for you.)

I am a staunch historian, and I thoroughly believe in the value of studying history.  If you do not, you might as well stop reading this blog.  We’ll just never get along.  To that extent, is it useless to study ancient warfare in a modern context?  Are there no pracitical applicable lessons to be learned from tactics that defy era, technology, or weaponry?  I think you out there in someplacewhereyou’restaringatacomputerscreen should be thinking to yourself, “No, there is value in knowing that stuff…”  Because  you’re right.

Or, let’s think of this in terms of books.  Does it make sense to stop reading  Hamlet, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, The Lord of the Rings, Black Boy, Brave New World, Romeo and Juliet, The Giver, etc. just because there are the Harry Potter series, the Twilight books, the Time Traveler’s Wife, and various James Patterson and Stephen King books topping the New York Times Bestseller list?  Should we leave the past behind and only allow only what is new and pretty and shiny to be let in?

I think not.

The problem is the genre of film allows this to easily happen.  And many people who watch movies (or passively read about movies) tend to think only the little that is said without thorough investigation into the actuality of history.

Point 1: Michael Bay is awesome…but not really.

The Island

Michael Bay, as many know, is the champion of all things pretty, and mind-numbingly explosive.  After all, you don’t make a name for yourself with blockbusters like Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, The Rock, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, The Island, Transformers, and Transformers II (directed all by Bay) without some level of skill.  I mean, seriously.  That’s an impressive list of movies, with impressive DVD sales, and everything.

But let us be honest.  The movies star nice looking people, blow a lot of things up, include heart-racing, adrenaline pumping, action and car chases (or meteorite destroying drill malfunctions, what have you), and fun technological advances.  They’re like James Bond films…just without James Bond.

These movies have made millions.  They have loyal fans of adults, teenagers, and children alike.  They’re fun to watch, made millions in the movie theaters.  But they suck.  They have no deeper meaning, make me thoughtful in no way, and generally make me dumber, because I actually could have been learning something while I was wasting time watching pretty people run around.

Point 2: There is more to history than just history.

Citizen Kane

A friend of mine (after reading a former post of mine) responded thusly:

I’ll disregard the opinion of anyone who thinks Citizen Kane is great for anything more than its innovative transitions and camera angles.

While said tongue-in-cheek, there is, I know, a part of him that believes this to be true.  And this is why I am angry.  I love Citizen Kane, in the same way I love Schindler’s List.  Sure it’s a little on the long side, but the story is great, the acting is believable, the direction is flawless, and the overall impact: unforgettable.

The ease with which Americans, modern people, I’m not sure who this list should (or actually does) include, forget the past when it comes to movies is disturbing.  Yes, movies are more entertaining today.  Movie from yore are a little boring.

Except that’s not true.  I defy anyone to watch The Apartment and not be complete enraptured.  Peeping Tom is one of the creepiest movies I’ve ever seen.  (If you have a Netflix account, I believe it is streaming live.   You should go watch it now.  Better than Drag Me To Hell.  Creepier.  Stranger.  More interesting.)  And you know what, It Happened One Night is the quintessential romance that cannot be improved upon in a modern way.  There are just old movies that age well, and have stayed good for a reason.  Citizen Kane is one of them.  Beyond the transitions and camera angles. (We’ve all heard the “Oh my gosh, there’s a ceiling” reaction.)  But let’s talk about the role the dining room table plays in the movie.  Did you ever think about that? Or how about the scene where Welles types out the rest of a horrible review of his wife’s disastrous operatic debut?  The acting is top notch, better than Sean Penn in Milk.

I am struck by many things.  Here’s a short list:

• People today seem so averse to watching older, or just pain old, films.
• People tend to devalue the impact of older movies because modern counterparts tends to be more engaging, which they equate with “better.”
• People tend to devalue the fact that most older movies have a deeper theme than most modern movies, even modern movies based in classic stories.

This is why the market for older movies should be booming, not dying away.  This is why people should actually sit down and become their own movie reviewer.  If you take the time to watching a movie a week, you’ll watch AFI’s Top 100 movie list in less than two year.  Probably less than a year, considering you’ve seen a lot of them.

Why is it people are so ready to agree, or disagree with the statements of critics and film historians, but are so rarely willing to make their own original statements about the movies themselves.  People, you, staring at your own screen.  Say what’s on your mind.  Be willing to say Citizen Kane sucked, but don’t you dare say it’s boring without backing it up.  I’m not about opinion’s with no evidence.

Just have an opinion, and make it your own.

The Trailer for Tooth Fairy

Source:20th Century Fox

October 1, 2009

Yahoo! Movies has debuted the trailer for 20th Century Fox’s Tooth Fairy, opening January 22nd and starring Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd, Julie Andrews, Stephen Merchant and Ryan Sheckler.
Johnson plays "The Tooth Fairy," also known as Derek Thompson, a hard-charging minor league hockey player whose nickname comes from his habit of separating opposing players from their bicuspids. When Derek discourages a youngster’s hopes, he’s sentenced to one week’s hard labor as a real tooth fairy, complete with the requisite tutu, wings and magic wand. At first, Derek "can’t handle the tooth" – bumbling and stumbling as he tries to furtively wing his way through strangers’ homes…doing what tooth fairies do. But as Derek slowly adapts to his new position,he begins to rediscover his own forgotten dreams.

Der äußerst sympathische Ex-Footballer (Miami State), Ex-Wrestler (“Do you smell what the Rock is cooking?”) und nunmehriger Schauspieler (Scorpion King, Walking Tall, Be Cool…) Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson möchte brennend gerne mal in ner Comic-Verfilmung mitspielen.

‘The Rock’ Dwayne Johnson told Moviefone he ‘would love to’ take on the Black Adam role in the upcoming Warner Bros movie ‘Shazam’. He recently spoke at the premiere of new animated movie Planet 51, he said: “We have talked about that for such a long time. I am not quite too sure what is happening with that right now. I am still always excited about that.”

Nachdem sich Joe Quesada ebenfalls sehr positiv gegenüber Johnson äußerste, kamen Gerüchte auf, dass Johnson als demnächst auch Captain America vor der Kamera stehen könnte. Natürlich zeigt sich Rock auch offen für diese Rolle und das, obwohl er eigentlich gar kein Comic Fan ist:

“I was never big into comic books when I was a kid, but I do like comic book movies. I like the way they have gone. The adaptations are generally pretty cool.”

Ich fand Rock in den Filmen die ich von ihm bis jetzt gesehen habe eigentlich immer ziemlich gut und glaube auch, dass er einen fabelhaften Black Adam abgeben würde. Auch als Cap könnte ich ihn mir vorstellen obwohl ihm hier sicher die Puristen im Wege stehen werden die ihren Steve lieber originalgetreu sehen würden. Aber mal sehen wer demnächst noch für die Prestigeträchtige Rolle des Captain America gennant wird…

http://moreivyou.wordpress.com

As voiced by Dwayne “the artist formerly known as The Rock” Johnson, astronaut Chuck Baker is the paragon of all-American achievement — that is, until he conquers a far off world with an unexpected population, one inexplicably steeped in our ’50s-era culture and terrified by the prospect of an alien invader in human form. More unfortunately for us, Chuck has landed smack-dab in the middle of Planet 51, a short-sighted assembly of sci-fi references and scatalogical humor that should nonetheless placate undemanding tots and, by extension, their undiscerning parents for ninety minutes or so.

The basic premise is lifted from The Day The Earth Stood Still, as green-skinned astronomer Lem (voiced by Justin Long) has to hide the new visitor from the military that stand between him and his ship. Chuck harps on relentlessly about “the right stuff,” as if today’s kids know their Gus Grissom from their Buzz Lightyear. We get an alien pet with a tongue within a tongue (instead of a mouth within a mouth) that urinates acid (instead of bleeding it). There’s your token E.T. ”over the moon” visual cue, and forgive me if I imagined a 2001 reference that actually wasn’t in there (although I’m fairly certain a Singin’ in the Rain bit was). It all just sort of blurs together after a while.

Oh, and just in case you feared all of that might go whizzing right over the little ones’ heads, there’s a Macarena joke and a Facebook reference. Welcome to 2009, y’all.

Writer Joe Stillman was one of four writers to receive an Academy Award nomination for their snappy Shrek screenplay, but by the time we get to corks being offered as butt plugs to prevent probing and an exposed (off-screen) penis being mistaken for an antenna, I can’t help but wonder if he isn’t that group’s answer to Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer being touted as two of the six writers of Scary Movie (you know, the worst ones).

Beyond all that, the script fails to justify why some planet unknown to ours would speak English and be seemingly stuck in a culture identical to our own in the 1950s — it’s simply reason enough to have the role reversal scenario play out amidst a relentless soundtrack of sugar-coated pop covers and a wardrobe of era-appropriate shirts (although not a single creature in sight bothers with wearing pants). Did we send some sort of Americana capsule to this planet that caused the white picket fences and the round convertibles and the duck-and-cover drills? Is there any sort of implication about our country’s knack for colonization, before the era and since? Nope. Nothing. It’s retro just because it can be.

Johnson could voice cocky swagger in his sleep, and might as well have; same with Long and whiny panic. Gary Oldman earns a paycheck as a generally threatening general, while John Cleese does likewise as his lackey scientist. Jessica Biel happens to be the love interest, though she’s more often than not keeping company with an aggravating hippie equivalent (Alan Marriott). Seann William Scott plays Long’s initially paranoid pal who falls hard for Johnson’s own sidekick, a rock-collecting space rover named… Rover. (Was it legal to have creature-machine relations in these fake-fifties? Oh, never mind…)

To some extent, Planet 51 does demonstrate how the bar for mediocre computer-generated animation has been raised, if only in terms of visuals. Clothing textures or fire dynamics simply couldn’t have looked this good a decade back, and it doesn’t take Pixar to make a cartoon pretty. It does, though, take them to make a cartoon matter, and knowing full well that Up is now on DVD or that the new old-fashioned likes of Fantastic Mr. Fox will soon by playing on a neighboring screen (if not already) means that I can’t really recommend something this lackluster with a good conscience.

Sure, it’s bright and shiny and will keep your kids stationary for an hour and a half, but parents? Try and hold out for the intelligent ‘toons. I promise that they’re out there, waiting to be discovered by you and yours.

by William Goss

Nic Cage takes a ride with a bunch of convicts featuring Dave Chapelle, yeah this is a movie.

When the government puts all its rotten criminal eggs in one airborne basket, it’s asking for trouble. Before you can say, “Pass the barf bag,” the crooks control the plane, led by creepy Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom (John Malkovich). Watching his every move is the just-released Nicolas Cage, who’d rather reunite with his family. John Cusack plays the creator of the plane and stands by as his whole dream turns into a nightmare.

Con Air combines elements from many other films such as Airplane!, The Rock, The Dirty Dozen, and a little bit of Silence Of The Lambs. Now all of this may seem like a weird combination for a film, but it turns out to be one of my favorite action films of all-time.

First of all, the great thing about Con Air is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Scott Rosenberg’s ultra macho script knows it is having a lot of fun with the writing, and it brings in a lot of good laughs. The tongue-in-cheek approach that this film had never really dies out, cause although some of the lines may be cheesy, they are still hilarious and well worth it.

The action that takes place in this film isn’t so bad either. I liked how it was fun but it wasn’t non stop to the point of where there’s no room for a story to take place. The things that happen in this film seem very believable and the action is never too dumb to where its unbelievable.

The only problem I really had with this film was that it was working out really well by the end, and it loses itself in a routine explosive third act. Yeas, it was very good and fun to look at, but it just didn’t seem like it was needed for this film. I liked how the action took place in that scene, but when it was all said and done I felt like everything else sort of was lost cause of it.

The acting in this film is pretty good but mostly from Malkovich. He plays this slick, witty, and actually pretty smart villain that you want to hate cause he’s so crazy, but you can’t help but to love cause of his amazing apporach to the lines and the events that happen. Cage, I thought could have done a lot better, but his accent by the end just got really annoying for me, and by the end I just couldn’t stand it. Steve Buscemi plays a little side character in this film that is really funny, and by the end of the film, he turns out to be the most-liked character from the whole film.

Consensus: Con Air is full of energy and humor, that is fun to be a part of and does hit the right spots every time throughout the movie. Though the ending was a little bit out of hand, the film still holds a great place in my heart.

9/10=Full Priccee!!!

Actor Dwayne Johnson conducted an interview this morning on the Jack Diamond Morning Show, and he had some comments for WWE fans about his future involvement with the company.

“I love that world and being able to entertain, especially if I could go back whether it’s on Smackdown and do a promo or guest-host or we could create this cool show, whatever that may be… Especially now, I’m at the point where I can go back and give back to the fans and help out the guys in any way I can.”

“Right now we’re trying to put together – there is always something cool and interesting for me to do. I would like to do something more than just host the show… I’m in the process of creating something really cool for the fans – something very special and unique. It will be something like one big entertaining show.”

Quotes courtesy of James Caldwell at PWTorch.com. Johnson also revealed that he has a “great relationship” with WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.

There’s no doubt The Rock would make for a great guest host of RAW (and Smackdown too), and most of wrestling fans would love to see Rock back beyond a simple guest host spot. Seems like, and I guess Vince McMahon, are working together to do something. I’m rather intrigued to see what exactly it is that Rocky is creating, regarding this special and unique “big entertaining show”.

Just as long as it is wrestling related and not WWE Variety Hour, I get enough of that from a standard Monday Night RAW telecast.

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Lagu “Selir Hati” yang belum lama ini diciptakan Ahmad Dhani untuk The Rock Indonesia ternyata bukan diarahkan ke Mulan jameela, melainkan kepada Dara, salah satu vokalis The Virgin.

Saat ditanya tentang hal itu, Mitha yang juga bergabung dalam The Rock lndonesia mengatakan bahwa lagu tersebut mewakili suara hati banyak orang atau banyak perempuan. “Tapi. kalau soal inti isi lagu, atau ditujukan ke siapa lagu ini ya, tanya saja sama yang buat. Hanya Bos Dhani yang tahu,” ucapnya ketika ditemui di sebuah studio di Kebonjeruk, Jakarta Barat, Rabu (18/11).

Sementara itu, Dara yang berdiri di samping Mitha, lebih banyak terdiam dan menunduk.
Ketika ditanya soal Dhani, mereka punya pendapat sama. “Kita memang kagum banget sama dia,” kata Mitha, diamini Dara.

“Dia baik banget, pintar, jenius,” imbuh Mitha, yang ditimpali Dara, “Dan sayang anak.”
Pekan lalu, Dhani mengungkapkan asal mula lagu “Selir Hati” dibuat. Rupanya, ada cerita unik di balik pembuatan lagu tersebut.

Konon, suatu hari di sebuah pusat perbelanjaan Dhani bertemu seorang suhu dari negeri China. Sang suhu memberitahu, ada seseorang di Republik Cinta Management yang mencintai Dhani dan rela dijadikan yang kedua oleh ayah tiga anak itu. “Dijadiin istri kedua mau, enggak dijadikan apa-apa juga mau, sampai akhirnya dijadikan selir hati pun nggak apa-apa,” ujar Dhani di sela pembuatan videoklip Selir Hati di kawasan Kota Tua, Sabtu (14/11),

Awalnya, ramalan itu memunculkan spekulasi kuat bahwa wanita misterius penggemar Dhani tersebut adalah Mulan Jameela. Tapi. Dhani membantahnya.

Mitha berpendapat, lagu tersebut enak dan liriknya sangat menyentuh hati. Sebagaimana dikatakan Dhani, penjualan lagu ini ‘lumayan’. Tapi, Mitha mengutarakan bahwa dirinya belum merasakan hasilnya. “Aku belum terima sepersen pun di kantong. Sampai sekarang, belum terasa ada hasilnya. Kebetulan, aku hanya featuring di lagu ini,” ujarnya.

Lain halnya dengan lagu “Cinta Terlarang”, hasil karya Mitha. “Alhamduillah, dari lagu ini aku bisa biayain keluarga, nyenengin adik. Kita sudah bell kendaraan sendiri. Tapi, aku masih bermimpi membelikan sesuatu yang berharga buat mama, yaitu rumah. Kehidupan di masa lalu kan kurang beruntung,” tutur Mitha. Dara kembali hanya tersenyum.

WWF Survivor Series 1996
November 17, 1996
New York City, NY
Madison Square Garden

The current WWF champs were as follows:
World Champion: Shawn Michaels (3/31/1996)
Intercontinental Champion: Hunter Hearst Helmsley (10/21/1996)
World Tag Team Champions: Owen Hart & Davey Boy Smith (9/22/1996)

Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jim Ross.

• Phil LaFon, Doug Furnas, and the Godwinns (w/Hillbilly Jim) vs. The New Rockers, Owen Hart and Davey Boy Smith (w/Clarence Mason)
  

Furnas and LaFon are making their WWF debuts after being awesome in All-Japan for the last five years or so. Jannetty and LaFon start us off. Jannetty flips off the ropes out of a wristlock, but LaFon lands on his feet to counter a monkey flip and runs Jannetty down with a clothesline. Tag to Cassidy, he leg whips LaFon over to Phineas for a tag. Cassidy gets him all riled up, which causes him to make a mistake and become the face in peril for a while as everybody gets in their licks on him. Jannetty misses a flying elbow, allowing Phineas to tag in Henry. SLOP DROP to Jannetty sends him to the showers at 8:13. Owen runs in with the Spinning Heel Kick out of nowhere and pins Henry at 8:19. BEAUTIFUL! That evens the sides. Phineas cleans house on Owen and Cassidy, but stumbles into a RUNNING POWERSLAM from Davey Boy for the 1-2-3 at 9:04. Furnas comes in for the first time in the match and lands funny after a dropkick. Sambo Suplex from Cassidy gets two. Tag to Bulldog, he blind-tags Owen to catch Furnas with a missile dropkick. Awesome. Davey Boy tags back in for the Stalling Suplex. Once Cassidy misses a corner charge, LaFon gets the tag and gives Cassidy a REVERSE SUPERPLEX! WHAT. That puts Cassidy away at 13:43. We’re down to the tag champs versus Furnas and LaFon. Hook Kick to Bulldog, but then LaFon gets launched. Tag to Owen, he nails him with the Belly to Belly Suplex for two. Flying elbow gets two. Uh oh, ENZIGURI! Cover, 1-2-NO! Bulldog tags in and kicks LaFon in the balls. DQ, ref? Off a front headlock, Owen releases and knocks Furnas to the floor. Owen and Bulldog try a double-clothesline, but Furnas trips up Owen while LaFon surprises Bulldog with a crucifix into a sunset flip for the 1-2-3 at 17:24. The crowd is POPPING for Furnas and LaFon. Before Bulldog leaves, he clips LaFon good from behind. Naturally, Owen goes to work on the knee leading up to the Indian deathlock. SHARPSHOOTER! Furnas breaks it up as LaFon comes back with a spinning mule kick. Tag to Furnas, he nails Owen with a cool dropkick for two. Overhead suplex doesn’t get the three count, but a DANGEROUSSSSSSS German Suplex will. (20:42) Survivors: Phil LaFon and Doug Furnas. Those two boys came in and made quite the impact on the tag champs. ***¼

• The Undertaker vs. Mankind (w/Paul Bearer)
  

Paul Bearer gets placed in the misbehaving manager cage for this one. If Taker wins, he gets Bearer for five minutes. Taker descends from the ceiling with bat wings? He also has no gloves! Aww, he’s got the teardrop on his cheek too. Are you sad because you got buried alive, Undertaker? Big brawl to start and then Taker busts out a drop toehold! He goes after Mankind’s claw hand and bends back on his fingers during a cross armbreaker. Mankind avoids an elbow drop and Cactus Clotheslines Taker out, but he lands on his feet and chases Mankind through the crowd. Back to the ring, Mankind low blows Taker to make him stop smashing his hand on the turnbuckle connectors. With Taker on the floor, Mankind gives him the CANNONBALLLLLL. In the ring, Mankind hits the running knee in the corner. Taker ducks low off a whip and takes the Pull Up Piledriver! They trade finisher attempts and head back to the floor. Eww, Mankind gets kicked back down to the bottom of the guardrail. He gets his head slammed on the steps and they head back in for Old Skool. VINTAGE UNDERTAKER~! Mankind comes off the top, but flies down into a GOOZLE. Whoops, MANDIBLE CLAW! His arms drops once, twice, but not three times! Taker fights up and Chokeslams Mankind, but he misses a charge and flies to the floor. Mankind misses a CANNONBALLLLLL this time. Back inside, Mankind pulls out his Abdullah spike and has some fun with that. DQ, ref? As Mankind climbs up on Taker’s back in the corner, Taker maneuvers him around in position for the TOMBSTONE! Cover, 1-2-3. (14:53) Another good match from their ‘96 series. Once UT gets his chance to put his hands on Paul Bearer, the Executioner (Terry Gordy) runs in for the distraction while Paul Bearer waddles away. Next time, Paul Bearer. NEXT TIME! ***

• Rocky Maivia, Jake Roberts, Barry Windham & Marc Mero (w/Sable) vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Jerry Lawler, Crush & Goldust (w/Marlena)
  

Sunny joins Vince and JR for commentary. Since JR thinks she missed all her trips to the woodshed, they argue back and forth the whole match. Jake Roberts is the surprise partner subbing for Mark Henry who is somehow injured. Oh yeah, this match is best well-known for being the WWF debut for the Rock. He’s just a kid here. Helmsley doesn’t want none of Mero, so he tags in Goldust. Mero armdrags him around and tags in Windham for a lariat. In comes Maivia. It looks like he’s going to be stuck in the wrong corner, but Lawler brings him out for a shoulderblock. Rocky NO-SELLS and leapfrogs all over Lawler to put him out on the floor. Tag to Hunter, he gets all aggressive with him. He’s already mad that Rock turns out to be a bigger star than him! Okay, now Rocky becomes the face in peril for a few minutes. He backdrops Helmsley and makes the tag to Jake. He cleans house and goes for the DDT on Hunter, but he gets backed into the corner. Lawler comes in and punches Jake silly. He’s all wobbly-legged, so King makes fun of his drinking habits. That gets him DDT’d just like that at 10:01. After Goldust wears Roberts down with a chinlock, he tags out to Windham. Goldust fights off a SUPERPLEX attempt, but flies down into a gutshot. Crush punches Windham into the CURTAIN CALL to put him away at 12:44. Now it’s Mero who gets worked over for a while. Pretty standard stuff. He comes back with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors on HHH, but then he goes to the eyes and gets tossed to the floor. Jake tries to get him some of Hunter, but meanwhile Mero ascends to the top for the Merosault on Helmsley to pin the IC champ at 19:20. Crush takes a dropkick to the floor, but Goldust pulls him away from a pescado by Mero. Crash and burn! Back in, Crush pins Mero after the HEART PUNCH at 20:33. Jake tries to set up Crush for the DDT, but Crush catches him with the HEART PUNCH to send Jake to the back at 20:54. Oh boy, now Rocky Maivia is all alone against Crush and Goldust. Dang, and MSG is already chanting “Rocky!”. Crush suckers him into a test of strength, but Rocky counters a suplex with an inside cradle for two. Goldust comes in for the failed double team, but the low blow certainly works. He holds Rocky for the HEART PUNCH, but Rocky moves and Goldust gets nailed. Crossbody to Crush gets the 1-2-3 at 23:12! Shoulderbreaker to Goldust gets Rocky the win. (23:44) Survivor: Rocky Maivia. Since Rock’s offense had no sizzle, the fans turned on him instantly, and he wouldn’t get over legitimately until he turned heel. *½

• Bret Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
  

After months of bashing Bret, these two finally meet in Bret’s quest for respect from the man who respects no one. Since the birth of Austin 3:16 at King of the Ring, Stone Cold has REALLY came into his own as a worker on the mic. He was never bad on the mic, but now he’s become great and it shows in his pre-match interview. As for Bret, this is his first match back on TV since WrestleMania XII. The winner of this dream match gets the next WWF title shot. Austin shoots him the double-bird and runs his mouth to start. Bret wants him on the mat and gets Austin there with a hammerlock. Great bit of psychology as Bret makes Austin think he’s on a roll when he escapes and hits him with a series of elbows, but then he takes Austin right back down into the armbar. Austin finally knocks the wind out of Bret with a Stungun and chokes him in the ropes. He grounds Bret with a chinlock for a while. Bret comes back with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline. Rollup gets two. Russian legsweep connects, but Austin shoves off the bulldog into the corner. Bret avoids a superplex and hits the Flying Elbow for two. Austin claws out of the backbreaker and dumps Bret out for a ride spine-first into the ringpost. That fires him up as Bret backs Austin into the guardrail and breaks it loose while he’s punching on Austin! He tries to separate himself from Bret, but he’s just setting him up for a catapult onto the Spanish announcers table! JR – “It always happens to the Spanish guys.” Austin adds the exclamation point by dropping an elbow onto Bret’s chest from the apron. Back in, Austin drives another flying elbow onto Bret for two. Austin’s getting desperate! Bret takes a hard ride into the corner and receives the Bossman straddle for 1-2-NO! Austin goes all Mike Rotunda on him with an ab stretch near the ropes for some added leverage. Bret wins a slugfest and hits a Stungun of his own. Oklahoma roll gets 1-2-NO! Desperation piledriver gets Bret another two. He gets the backbreaker this time, but Austin stops him up top and beats him senseless so he can hit the top-rope superplex this time – a page out of Bret’s playbook. A funky double pin situation occurs. I’m glad that didn’t wind up being the finish. As Bret walks over to Austin with his back turned, he takes a STONE COLD STUNNER! Austin pulls him away from the ropes for the cover, 1-2-NO! Austin tries and tries, but he just can’t get the three-count. He grabs a Texas Cloverleaf (!!), but Bret makes the ropes. Bret takes his signature sliding bump into the ringpost and that earns Austin another nearfall. Austin locks in the bow and arrow, but Bret squirms out for the SHARPSHOO-no! Austin gets away into the ropes. Bret hooks on a sleeper and Austin tries backing him into the corner. Bret won’t break the hold, so Austin instead drops to the mat for a jawbreaker to break the hold. Austin applies the MILLION DOLLAR DREAM, but then Bret walks up the turnbuckles and drops back on top of Austin for the 1-2-3! (28:34) Just a great story with fantastic psychology that made Austin into a bonafide main event guy. I’m so glad to see Bret back on these PPVs again. ****¾

• Flash Funk, Savio Vega, Yokozuna & Jimmy Snuka vs. Diesel II, Razor Ramon II, Vader & Faarooq (w/Clarence Mason)
  

Cornette joins us for commentary. This is Flash Funk’s WWF debut. You may know him best as Too Cold Scorpio. Just inducted in the WWF Hall of Fame class of ‘96, Jimmy Snuka is *your* special surprise partner. Cornette seems mildly concerned from the announce table. Interesting tidbit: Ron Simmons introduced Too Cold Scorpio to the WCW audience at a Clash of the Champions show in November 1992 and now he’s wrestling Scorpio in November 1996 in his debut in the WWF. Flash Funk gives Vader a spinning heel kick and sends him to the floor for a MOONSAULT PRESS! Awesome. Back in, Vader blocks a rana with a powerbomb. Yokozuna comes in illegally to save with a terrible Sambo suplex. The man just can barely perform anymore. Pretty sad to know his best years of his career were over at the age of only 30 years old. Of course, he died in 2000, so it’s not like he got a lot older. Still though. Savio nails Faarooq (no longer wearing the blue gladiator gear in favor his new Nation of Domination look) with the SPINNING HEEL KICK, but he goes to the eyes and tags in Razor Ramon II. Gosh that guy was terrible in the ring. He hits the Fallaway Slam and everybody boos. In comes Diesel II – better known as KANE. He was at least somewhat better than the new Razor Ramon. Flash Funk leapfrogs into a SICK Spinebuster from Faarooq. Savio beats Vader back into his corner and out comes Diesel II as Vega tags Snuka. He gets a great reaction from his favorite crowd. He hits the Jumping Headbutt on Vader and slams him. Back to Savio, he nails Diesel II with the SPINNING HEEL KICK, but crashes out to the floor thanks to Vader pulling the top rope down. On the outside, Faarooq slams Vega’s kidneys into the ringpost a bunch. Back inside, Diesel II delivers the JACKKNIFE POWERBOMB to him for the 1-2-3 at 8:33. Snuka quickly puts Razor Ramon II away with the SUPERFLY SPLASH at 9:29. Then out of nowhere, Diesel II WHACKS Snuka in the back with a chair. That triggers a huge brawl and the ref completely throws the match out. (9:45) Boy that escalated quickly. I mean that really got out of hand fast. Match was lame, but it showcased Flash Funk well as a threat who can boogie Plus the crowd got their nostalgia fix from seeing Snuka land the splash one more time in MSG. *

• WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels (w/Jose Lothario) vs. Psycho Sid
  

Sid won a match against Vader to earn this title shot at the last In Your House PPV, but since then some misunderstandings have led to contempt amongst these two friends! We’re in MSG where the crowd is extremely pro-Sid and anti-Shawn. They run up a headscissors-kip up sequence and then Sid goes for the POWERBOMB, but HBK escapes to the floor before any harm can come to him. Back inside, Shawn attacks the knee and hooks on a Figure-Four. Sid rolls into the ropes and blocks a second attempt at the hold by kicking Shawn off into the ringpost. Sid misses a corner charge and jams his knee in the corner. As Shawn goes after the leg again, Sid kicks him out to skin-the-cat, but Sid clotheslines him to the floor instead. Down on the floor, Sid whips Shawn into the ring apron and then drops him on the guardrail. Back in the ring, Sid slowly covers for two. Shawn does the Ray Stevens flip out to the apron and hotshots Sid, but flies down into a backbreaker for two. Shawn tries to rope-a-dope with Sid and winds up slamming the big guy. Too bad he immediately flies down into a boot to the face. Sid grabs a cobra clutch (!) and nearly puts Shawn away. Shawn thumbs Sid in the eye to block the Chokeslam and goes for the SWEET CHIN MUSIC, but Sid catches the kick and spins Shawn around for the Chokeslam! Instead of covering the man, Sid basks in the praise and approval of his MSG fans. Thanks to his distracting fans, Shawn counters a powerbomb attempt with an inside cradle for two. Shawn hits the Flying Forearm, but kips up into a clothesline. While Sid stands alone in a corner waiting for Shawn to get to his feet, he grabs one of the huge WWF video cameras off the cameraman and teases blasting Shawn with it, but then he knocks Jose Lothario off the apron with it. When Sid drops the camera, he turns around into SWEET CHIN MUSIC! Now Shawn’s not covering when he has the man won and heads out to check on Lothario. It appears the man is having a heart attack! He’s crying for help, but then Sid rolls Shawn back into the ring. Shawn goes for a crossbody out of the corner off a whip, but Sid ducks and ref Earl Hebner gets wiped out. Looks like they screwed up something there. As Shawn heads back outside to check on Lothario, Sid walks over and slams that camera down across Shawn’s shoulders and gives him a hearty FCK YOU!! Wow. Back inside, Sid works the crowd into a frenzy and puts HBK away with the POWERBOMB to win his first WWF world title. (20:00) Shawn lets Sid have his title and his celebratory moment because now all he cares about is the condition of his mentor Jose Lothario. Hands down, Sid’s best singles match ever. ***½

Final Thoughts: Funny how the entire Survivor Series concept where good guys form teams to take on bad guys who form teams is all but an afterthought on this show. While those matches are booked and quite well I thought for the talent involved, the most important matches on the card were definitely your standard singles matches. Survivor Series 1996 is a great PPV for not only some very memorable matches, but for the historical aspect as you can see where guys like Shawn and Bret are losing their star power to make way for the future main event stars like Austin, Taker, and even Mankind. Survivor Series 1996 is an easy thumbs up and it’s widely agreed upon as the best PPV of the year for the WWF.

Species Name:  Frivolousius Overpaidicus

For those who don’t know, Nicolas Cage is in dire financial trouble.  Cage owes over $6.2 million to the IRS in back taxes.  And go figure, he’s using his Jewish financial manager as the scapegoat for his money woes.  When in doubt, blame the Jews, eh Nic?  Maybe if you weren’t so busy buying castles and dinosaur fossils, you wouldn’t be in this fucking mess you no talent cheese dick.  This piece of shit has been making an estimated $20 million a movie for the last decade to use crappy accents, over-the-top hand gestures, and be one of the Razzies top punching bags during that time period.  I want to know who looked at this guy’s ugly mug and said, “We’re going to make this guy a fucking action star!”:

Nicolas, you dumb bastard, you had everything handed to you on a silver platter, being Coppola’s nephew, getting cast in parts you were definitely not qualified to play and getting handsomely compensated for it.  But no, you had to spend your money like a goddamn fool, and  try to pull a fast one on the IRS, thinking they wouldn’t notice?  This isn’t your financial managers fault you turd burglar, it’s your own damn fault, and I’m sick and tired of your face appearing in every single fucking big budget blockbuster.  I would love to imagine a world where Nicolas Cage didn’t exist to chew the fuck out of the scenery in every one of his movies.

These clips should speak volumes about why Nicolas Cage should be thinned from the herd for not only being unable to manage his millions properly but for causing egregious crimes against actual acting:

  – Sorry Nic, not even your mullet can’t save you in what would have been a tolerant movie had you not been in it.

– Even Nic can’t stand to watch himself act in The Wicker Man.

– Nic, you don’t have to overact to be creepy like you do here in Deadfall, you’re plenty creepy normally.

– I need to find someone to punch in the face right now after watching that montage of absolute fucking shit.

– Even that terrible CGI isn’t as bad as Nic’s performance in NEXT.

– Hearing Cage talk about his role in Bangkok Dangerous makes me a little sad, because clearly he is oblivious to just how terrible he is in that movie.

– Can I throw an anvil at you?

Hopefully this shitastic array of Nicolas Cage’s “art” will have convinced you that this jerkoff deserves to be broke.  If that doesn’t convince you, maybe the fact that he owns over a dozen houses, two islands, a dinosaur skull that he paid $276,000 for, at least 50 cars and a collection of, and I shit you not, shrunken heads!  Fucking A man, have some goddamn self control would ya?  This guy has squandered away his golden opportunity and deserves exactly what is coming to him.  Unfortunately, A-List Hollywood actors rarely have to face the music for their crimes, so expect to see Ghost Rider 2, coming to a theater near you sometime soon, and if we’re lucky, maybe this dipshit could win another Oscar.

But one has to have dreams right?

Of all the superstars of wrestling, few attract more controversy than Triple H. For years he has been held up by his supporters as being one of the best, if not the best wrestlers in WWE. His detractors have claimed that he only owes his position to his marriage, that he uses his power to hold down other wrestlers and even that he has killed the business. He has, for much of his career, been involved in skits and angles that expose the business, or use insider terms and yet he is known to be a student of the business with a thorough understanding and appreciation of what has gone before him. In short, everyone in wrestling, whether promoter, wrestler or fan, has an opinion on Triple H and those opinions cover every imaginable base. What then, is the truth about the man who is arguably the most powerful and influential wrestler in the business today? The controversy with Triple H really starts with his arrival in the then World Wrestling Federation. Soon after joining the company in 1995 he became close friends with Kevin Nash, Shawn Michaels, Sean Waltman and Scott Hall, better known as The Kliq. By joining this group, Triple H was setting himself up for criticism and suspicion but also gaining opportunities. Depending on who you ask, The Kliq were either a shadowy group of opportunists, manipulating Vince McMahon in order to benefit themselves and harm their rivals, or a group of friends whose enthusiasm for the business had given them a good relationship with Vince. That The Kliq had Vince’s ear was unquestionable. To what extent, whether they were the only ones and how they used and benefited from this are the questions. The other question that Triple H’s critics pose is this: did Triple H deliberately target The Kliq as the group to join in order to further one’s career? After all, they were notorious party animals, famous for their excessive lifestyle, while Triple H himself was a bodybuilder for years and just did not seem the type to get carried away in that manner. So, was it really just a shared love of wrestling that made them friends, or was the young Triple H smart and devious enough to deliberately worm his way into the most influential group on the roster? Given the fact that the friendship between these men has endured for many years, despite all kinds of ups and downs, it seems unkind to try and suggest that their bond was anything other than sincere. Whatever the case, the fact is that they did become friends and Triple H was, therefore, in an influential position. Moreover, isn’t it only natural that a young wrestler entering the company is going to naturally gravitate towards more established and experienced wrestlers? Of course, there was a downside to being the junior member of such a group, one illustrated in the now infamous “curtain call” incident in 1996. By this point, Nash and Hall were about to go WCW and, in their last match they faced Shawn and Hunter at Madison Square Garden in a non-televised show. After the match the four friends embraced, thereby breaking character and “exposing the business” to the live audience. As Shawn and Hunter have told this story, this was intended to be nothing more than a fond goodbye between friends. They had, apparently, cleared it with Vince beforehand and, as far as exposing the business went, well, this was 1996 not 1984 after all. Afterwards, however, some unknown other people got in Vince’s ear and persuaded Vince that what The Kliq had done was disgraceful and that they should be punished. Since Nash and Hall had now gone, and Shawn was the WWF Champion, that basically meant that Hunter was going to be punished. According to Hunter, Vince told him that he was “going to have to eat sh*t and learn to like the taste of it” for some indefinite period. Hunter’s response was that he would endure whatever he had to, as long as Vince assured him that, once his punishment was over, the issue was done with. It wouldn’t be brought up again and Hunter wouldn’t find himself dogged by this time and time again. Vince assured him that, so far as he was concerned, the matter was already done with and thus, a planned push for Triple H was put on hold for about a year. For example, Triple H had been scheduled to win the 1996 King of the Ring, but that honour now went to Steve Austin (clearing the way for “Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass” and therefore possibly saving the company from extinction) and Hunter would have to bide his time. In later years, Triple H has often referred to this as a blessing in disguise, insisting that, at that stage of his career he was not ready to be featured that strongly, and that this “punishment” actually ensured he was ready when his turn came around. I would have to agree with him, particularly as this supposed “punishment” was hardly as serious as one might imagine. For most of the following year Hunter was still featured prominently on television, briefly gained the services of Mr Perfect as manager (before Perfect left for WCW) and even won the Intercontinental Title in October of 1996. To me, therefore, it seems more that Hunter’s push was slowed rather than stopped. Besides which, wrestling is a fluid business. It’s all very well for Vince to say “I’m punishing this guy” but if said guy is getting over with crowd then he’s getting over and you may as well go with it. The next major stage of Hunter’s career was, of course, the formation of Degeneration X with Shawn Michaels and Chyna (and, briefly, Rick Rude as Shawn’s “insurance policy”), which was another of the pivotal factors in the arrival of the “Attitude Era”. DX have often been compared to WCW’s NWO and, given that two of The Kliq formed DX, Nash and Hall were two of the founders of the NWO and Sean Waltman was the only man, prior to WWE’s takeover of WCW, to work in both groups, it is hardly surprising. In point of fact, there are as many differences as similarities between the two groups but one definite connection that both groups had was a willingness to blur the lines between story and reality and, therefore, to frequently run the risk of exposing the business. Now, this was, of course, the late nineties and it was already years since Vince McMahon had taken the decision to “break kayfabe” and publicly admit that professional wrestling was a worked sport. Nevertheless, at that time the business still had not, and many would argue still has not, come to terms with exactly what that meant and how far one should now go in this new era. The Kliq were, though perhaps they did not realise it at the time, in the vanguard of a new group that also included, for example, Vince Russo, who wanted to test the boundaries of the new freedoms and restrictions that breaking kayfabe had instituted. In that sense, they were either iconoclasts or visionaries (or both) but, either way, they got right up the noses of a lot of more old-school people within the business. Regardless of what people thought of DX, and Vince himself was often appalled by their antics, they were a massive hit with the audience. Triple H himself has often said that, at that time, they were “the hottest thing in the business not named Steve Austin” and it is certainly true that, along with the Rattlesnake, along with The New Hart Foundation’s war with America and along with the macabre soap opera that saw Kane introduced to the Undertaker’s back story, they were one of the crucial building blocks of the era of Attitude. It was inevitable, in this era of shifting fan loyalties that DX would come to be popular even as they were supposed to be booed. It only made sense when, after Shawn Michaels’ apparent retirement after Wrestlemania 14, a new Degeneration X became babyfaces. Another important change had taken place, too. Triple H was now a leader. By now, Hunter was a former European and Intercontinental Champion, as well as King of the Ring. His rise had been steady and showed no signs of abating. Critics often say that he was “shoved down the fans’ throats” but, really, this is hardly a justifiable accusation. Triple H joined WWE in 1995, the same year as Steve Austin. By Wrestlemania 14 Austin was champion but he is regarded as a man who earned his spot while Triple H was forced on the fans. Even if one accepts what appears to be a double standard here, on the grounds that Austin had more experience in the business overall, what of The Rock? He joined WWE after Triple H, with less experience, and was made Intercontinental Champion almost immediately. If ever a man was “forced on the fans” it was The Rock. Yet, by the vast majority, he is now rightly regarded as an all-time great and, if people reference his difficult early years at all, it is merely to point out the skill and charisma he displayed in turning heel. In point of fact, all three of these men, along with several others, rose quickly during these years for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because WWE was in a life or death struggle with WCW and the company were therefore willing to try new ideas and new people. Secondly, and very simply, because they were over with the fans! If you don’t believe me, get some tapes or DVDs and watch them back. Triple H was getting a great response from the crowd back in 1998 as a bayface and an even better response in 1999 as a heel. It seems to me that, ultimately, Triple H has been judged harshly for not being as over as Austin and The Rock, two of the three biggest stars in the company’s history, along with Hogan at his peak, rather than receiving the praise he deserves for being as popular as he was in his own right. Since then, of course, it is his marriage to Stephanie McMahon that has cast the biggest shadow over his career. According to his detractors, all of his success since can be attributed directly to this relationship, this despite the fact that he was already a main-event wrestler before said relationship began. Furthermore, he is accused of using his influence to sabotage the career of anyone who might threaten his own spot on the roster, to the great detriment of the company he works for. Triple H himself has always maintained that he would happily give up any creative power he may have if it were for the good of the company, and that he will step away from the limelight whenever his father-in-law, the man who wields the real power, tells him to. However, he also maintains that now is not the time for that, as the company does not have the star power to sustain such a loss. So, what is the truth? It is certainly true that, for the last decade or so Triple H has enjoyed a vast run of success at the top, winning no less than thirteen world championships. It is also true that in the early part of this century the WWE lost a lot of star power, with Steve Austin and Mick Foley more or less retiring and The Rock leaving for Hollywood. It is also true that these men have not been adequately replaced, partly due to the deaths of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, plus the defection of Kurt Angle to TNA. The idea that Triple H will not put people over is an arguable point. One can point to Triple H’s feud with Batista, some of his matches with Jeff Hardy, his Wrestlemania submissions to Benoit and Cena, even the recent DX-Legacy feud and say, sure, of course Triple H puts people over. Or, one could look at feuds with, say, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Scott Steiner and Hunter’s first feud with Randy Orton as evidence that Triple H does nothing but squash people and make them look bad. It should surely be obvious that to go entirely one way or the other is to present a jaundiced view. The real key, of course, is who makes these decisions. Hunter’s critics assert that he is the one deciding to hold down talent and that any examples to the contrary are merely rare examples of times he was over-ruled. Without being part of the creative meetings, how can we possibly know? All we know for certain is this – the WWE is Vince McMahon’s company and the buck for every decision stops with him. If Hunter uses his influence to maximise his own position, why then he’s only doing what countless other wrestlers have done in the past. Moreover, Triple H managed to carve out a main-event spot for himself in an era when Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock were at the height of their popularity. I sincerely doubt that he is at all worried that anyone might ever threaten his spot in this day and age. The other factor that needs to be remembered is that, these days, the WWE is unwilling to take chances. As a company, their inclination is to stick with a safe bet, a proven draw like Triple H, rather than gamble on an unknown commodity. The spur of desperation once provided by the threat of Ted Turner’s millions is no longer present and so WWE will not take desperate gambles. It is not just Triple H’s role but WWE’s entire main-event picture, especially on Raw, that has become static and unchanging. It’s interesting to note that John Cena and The Undertaker, perhaps the only men booked even stronger than Hunter these days, are rarely, if ever, accused of refusing to put people over. In their case, the blame is almost always put on Vince and creative for not using them to elevate new talent. The mere fact that they’re not married to a McMahon does not mean, however, that they have no influence over Vince. What we see hear is a double standard in operation, something that I hope I have shown is nothing new in Hunter’s career. Finally, does Triple H deserve his success? Well, as I’ve said before, it’s difficult to provide a fair, objective view when one is writing about such a subjective issue. There are, and always have been, some fans who consider Triple H a dull competitor and/or a dull speaker. These are entirely valid assertions. Triple H’s ring style is not spectacular enough for the tastes of some, too repetitive for others. His speaking style is realistic, rather than caricatured promo style of many of wrestling’s great speakers. Personally, I have always found his work to be extremely entertaining. Many of my favourite WWE matches have involved Triple H and I have found him to be convincing as both a hero and a villain, believable both when intense and when humorous. For the most part, the crowd have always been into him and his fellow wrestlers tend to speak highly of his work. For my part and, I would guess the majority of fans, yes, Triple H does deserve his success. Maybe we might quibble over the precise number of title reigns but, by and large, I think most would agree that Triple H is a bone fide main event player.

Side note: I want to thank Justin and Scott for being extra punctual with their writing and putting forth the quality effort that they always do. I completely dropped the ball and had an ultra busy week which explains why the post is a day late. But anyways, it’s here and hopefully a fun read for everybody.

What’s a different world the year 2002 was in the WWE. First of all, the original nWo shows up. Hogan gets a bigger reaction than the rest of the guys and breaks away to bring back Hulkamania. Katie Vick. Good wrestling makes a comeback with the Smackdown Six. Raw is god awful. The ELIMINATION CHAMBER~! After Shawn Michaels gets his head smashed through a car door window, he returns to the ring and later wins Raw’s world title for only a short time. Brock Lesnar, John Cena, Randy Orton, and Batista are all WWE rookies. Wild stuff, for sure. So without further ado, here are ten more matches to add to our list.

• The Rumble Match – (Royal Rumble 2002)
  

Matt: Say what you will. This is HHH’s big comeback match after the quad tear of ‘01. Some memorable moments included Austin and Triple H getting at each other’s throats and Maven doing the impossible by eliminating Undertaker. Plus, Mr. Perfect showed up to work after a five year absence in the WWE and earned himself a job for sure, folks. I’m a fan of the man and that just helped me love this Rumble all the more. Most importantly was Triple H’s return and how this would catapult him into the babyface stratosphere for the next decade. Even though now we know his good guy experiment failed, at the time it was pretty cool. Again, maybe that’s just me, but I really enjoyed this Rumble a lot.

Justin: This year’s Rumble was a strong one as the pacing was good and the action was steady throughout. Also helping the Rumble was the stacked roster of combatants and handful of big returns. Goldust was the returning star to enter and he got a good pop for his classic entrance. In a memorable moment, Undertaker was jumped by the returning Hardy Boys after he had eliminated them. That would lead to the fantastic Maven/Taker showdown and Maven would use the Hardy distraction to shockingly eliminate the Deadman. And as great as that moment was, the post elimination beatdown by Taker may have been even better. Taker would drag Maven all around the arena and punish him for costing Taker a shot at the Undisputed Championship. The bookers were wise to have a lot of the midcard stars carry the early part of the match so they could save the big names for a stacked finish. When it was finally time to start bringing out the big guns, Steve Austin was the first. He came out to an enormous pop and cleaned house, sending everyone to the floor. Triple H then made his way out and the showdown was on. The final major return of the match saw Mr. Perfect strut his way to the ring and return to a WWF ring for the first time since late 1996. Kurt Angle was the main heel out there towards the end and he was still generating solid heat as he was embroiled in feuds with both Austin and Hunter. Kane and Big Show had a cool showdown too and it was one that ends with Kane impressively slamming Show over the top and out of the ring. The final four in the ring were Austin, Angle, Perfect and Hunter and they busted it to bring a hot end to the match. Angle shockingly tossed Austin first but that only allowed the heat to be transferred so Hunter would be cheered when he won the match. If they would have had Hunter and Austin at the end, the crowd would have been split and they needed to avoid that. Thus, Hunter tosses Perfect and Angle and picks up his first Rumble win and the title shot at WrestleMania. This was a really fun, and loaded, Rumble and it got 2002 off to a good start.

Scott: This is the longest Rumble on record and was definitely one of the most exciting. There was something going on in every aspect of the match. The non-stop action with no fluff. All thoroughbreds like Austin, Triple H, Angle, and even Mr. Perfect, who deserved to be with the big players as he makes his first PPV appearance in the ring since SummerSlam 93! The end is frantic and unpredictable as any of these guys could win this thing.

• The Rock vs. Hollywood Hogan – (WrestleMania x8)
  

Matt: I can already feel the hate. Regardless, the heat and crowd reactions for this match was off the charts and completely undeniable. At the time it was very important for Hogan to come back and put some people over without him needing a win back or any other kind of political gain (other than to say in the future that he’s already put people over in 2002 and doesn’t need to anymore) and the Rock was at the top of his list. Maybe not the best match of the year wrestling-wise, but everything else about it rocked (no pun intended) and had you on the edge of the seat all the way to the end. A very important match for the era and one that should have gone on last. Not sure what they were thinking because nothing was able to top it throughout the rest of the night. This match was also the stepping stone to the AWESOME heel turn of the Rock in 2003 when he was acting like a jerk because everybody booed him at WrestleMania x8.

Justin: When Hogan and the NWO showed up on the scene in February, you figured they would play an important role at WrestleMania. I don’t think anybody expected a spectacle quite like this. In retrospect, you can see why the fans turned Hogan face. It all makes sense. Hogan had been gone for so long, had always been a big star in Canada and the fans seemed to be tiring of the Rock’s act and, ironically, his Hollywood aspirations. However, at the time, Hogan was coming off a lengthy hated heel run in WCW. Not only was he a big time heel in storylines, he was also hated with a passion by the smart fans. Many knew of his politicking and poor match quality in Atlanta and everyone knew he played a major role in bringing WCW down. So, when you look at it with some perspective, it was a bit jarring to see Hogan turned into the de facto face a few minutes in. As soon as these two icons had their epic staredown at the start, you knew this should have been the main event. This was an epic dream match that really hadn’t been seen since Hogan met the Ultimate Warrior in this very building 12 years earlier. Early on, the crowd was pretty split but they were tending to lean towards Hogan. The Skydome just felt electric and JR and Lawler started to get into a groove as their hyperbole was matched in reality for once. As the crowd started edging more towards Hogan, Rock seemed to be thrown off guard and the two men would stick to their traditional roles despite Hogan gradually out popping Rock. Despite now being cheered as the face, Hogan kept working as a heel but you can feel the roles change big stride as Rock dug deep into his heel bag of tricks and finally embraced the crowd’s wishes. JR would explain the crowd’s reactions by claiming they were feeling nostalgic, which was pretty true. The actual match itself was just a basic brawl with some big spots mixed in. As the match wore on, Rock’s old heel facials and attitude started seeping through. Hogan would actually drill Rock with a Rock Bottom and that got a mega pop from the fans. Hogan would later admit that he broke a couple of ribs during the match and you can clearly see him holding that area during it. He gave a gutsy performance and really earned the fans back on his side, pushing the reactions past just nostalgia. The crowd was insane the whole time, but the arena nearly split apart when Hogan Hulked Up and the two men followed it up with some crazy near falls. That pop would then be dwarfed by the reaction for Hogan’s big boot and legdrop and subsequent near fall. In a perfect world, that probably ends up being the finish to the match and the show. However, Rock was still the young franchise player and he was to win the match. He dropped Hogan with the three Rock Bottoms, dropped the People’s Elbow and got the win. The crowd booed at first before turning around and cheering the epic encounter they just witnessed. I wish he didn’t win with the lame Elbow, but that is a minor complaint. The clincher to this epic match was the post match hug between the two legends. It brought back instant memories of Hogan embracing Warrior and passing the torch in that very same spot in 1990. This was a truly epic showdown and no matter how many times you watch it, it is hard not to get swept up by it all over again.

Scott: If you want to grade it as a stand-alone match, it was ok; nothing great, but not that terrible. However, this is one of those cases where you have to look at the entire package. This match has the complete package of a great WrestleMania showdown with two absolute giants of the wrestling industry.

• Kurt Angle vs. Edge – Hair vs. Hair Match (Judgment Day 2002)
  

Matt: These two were building quite the rivalry on Smackdown in the first half of the year. Angle snuck out a win on Edge at Backlash, but this time their HAIR was on the line. Just think – Edge’s long blonde locks could be gone! After an unbelievable back-and-forth 15 minute battle, Edge won out in the end and Angle gets his head shaved to dawn the look that we’re most familiar with today. Just a fantastic match though.

Justin: This was Edge’s second opportunity to prove his elevated stock was for real. He delivered a month before, but he needed to show that it wasn’t a fluke. His pop was growing and he was starting to look more like a star with each passing week. Both men would up the ante in the one, and that was proven right off the bell as Kurt unleashed a sick belly-to-belly out to the floor. The bout would keep up the usual frenetic Angle pace and the ongoing theme was both men destroying the other with belly-to-belly suplexes. Edge timed his comebacks well and kept the crowd hooked in and believing. The finishing sequence was tremendous stuff and Edge had successfully delivered. The antics that followed the match were pretty funny and Angle would get shaved clean to give us his current look. I loved the pace and hard hitting style here and you could see Edge pulling himself up a level throughout the match. I actually enjoyed the match even more than the Backlash tilt as they built upon that one and polished it off with a big win for Edge.

Scott: These two put on a great match at Backlash, as Edge really impressed by going move for move with one of the technical greats of our time. Now they add the stipulation that someone will be bald after the match. Clearly Angle was going to lose here since part of Edge’s mystique was his long blond hair, and the fact that Angle was pretty much bald at this point anyway.

• WWE Intercontinental Champion Eddie Guerrero vs. Rob Van Dam – Ladder Match (Raw, 5/27/02)
  

Matt: As far as I can remember, this was Eddie’s first ladder match in WWE. Just when we thought we had seen it all and the ladder match gimmick needed a rest, Eddie and RVD bust out some amazing spots – most notably Eddie’s sunset flip powerbomb off the ladder. Like with most every ladder match, lots of chances were taken, but RVD came out on the winning end this time to recapture the IC belt. Easily the best RAW match of the year.

Justin: When Eddie Guerrero made his surprise return to Raw in April, you could tell right from the start that he meant business. He was jacked and lean and ready to rock. What would follow may have been one of the greatest stretch of matches by one wrestler in WWE history. After splitting their first two PPV matches, these two would duel once more on Raw and they delivered a third classic. They pounded the crap out of each other with stiff offense and vicious ladder shots. RVD would win to close out the feud, but it was clear that both men were elevated from it.

Scott: An excellent end to one of 2002’s best feuds. I love this match because Eddie Guerrero went from an indy nomad after being released, to coming back and having an awesome series of matches with probably the most over guy in the company at that moment. This match was a great capper, even if the guy ran from the crowd to disrupt it. Probably makes it an even more memorable match.

• Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H – Non-Sanctioned Match (SummerSlam 2002)
  

Matt: What a perfect example of psychology and brutality. Triple H was just the guy to come by and exploit Shawn’s lower back injury that took four years off his career. With Shawn Michaels overcoming the odds and still proving to the world that he can tell a story in the ring as good as anybody and Triple H’s “make everything mean something” mind for wrestling, these two went out and put on one amazing show. Many call this the greatest match ever held at a SummerSlam event and it’s really hard to disagree.

Justin: Over four years after his last match, Shawn Michaels returns to the ring for a match. This was something many fans gave up on after 1999 when it was reported that Michaels would never wrestle again. He did have one street fight during his time off. The match took place in the TWA, the promotion Michaels ran in conjunction with his training camp. But this match was slightly different as it was on PPV and in front of millions of fans. The storyline coming is was great as Triple H stabbed Michaels in the back to finally turn heel. Michaels wanted revenge, but Bischoff forced it to be in an unsanctioned format to prevent any liability to Raw. Michaels accepted and it was on. The bout had a big match feel, as expected as it just never seemed possible even six or seven months ago. After the build up this also felt like a real blood feud and match. Hunter would methodically destroy the rehabbed back with some nasty offensive moves. Michaels was valiant as he hung in there and the crowd rallied him the whole way. Michaels looked like a warrior as he got his revenge with a brutal beatdown as the match wound down. Michaels pulled out all the stops and they hit a cool table spot going into the finish. Michaels would eventually reverse the Pedigree and roll Hunter up to pick up the feel good win. We still weren’t sure if the feud would continue or if Shawn could wrestle again at this point. Now, this was an epic match with both men busting their asses to put on a classic. However, I do have a few points that I want to hit on. I feel like the match was a bit too long and a bit too much, especially the crazy table spot. The Michaels comeback story was big enough in its own right that they could have toned it down, shortened it and told just as great a story. But, at the time, it was clear that this could be a one-time only deal for Michaels. That point was hammered home on commentary and it looked like Shawn was going all out just in case it was his final bout. So, I can’t really fault them for going balls to wall and include a wild table spot and all the blood. I enjoyed the heck out of this match and when you take it in context, it is that much better. Michaels would take some time off as he healed but he will be back soon. Triple H is back on the heel side of the fence and things take an interesting turn for him in the coming weeks.

Scott: Simply put, one of my 5 favorite matches of all time. Period. Awesome from beginning to end, and Shawn Michaels proved he had exorcised his demons and become a star again.

• WWE Undisputed World Champion The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar (w/Paul Heyman) – (SummerSlam 2002)
  

Matt: This was the main event of main events in 2002 on the best PPV of the year. Brock was built up as this unstoppable monster since his debut in late March. He’s a man who took crazy hard chairshots to the skull and then speared YOU down. To see him go up against the Rock at SummerSlam and see him completely ANNIHILATE the Rock was just unbelievable. Nobody did this to the Rock. He would kip up, give you the Spinebuster, and the Peoples Elbow to end the match. Not anymore thanks to Brock. When the show was over, you knew you just saw a star-making performance. You left talking about how Brock Lesnar was better than the Rock.

Justin: Since his debut in March, Brock Lesnar had destroyed everything in his path en route to winning the King of the Ring and being named number one contender. The hype surrounding this match was tremendous and it had a big time legit fight feel to it. The training videos were awesome and we get to see condensed versions before the match. Rock gets a big pop when he enters, but those cheers would be surprisingly short lived. The crowd was rocking as the match wound down and came unglued when Rock somehow slipped out of an F5 attempt. Brock recovered, caught Rock and planted him with the F5 to pick up the huge clean win and his first championship. The F5 has been booked as an invincible move since Brock’s debut and the legend grows here. This was a massive win and a felt like a true changing of the guard as Rock passed the torch of the Attitude Era to the new torchbearer of the next generation. Rock proved again why he is the man by laying down and putting Brock over clean as a sheet. WWE now had a new Champion and a new face.

Scott: A surprisingly good match from two guys with different styles. Brock Lesnar was ready to explode and the Rock was slowly weeding his way out of the wrestling business. It was a great combination and a hot match that the crowd was really into.

• Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle – (Unforgiven 2002)
  

Matt: In 2002, these two could not stay away from each other. In the past, they had been in a 30 minute submission match and a cage match, but never really had a great straight 1-on-1 wrestling match. This was *that* match and it’s an excellent lead up to their Royal Rumble match in ‘03. Very underrated in my view, but entirely worth it to see Benoit come out on top in the end.

Justin: With nothing but pride on the line, Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit would again steal the show and put on the match of the night. They were simply trying to see who the better man was. Both men stayed on the mat early on, trying to wrestle each other but Angle was the first to crack and show some frustration. Things would pick up from there with both men working stiff and snug. The crowd really dug this one as Benoit unleashed a nasty 360 German release suplex on Kurt, who sold it like a champ. And just when you think they couldn’t go at a quicker pace, they picked it up and went into a crazy flurry as the match began to wind down. They would trade finishers at a rapid pace and work in some red hot near falls. Finally, in a call back to WrestleMania X-7, Benoit would roll Kurt up and hook the ropes to steal the win. I wasn’t too crazy with the finish but it made sense and was a cool homage to their first battle. Benoit picks up a win to further his up and down relationship with Angle. These two just had a special chemistry that may never be duplicated.

Scott: Since their awesome match at WrestleMania XVII, these two studs have met numerous times on PPV and they never grow old. This match actually seems to mirror that 2001 match in Houston. Both guys grapple and strike the crap out of each other. They have a superb submission exchange, and the endings even mirror each other.

• Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero – No-DQ Match (Smackdown, 9/26/02)
  

Matt: Another one of my personal favorite matches of the year. 2002 was all about getting Edge over and I don’t think he quite reached that level of overness that they wanted until this match with Eddie. He’s been in a bunch of the crazy ladder matches of the last three years, but never one like this violent IMO. The Eddie/Edge feud just kept getting better and better with matches at SummerSlam and Unforgiven, but here they had the ultimate opportunity to outshine those two other great matches. I remember this being one of the all-time best episodes of Smackdown too. Not only did it have this match, but also the Benoit/Angle/Rey triple-threat match in the main event. But after seeing this match, how can you not love it?

Justin: This is easily one of the best TV matches of the decade as Edge continued to elevate himself up the ranks. After a great feud with RVD, Eddie hopped over to Smackdown and started a program with Edge. They had a pair of really good matches at SummerSlam and Unforgiven, but they hit their peak here as they went all out. If you haven’t seen this one, you need to check it out as it is a bit of a forgotten classic. After the Angle feud, Edge had established himself as a major player, but he really solidified his standing as a top flight star with matches like this. Eddie also got a standing ovation from the fans despite taking the loss.

Scott: A superb match that, just like the Eddie/RVD match on Raw in May, ended a great PPV feud. Edge really works his chops as a solo superstar, and Eddie really was the comeback wrestler of the year.

• Chris Benoit & Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio & Edge – WWE Tag Team Titles Tournament Finals (No Mercy 2002)
  

Matt: If you’re a fan of tag team wrestling, you NEED to see this match. This brought all the elements of a great tag match (convincing last second saves and loads of buildup to an excellent finish) that over the previous ten years except for perhaps a select few matches in WCW, you could only see in Japan and they brought it to the US where it went over like crazy. It was good to finally see some people work hard in a tag match even when they weren’t the legal man. In my book, this is the greatest tag team match of the decade here in North America.

Justin: Stephanie McMahon had claimed that she wanted the best tag team division in the world and she got things off to a hot start with the tournament finals. The big question heading in was whether Angle and Benoit could coexist long enough to take home the gold. To do it, they would have to take out two close friends that had been working as a well oiled machine. All four men were familiar with each other and the match was oozing with chemistry. They had an awesome back and forth pace as both teams traded control of the offense. Rey was especially on fire and just had crazy energy at this point, never stopping or slowing up. I liked the double heat segment by Benoit and Angle as it really got the crowd into things. Angle hit all of his big moves as well which added to the drama. The crowd continued to rock with some tremendous near falls. One of the best spots of the bout was when Rey drilled Benoit with a 619 while he had the crossface on Edge. Edge would get the closest near fall of the match with a quick roll up on Angle, but Kurt and Chris were just a hair better on this night. Angle and Edge would work some nice reversals as Kurt locked on the Anklelock. Eventually, though, Kurt would cinch it in and Edge was forced to tap out. This was just an awesome match and is pretty legendary as one of the last great pure wrestling tag team matches WWE has put on. All four men busted their asses and broke out a classic. Stephanie McMahon was granted her wish as Smackdown now featured the greatest tag division in the wrestling world. If you haven’t seen this one, go find it and check it out.

Scott: When Paul Heyman became the chief writer on Smackdown, he focused on what was known as the “Smackdown Six” that Justin alluded to in our Unforgiven review. Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, Edge, Rey Mysterio, and the Guerreros were unquestionably the six most talented guys in the entire company as they were a slight cut above a few others like RVD, Lesnar and Jericho. So Heyman knew the best thing to do to make Smackdown a show worth watching was to put these guys in almost all the main storylines.

• Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit vs. Kurt Angle – Elimination Match (Smackdown, 12/5/02)
  

Matt: And four of the Smackdown Six continue to rule the WWE. Winner gets a WWE title shot against the Big Show, so there’s a lot on the line. Just look at the four men in this match. If you’re giving them 20 minutes on TV, it’s all you need for a MOTYC. Edge and Angle end up as the final two and let’s just say they put together a remarkably dramatic finish. Ladies and gentlemen, check this match out for a good time. It’s on YouTube.

Justin: This was a big time TV match that featured four of the fabled “Smackdown Six” going at it to earn a shot at Big Show’s WWE Championship. These four men had teamed or feuded throughout the past eleven months and they square off here with it all on the line. Edge would get the final word in on Eddie, when he drills him with a spear, allowing Benoit to force him to tap out. Benoit was eliminated next, but the seeds were planted for an upcoming main event run in the following year. As the biggest year of his career to this point wound down, Edge found himself a hair away from earning a WWE title shot. However, his time was not yet here, as Angle steals the win to cap off our 2002 countdown. The win would earn Angle a title shot and he would cash in a couple of weeks later. No matter how many times these four men went at it, it was always interesting, crisp, stiff, athletic and entertaining.

Scott: An oft-remembered match between 4 guys, just like above were part of the “Smackdown 6″. Angle finally established himself as a real main event force who was more than just fodder for the Attitude Era guys. Take 3 of the other SD studs and you have the makings of a forgotten classic.

As always, feel free to share with us your insight and picks from the year 2002. While a lot of the writing that year was horrible and often times uncomfortable to sit through, hey at least Smackdown was good.

Next week, 2003!

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)

We asked for it, they delivered it. Possibly the most highly anticipated FPS since Halo 3 fizzled out, MW2 again proves that storyline and playability belong together. As in the first game you take control of multiple soldiers fighting on different fronts, in different units, but ultimately to the same purpose. The opening sequence gives us a brief reminder of the events of the first game before telling us that 5 years on and even though we thought we had won that war the world is in even worse shape.

Russia has returned to its old tricks and once again become a super power to be reckoned with. Afghanistan is still a stalemate and terrorism has taken a stronghold on every continent. Well step in ‘Soap’ McTavish, yes the player character from the first game is now your commanding officer, a brilliant touch that will bring a smile to even the most battle hardened fans.
As in the first game the story is divided into a number of missions set across the globe and during 6 days of war. The creators have very cleverly worked in a number of homages to action films that will quite literally take your breath away. The shower ambush from The Rock, the invasion of North America from Red Dawn and a chilling undercover mission at a Moscow airport that references everything from Boiling Point to Heat will more then likely leave you feeling a little uncomfortable.

As with its predecessor the play time is a tad on the short side, but the missions are just so fun and there is so much going on the replay value stays high. The multiplayer again is strong and will attract the most attention. There are a vast number of weapons and equipment to play around with and the addition of predator missile strikes, airdrops and gunship support (yes that awesome level from the fist game, is even more awesome when you are raining down destruction on some kid from Essex) make this the new stalwart of online gaming.

Available on PS3 & Xbox 360
Rent or Buy: Buy Buy Buy, After the whimper that was Halo ODST, Modern Warfare 2 is a tremendous roar!
Graphics: On so many occassions during this game the shear scale of the conflict will overwhelm your senses: 5/5
Gameplay: The sheer playability of both the storymode and the online mode will carry this game for years 5/5
Overall: 5/5

(Eamonn Cleary)

Batista is one of my favorite pro wrestlers on the WWE, so I decided to feature my hero on here.

I love his muscles and his sexy voice, I wish he was in some movies or something.

I like the Rock (Dwayne Johnson) too, he’s my favorite WWE Superstar/Actor.

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batista

batista-animal-unleashed

the rock - dwayne Johnson

University of Miami student Kemy Joseph, a senior this year, has become a legacy on campus- a figure of peace and love, service to one’s community, and attempting to brighten everyone’s day.

One of Kemy’s latest projects has been a clothing drive; turn in 5 articles of clothing and receive a t-shirt with a sign expressing positive messages (similar to those Kemy is known for wearing around his neck).  The event’s facebook page states that “Our Goal is to collect 10,000 articles of clothing to to give out on Nov 14th as part of our World Kindness Day Give Celebration.”

In this last day of collection, Random Acts of Kindness (of which Kemy is president) has collected 9,700 articles of clothing that will help those in need.

We ALL know we have at LEAST 5 pieces of clothing in our closets that don’t fit, we never wear, can’t remember who it actually belongs to, or is something we can easily do without.  Collection ends today at 5, so make sure to visit the Rock and do your part!

Make sure to visit Kemy’s website, URawesome.org.