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Image Courtesy of the "Let's Photoshop RD and Blade" thread on the Official WrestleCrap Forum!RD Reviews Kayfabe!
Before I hit the review this week, I want to say thank you to everyone who has emailed me, congratulating me on nine years (NINE YEARS!) of WrestleCrap.com. As I've said countless times, this site was started as a lark, never meant to be anything more than a place for me and my buddies to laugh. The fact that we've done over 400 inductions, more than 130 WrestleCrap Radios, and so much more is pretty baffling to me. All the more unfathomable is the fact that it led to three books and a stint with a UK wrestling mag (Fighting Spirit) where I write the punchline column each month. It also led to me meeting not only great wrestling personalities like "Earthquake" John Tenta, Bobby Heenan, and Lanny Poffo, but people who weren't quite so famous but have become dear friends of mine like Blade, Kelly, Madison, Dr. Keith, Derek, Sean, Jed...that is probably the greatest reward of all doing this site.
I'll be honest. It wasn't that long ago when I was thinking about shutting down the site completely. I was just completely burned out writing inductions, doing the show, and just trying to handle the day-to-day operations of the site, all while trying to be a good husband and father and working my real job too. Lately, though, I feel rejuvenated, no doubt thanks to Triple Kelly coming on board and handling inductions for us. She has done a fantastic job, and I think she's pretty much silenced all the naysayers who were worried the site would 'never be the same'. And, of course, it's allowed me to really concentrate on WrestleCrap Radio, which is my favorite aspect of the site these days. I'm getitng a lot of feeback, so apparently folks are realling digging the show of late as well. And if you've never listened to it, why not give it a shot today? I guarantee you've never heard a wrestling podcast like it (which may be a positive or negative!).
Finally, I want to thank each and every one of you reading these words right now. Without your support, I would have closed up shop forever ago. I just hope we can keep making you laugh for years to come.
Alright, that's enough sentamental hogwash...onto this week's review!
Kayfabe
So everyone's heard about The Wrestler and how great it is. Heck, I even reviewed it a couple months back and said the same thing. It was an incredibly accurate look at the life of a fading, past his prime wrestling star, struggling to make ends meet on the independent circuit.
But while I loved that movie, I may have found a new favorite wrestling movie, and odds are, you've never heard of it. It's called Kayfabe and it also explores the indy scene. The difference? Kayfabe doesn't focus on a has-been; it focuses on never-weres.
Or more precisely, a bunch of goofballs pretending to be wrestlers, performing in front of 30 people in school gyms. It's like someone followed me backstage at every indy show I ever worked and decided to make a film of it!
Right out of the This is Spinal Tap mold, Kayfabe takes the mockumentary formula and runs with it. Don't get me wrong - it's nowhere near Tap, but as a look behind the curtain of your typical indy wrestling show, it's top notch stuff. Whether it's the gruff old time promoter who swears every other word and talks about the old days, the guy who wants to gig in every match, or the kid who despite being in on the booking and seeing who is going over in every match still has no clue and thinks that it might be real...this movie absolutely NAILS it. And off the wall stuff like the announcer with a midget fetish or the gay guy who walks around backstage completely nude just add to the utter absurdity - and fun - of the movie.
For someone like me, who has been backstage and worked these shows, I cannot fathom a better premise for a movie, and the guys behind Kayfabe just knocked it out of the park.
Highly recommended!
Highlight: Gotta go with Cam's training session where he completely botches a simple string of moves by wanting to add "his gimmick." I've seen that countless times at indy shows, and Ilaughed so hard at that I thought I'd wake the neighbors.
Highly recommended
You can order Kayfabe by clicking, you guessed it, rightchere!
(Warning: RD is about to SHILL. Click here to skip this section.)
Shillville!
- Here's the info on the crap I'm peddling these days...
WrestleCrap Personified: The Worst of RD Reynolds
Double DVD-R Set
Now Available!They say those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. But that’s never
stopped RD Reynolds, the curator of WrestleCrap.com, the site that pokes fun at all the worst in wrestling.You see, RD once worked on the independent wrestling scene himself, booking and participating in angles every bit as bad as those he ridicules on his site. And now, because his fellow crappers have asked for it, those events are now available in a double DVD-R set.
Disc 1:
Babyface RD in Championship Wrestling of America
- RD Shills Pizza
- RD Does Terrible Babyface Commentary
- RD Sings Happy Birthday to some dork
- CWA Champ Mike Samples wrestles the world's longest match (well, it felt that way), then proceeds to get run over by a car going 10 MPH, all with Good Guy RD calling the actionHeel RD in Pro Wrestling International:
- PWI Intro Featuring RD DANCING
- RD’s Heel Debut: the Uncle Burt Speech
- Trash Losagain Debut, in Which He Appears to have a GIANT DONG and looks to have pooped his pants
- RD: Heel Commentator Montage in which I talk about how much I hate the fans and tell really, REALLY bad jokes
- RD and Trash Get Biggum (translated: ZERO) heat by stealing a guy’s hat
- RD Heel Refs a Match in GIANT CLOWN SHOES (with commentary by RD, and his friends Casey (Trash Losagain) and Dan Garza (Diamond Dan)
- RD Promo in Hope, Indiana, in which I promise to kiss the foot of everyone in the building if I lose my match
- RD in a Blindfold Kiss My Foot Match (with commentary)
- Bonus: Radio Promo in Which I Pretend to be a Hillbilly Who “Milks Pigs and Shears Cattle”Heel RD Works Indy Shows:
- NWA Indianapolis snippet featuring me managing Mad Man Pondo versus New Jack (with commentary)
- RD and Trash vs. Diamond Dan on a LUCHA SHOW (with commentary)
- Elementary School Show Snippet featuring a guy who is now a HYOOOGE star in TNA (with commentary)
- Promo for Merle Vincent’s TV ShowDisc 2:
RD in CWA: Special Commentary with CWA Promoter Jeff Cohen, who teaches me the fine art of SHILLING!
RD Books PWI Into the Ground (All with commentary with me and Casey):
- PWI Roll Call: A Look at the Poor Guys We Booked Into Oblivion
- We make fun of RD & Trash's debut match
- Dissection of the Hat Stealing Angle
- RD on RD: RD Takes a Look at His Wrestling "Career"
- Special Bonus Match: Otto Bauhn (geddit? Like AUTOBAHN!) vs. Johnny Walker, Whom I Dubbed THE HUMAN CHIA PETSpecial Feature: Blade Braxton's Revenge of the Scorpion in Its ENTIRETY (both with and without commentary by the JOTW head honcho himself)
Believe me, this stuff SUCKS - you've been warned!
Cost for the set is $10.95, which includes free media mail shipment in the US. Foreign orders are also available, at a cost of $17.95. All sets come personally autographed (if you have a special request on the autograph, please let me know). Just use Paypal to send the money to thedeal@wrestlecrap.com, and be sure to include a shipping address! You can also snail mail a check or money order; for that information, click rightchere.
Note: DVD-Rs are playable in MOST newer DVD players, as well as DVD-ROM drives on computers. Also note this is in NTSC format. I cannot guarantee compatibility. If you have any questions regarding that, please contact me here.
Check out all the fun of WrestleCrap Radio rightchere!
Discuss this column and more at the Official WrestleCrap Forum; email RD your comments, questions, and suggestions rightchere.
And be sure to visit RD's Bookshelf and RD's Video Shelf to find out what wrestling books and DVDs are true crap.
