Beyond the Mat Ringside Special Edition (Unrated Director’s Cut)
Release Date: 3/23/04
Rated: Unrated
Distrubed by: Universal
The year was 2000 wrestling was riding high, there was 28 PPVs per year from three different companies, and just about anything wrestling related would get the green light to be produced.
Hard to believe it was only 4 years ago.
In 2000, a documentary was released that said it was expose the dark underbelly of professional wrestling. This documentary was called Beyond the Mat.
Four years later we’re on the third release of this DVD. The initial version was just the film. The second version: Beyond the Mat: The Director’s Cut was released 8/22/00 and added Production Notes, Trailers, Commentaries by Mick Foley, Terry Funk, and director Barry Blaustein, and six minutes of deleted “director’s cut” footage. This version, releasing on 3/23/04 and not to be confused with the “Director’s Cut” is Beyond the Mat Special Ringside Edition: Unrated Director’s Cut. The new features being sold on this disk:
- Up Close and Personal Conversations: Jesse “The Body” Ventura and Mick Foley talk with Barry Blaustein about the film and their careers.
- Dinner With the Legends: Barry sits down with Jesse and Mick as they recall their favorite wrestling memories
- Feature Commentary: Terry Funk and director Barry Blaustein.
Previews
There’s a preview on this DVD for the Straight to Video The Skulls III. OK, I liked the first Skulls as much as the next guy but a third installment? When the Sequel goes straight to video and never gets rented, does that really call for a third installment? Oh, and just so it doesn’t get TOO stale, this time, it’s the first female Skull ever inducted to the er brotherhood. Then again, Children of the Corn is on the eighth or so straight to video sequel and they just keep coming, so who am I to judge?
The Movie
As it’s the third version of this video, the sound and video is well documented as above average. It’s mostly taped with that documentary look and sound which, if you’ve seen any documentary, you know what I mean. If any improvements have been made since the first release, I can’t tell. Most people who will be interested in this review already know what this movie is about, but for those who need a refresher, a short version:
The movie, primarily, follows the Rock, Mick Foley, Jake Roberts, and Terry Funk. It covers what goes on behind the scenes in a wrestler’s life. You get a look at what happens to a guy like Jake Roberts when they fall out of the limelight. Jake’s story is one that really shows what the road does to a wrestler. The drugs, travel, sex, and booze and how they affect their life and their relationships with their families. It includes a powerful reunification scene between Jake and his daughter, which is one of the numerous images you will remember after seeing this movie.
Another one of the images you take away is the I Quit match between the Rock and Mick Foley. For those who may not remember the match, it was the world title match where the Rock decimated Foley with 20ish chair shots before a taped “I Quit” went over the PA system via a tape made by Shane McMahon. The documentary shows Foley’s wife and children sitting in the front row and watching the massacre. Later, they show Foley and wife trying to tell the children that their father is just fine, even though he has a giant gash in his forehead. A memorable line by Foley comes here when he says: “I hope they got their money’s worth.”
All in all, it’s movie that really does manage to show the backstage world of professional wrestling without getting really preachy about the business or get across some message. It’s just a story told about wrestlers from a fan’s perspective. It also gives you an idea of what these guys go through just in the name of entertainment. It might give you a new respect for wrestlers.
Commentaries
There are two commentary selections off the language menu. The Feature commentary with Terry Funk and Barry Blaustein, and the “Enhanced” feature commentary with Jesse Ventura, Mick Foley, and Barry Blaustein. I am not personally a fan of commentary tracks, but hearing Foley talk about his match while it’s playing is something that is worth the price of admission by itself.
Special Features
Production Notes: A lot of still frames accompanied by what looks like the pitch for the movie. I would assume this is identical to the notes included on the previous Special Addition. Nothing great here.
Cast and Filmmakers: Still frames and bios of Mankind, Terry Funk, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Chyna, and Blaustein. It looks as though the Rock’s is the only one that has been updated with anything in the past few years as Universal manages to throw in a plug for The Rundown and the upcoming Walking Tall. Blaustein’s include some of the projects he’s currently working on. Other than that, pretty much cookie cutter info about everyone else that you could just as easily read somewhere on 411. Nothing great here either.
Theatrical Trailer: Self-explanatory also on the trailer. Also included on the last version of this.
Dinner with the Guys: A round table with Blaustein, Ventura, and Foley with a backdrop very similar to Ali G’s set. It’s done interview style with Blaustein asking questions and each other guy answering them in an informal way. Pretty simple questions to start off with asking both guys what got them started and what they respected. Jesse was motivated to enter the business by Billy Graham and Mick by Snuka. How do they go from a position of having 20,000 people in the palm of your hands to being normal guys.
Both of them get in some jabs about guys who overstay their welcome. Like guys who wrestled at the top of the card and suddenly are opening.
The salad arrives, Blaustein gets into some of the kayfabe stuff about wrestling. How can you separate the fakeness from your real life? Describe the cut-throat nature of the business. Mick tells a quick story about people who ran down Tazz even before he got into the company because they saw him as a threat.
Jesse moves on to talk about how the business has changed. How the card doesn’t build to the crescendo of the main event. How finishers mean very little. How certain moves that used to be finishers are now barely high spots.
The total running time is about 20 minutes, give or take, and does cover some interesting ground. They picked two very good subjects for the interview for a couple reasons. The first is that Ventura has become much more famous over the last couple years when he won the governor’s seat in Minnesota and he just runs his mouth and doesn’t care. If something is on his mind, he says it, which people expect. Also Mick Foley, who is very candid, funny, and is someone people almost unanimously love.
Another key to the success of this interview is that the business needs these guys nowadays more than these guys need the business so they can be more candid and open then, say, a Chris Jericho or The Rock. These two will never have to depend on Vince McMahon for a paycheck again.
Even so, they still show a respect for the business and the interview comes off well and informative. Good stuff.
Overall
If you are a wrestling fan, Beyond the Mat is really required watching. If you haven’t bought it yet, this version will offer you the perfect opportunity to do so. On Amazon, it’s being listed at $13.99 while the Director’s Cut is being at $26.98. That being said, this video is easily worth that price, as you’ll easily get three viewings out of it with each of the commentary tracks. Also, whenever you get disillusioned with the sport, you can watch this and maybe remember what these guys do to entertain you and what they put themselves through.
But, you also have to balance that with whether or not you really need to add a documentary to your collection. As documentaries go, though, this is a good choice if you have to pick one. Good subject matter and a subject you know. So, unless you’re looking to get a documentary about scalping tickets ore cheating Vegas (which doesn’t work) I’d pick this one to put on your shelf and not have to be embarrassed about.
