Foley vid a keeper
By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM!
Wrestling
Date Available: Now.
Distributor: Koch International.
Price: $14.95
Mick Foley dishes out the pain and laughs in his latest home video.
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Mick Foley is a man of contrasting talents and conflicting mindsets. A sort
of Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde of the squared circle. On one hand, he is a
nerdy court jester whose off-the-wall sense of humour has translated into
some truly classic skits that have put fun and merriment back into a
pro-wrestling, an industry that more often than not
takes itself way too seriously. On the other, he is a masochistic, hardcore
grappler who sees the grotesque beauty in a good blade job or a sickening
bump. It is no wonder that Foley was so comfortable playing a wide variety
of characters from the mentally unbalanced Mankind to that impish reject
from the sixties, Dude Love.
In 'Hard Knocks And Cheap Pops', the latest video release concentrating on
Foley's misadventures in the WWF, the producers have once again taken the
low road by employing canned footage from the Federation's television shows
and pay-per-views that diehard fans have already seen. Normally, this would
be cause for much groaning and griping from yours truly. However, like the
recent Chris Jericho compilation, it is Mick Foley's witty and perceptive
running commentary which elevates this tape above and beyond your standard
WWF home video fare. It is Foley himself who acts as our guide through the
breakup of the Rock And Sock Connection tag team, his bloodstained feud
with Triple H as well as the ups and downs of his tenure as WWF Commissioner.
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Poll
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Which of Mick Foley's new releases do you think you'll get?
Total Votes: 475
40% voted for Book
4% voted for Video
26% voted for Both
29% voted for Neither
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To help us better understand what went into the much praised Triple H and
Foley rivalry, The Game himself puts in a guest appearance as he looks back
on how the two superstars were able to thrill wrestling fans the world over
with their cruel and punishing matches. The street fight from is shown
almost in its entirety with Foley and Triple H interjecting their thoughts
here and there on what we are seeing.
On the lighter side of things, Foley treats us with a recap of his amusing
skits with Edge and Christian. The "totally awesome" dudes sit down to chat
with Foley and share with us how they all came together to conjure up some
laughs. This segment is by far the best on the tape as the gags they pulled
never get old. I still howl at the birthday party for Triple H where
Christian played Hunter's theme on a kazoo as well as the whole chicken
suit bit with Kurt Angle. They are stupid. They are childish. Yet, the
skits are so darn funny. It's was a great idea to have the highlights all
on one tape.
All in all, I give the WWF and Foley himself full marks for the ingenuity
found on 'Hard Knocks And Cheap Pops'. They could have just spliced
together the footage and it still would've sold no matter what but they
took some time with it, gave us a reason besides the obvious to review this
part of Foley's famed career and because of that, put together a unique
package that fans would appreciate.
