RavishingRickRudo

They brought Sable back after the RAW X show; which I would assume the voting for the (very worked) "Diva of the Decade" had something to do with it. Of course, just because the fans thought Sable was the DotD -which there could be a strong case for given her popularity in the boom period- doesn't mean they wanted her back... it just means they remembered her. And the title should have been "More Say-bull".. I mean, c'mon.

The DIVA search is innovative and captivating. Those women work hard maintaining their looks and bodies and have been going out each and every monday night to provide quality -and sexy- entertainment. They have to shave their legs, pluck their eye brows, throw up their meals, count their calories, tape their tits, and shake their ass every single week. I respect every DIVA that puts all of that on the line to entertain me. How can you not?

Pretend to be Japanese and say Pro Wrestle. Or listen to Puroresu Power Hour @ puroresupower.com and you'll hear it come up. I like the way PRIDE announcer Mauro Ranallo sez it.

But I respect every wrestler that puts all of that on the line to entertain me. How can you not? They suck. Jeez, it's not hard to figure out. If you're not good at what you do and are not improving (and you shouldn't be on TV to begin with), you're worthless and wasting my -and everyone elses- time. Wrestlers _choose_ this way of life, so they don't get a "Get out of Suck Free" card just cause they hurt. Ultimately, they work MAYBE 10 minutes a night - 40 minutes a week - while everyone else works 40 hours a week for probably lesser pay. Is it tough on them? Sure, but they probably wouldn't have it any other way because wrestlers are wired differently than everyone else. Like _any_ profession, if you aren't good you shouldn't be doing it. You may not like or understand that, but lemme just say this: I respect the ones who work hard, get hurt, and do it well *even more* because I actually have that standard.

Do you hit the plane or grab it??

If Mary Kay was fucking the kid up the ass with a dildo, then you all would have a point with the "if this was a 33 year old man" stuff. Do I have to get into the dynamics of "penetrated" and "penetrator"?? And I in no way agree with what she did -it takes a fucked up individual to do such a thing-, it's just a silly point because physiologically it's different if an older man has sex with a 12 year old girl and an older woman has sex with a 12 year old boy. Psychologically and Emotionally it's probably similar, but then again I don't think that's the issue here when we're talking about "public reaction" - since sex is generally looked at as a physical thing in the public eye.

I can't stop the way you feel. I can't make you believe that Maxx could beat up a cop, even if I believe it and think it's "true" to the internal logic of the film. I can, however, tell you that it's not cliched and that the last 20 minutes of the film makes perfect sense and "worked". I will do that in my final write up for the film.

That was the fucking awesome. Good lord, that's the perfect storyline that the WWE is too scared to do, and probably rightly so. But dammit, if I didn't love Kurt Angle after reading that.

Spoilers within The comment (which I thought would be obvious by my use of "shiny" and "raw" and how I put it in relation to "no special effects", but don't let that stop you from making the same comment you've made TWICE BEFORE IN THIS THREAD) was in relation to its visuals, not it's content. But since you seem intent on driving the point home that you did not like the last 20 minutes, I'll bite. You don't get it. Here's what I wrote on another board... You are seeing the plot and are missing the story. Thematically, the subway scene fits perfectly. You don't have to like it, but to say it's cliched when there is rich depth in it just shows your lack of understanding the core of the film. Themes that I picked up on. Eyes. Sight. Visual. We look but we don't see. We're too wrapped up in our own shit to see what's going on around us. The world could be ending - people could be dying around us - but we're too selfish to see it. We're too enveloped in our every day routine to step outside that routine and see what's really going on. There is a reason why the first few minutes is focused on Max "doing his thing"; there is a reason why the cops were clueless but Mark Ruffalo wasn't; there is a reason why the film ends on a subway train rather than in a taxi cab. Vincent justifying his job and asking Max if he cared about Rawanda, as well as his story of someone dying in a subway, is what this film is all about. It doesn't matter until it happens to you. It isn't there until you see it. Vincent cutting out the power, Max on the rooftop looking into the building, the subway scene - all are reflective of this theme. Vincent dying on the subway is definitely part of this theme and it gives weight to everything I'm saying. Vincent knows about sight and Max is starting to see. The fact that he wears eyeglasses and Vincent wears sunglasses is probably no coincidence. That there is a glass wall between Max and Vincent and we saw the wonderful shot of Cruise looking out from behind him is probably no coincidence. That when Foxx and Pinkett were running away and Vincent had to "look" to "see" where they were going and ultimately ended up finding them is probably no coincidence. That Max and Vincent found themselves shooting at each other through the glass and the dark is probably no coincidence. That Vincents eyes told the story of his death was probably no coincidence and that the film ended with a period of darkness is probably no coincidence. But I suppose this is all still very "cliched"; because this depth is normally found in films today.

Michael Mann just became my top 5 filmmakers/directors with this single movie. Curry loves him, but I hadn't seen any of his previous films in-full. That may discredit me and my standards by elevating someone on the basis of one film, but I'd like to think it says more about the film itself. Mann owned everyone* with Collateral. Sam Raimi? Owned. Mel Gibson? Owned. RRR? Owned. Right now Collateral is different from everything out in theatres. There are no special effects; there is no shiny finish - this film is raw. It is visceral. You don't just watch it, you feel it and you live it. Through the use of handheld cameras, spectacular lighting, and the best soundtrack I've heard in a very long time, he was able to impact my senses and leave me reeling. Much like Fox with Cruise, the visual style will probably take a backseat to the soundtrack. With good reason, too, because the music was stunning. The ending, on music alone, was as powerful as it comes. Just thinking about it makes it diffucult to breathe; it was enveloping. Like Last of the Mohicans and Heat**, Mann was able to enhance his film through a powerful score which was almost too good, in that it could have outright distracted from acting and story. Luckily, it was able to walk the line very well and didn't take away all the focus. Visually, this should win every award there is. The use of the handheld camera, the colours and tones, and the lighting were all fucking great. The camera work gave you the impression that you were there; it heightened tension and -like the music- complimented the emotional state of the characters. The colours -of blue and black, mainly- gave the film a distinctness where it all felt like the airport scene in Heat. However, the best thing about the visual style was the use of lighting... or more importantly, the use of darkness. Usually filmmakers will use darkness just because it's night or because they need to hide something. Basically, they use the dark for the dark. Mann used the dark for the light. He has the best interpretation of "night", period. The atmosphere and ambience of night is downplayed in almost every film out there, but Mann knows it. As a kid, I found myself in the position of Vincent many-a-time. I don't mean killing people for money, but rather, in the backseat of a car in the middle of night. Often I slept from long trips and when I awoke near-home I looked out the window and it was all calm. The lights flared from my weary eyes and everything was rested. Collateral had that tranquility about it. It was relaxed, but still very active. It paced itself and let the story unfold. The style reflected the content, and I dig that. Where the acting and the music were fabulous, the content and story -in my opinion- was the best thing about this film. (part 3 coming soon) (That "*" is because of Joss Whedon, my favourite director. The only reason I bring up Whedon is because they had very similar styles; Mann with this film and Whedon with Firefly. They both used handhelds and loved using flares. Whedon says that both are seen as taboo in the movie industry where most things are smooth and flawless, and wanted to make the world "lived in" and real - an approach Mann takes to heart. Firefly and Collateral had a lot of the same qualities in them, maybe that's why I love this movie so much and feel inspired to write on and on and on about it.) (**Though I have never seen a Mann film in full until now, I have seen both climaxes for LOTM and Heat ((courtesy of LOTC)). The music in both were stellar.)

(Spoilers within) I absolutely loved this movie. Top 25 of all time. Best of the year. Give it lots of awards. Tom Cruise is inevitably and irrevocably done-in by being Tom Cruise. No matter what role he plays, no matter what character or character traits he portrays, he is ultimately still Tom Cruise. Tim Robbins in Shawshank Redemption was Andy Dufresne. Marlon Brando in Streetcar was Stanley Kowalski. Tom Cruise in Collateral, Vanilla Sky, Magnolia, Jerry Maguire, etc. was Tom Cruise. At no moment did I believe he was any of those characters. It's "Tom Cruise is sad" "Tom Cruise is happy" "Tom Cruise is funny" "Tom Cruise is angry"; it's Tom Cruise "playing", not Tom Cruise "becoming". He cannot and I cannot step away from who he is. But shit, did I ever love the fuck outta Frank TJ Mackie, David Aames and now Vincent. I loved the way he played Vincent. The way he used his eyes inspite of his face. The way he talked and reacted. The way he ran and shot. The way he projected his attitude. I think the world will get a few more guys in sport jackets and sunglasses walking around after this, because Cruise was cool and cold. I want to be Vincent. You want to be Vincent. I want to listen to Jazz and shoot people in the chest 2 times and in the head once. Well, the Jazz part is true... Cruise delivered. Hit it right out of the park. Who cares if he didn't get me to believe he really was Vincent and break down the barrier between screen and mind? He had me wanting to hear every single thing he said, and that's rare. It's a shame that Cruise was so good, because Jamie Fox was having a very good night; even if Max wasn't. There were a few moments when "this guy is a star" entered my mind; when he was talking with JPS in the cab and when he was in talking with Felix. The cab scene felt real. All of the dialogue in this film felt real -and by that I mean "unrehearsed"- but this, above all else, had the potential to feel 'read', and it didn't. It was a very natural conversation that convinced me that it was possible for her to give him her number. The way Fox stuttered and thought (which is a nuance that doesn't happen very often today) and emoted was fabulous and deserves praise. He was Max. However, as good as Cruise and Fox were, Michael Manns filmmaking is what stole the show. (part 2 coming soon..)

I watched WITW again a few months back and I couldn't get through it all. Summer in a Non-River role?? Does that seem right to you? I might have to buy the Season 3 DVD _just_ for "Billy".

I don't think Fedor is from the future. He's clearly from the past. I'm thinking there were a race of men in what-is-now-known-as Siberia who were stronger and smarter than "regular" homo sapiens and ungodly good at fighting. When the Ice Age happened, they were frozen and most of them died. However, Fedor -much like Cro and Frozen Caveman Lawyer and, of course, Encino Man- was able to survive and was thawed out in the mid-80's by ambitious Russian scientists. The scientists turned him over to the government who soon discovered Fedors super-human abilities and trained him in their deadliest art - SAMBO. He took a liking to boxing as well and began developing his own style of poundage. When the Cold War was over and the Soviet Union dissolved, Fedor had to find a place in the world. He got married, had a kid, and for a while he lived a normal life. But his nature compelled him to return to fighting and he wound up in PRIDE alongside others of his kind; Wanderlei Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera, and Naoya Ogawa.

1. "All this title reign is doing for..." does not equal "The WWE did this because..." How did you even reach that conclusion? 2. I'm not having a "fucking heart attack" over this. I don't think I'm even _mad_ over it; "mildly frustrated" would be the closest feeling, and even then it's reaching. I dunno how long you've been at this board (PBP, Lurking, whatever), but this is nothing from me. I got all the "anger" out of my system regarding this title reign BEFORE Benoit even had the title. 3. Why do people bring up how long he's held the belt for? What has this reign done for him?? I keep asking the question and it never gets answered. Is he more popular? Is he a "superstar"? If he loses the title does this reign keep him up in the Main Event slot? Is he the focus of the shows on a consistant basis? Is he the most important wrestler on RAW? 4. I think the WWE sees HHH as "the draw" on RAW (among other things). I think the WWE sees Eugene as a "hot property" that has a short-life. HHH/Eugene is getting the most time and attention from the WWE and they have been developing it for months. Why would I see it any other way?

Bret isn't quick enough to do the announcer role well. On OTR or some of the WOL interviews, he always took a lot of pauses and one of the rules in announcing for the WWE is limited-to-no dead-air. That he is even to speak clearly and form his thoughts coherently is good enough for me.

You just aren't getting it. HHH can have all the time he fucking wants AS LONG AS Benoit is at equal or greater importance on the show because HE IS THE CHAMPION. If he isn't presented as the most important thing, then what does the title mean and what does he mean to the company? All this title reign is doing for Benoit is (a)putting out a DVD and (b)keeping him from doing repetitive tag matches in the midcard and putting over younger wrestlers... ... lemme fix this.. All this title reign is doing for Benoit is (a)putting out a DVD and(b)keeping him from doing tag matches in the midcard and putting over younger wrestlers ... Just the DVD. Which is good. Which I love. Which I thank the WWE for from the bottom of my heart. Good job on that. The Ironman LED UP TO Eugene screwing HHH. The whole match was based around that run in because everything else was completely uneventful. It was the most memorable thing on the show. "Final Shots" = "Last Impressions", which tend to be "the thing the WWE wants the fans thinking about" but the last impression gets negated if there is something on the show that overwhelmingly is more memorable. Regals win/loss record has very little to do with anything because for the past few months he's been getting over with the crowd with his interactions with Eugene. I, personally, love his character and the fans do too. It's something different. Plus, Regal is one of the top 3 actors on the show and his promo totally hyped the crowd before he got beaten down. "And", the status of whomever he beats down with the formula doesn't matter*, because the formula is guaranteed to get heat. (*Generally. Rare exceptions could be provided, but I can't think of any)

One of the things the WWE does best is montages/video packages. The song for the PPV greatly effects how well it comes off.

God you're stupid. 1. The Hogan reference wasn't brought up by me. So I don't know what you're doing bringing that up. However, HHH was still the most important man on the show tonight. I can't imagine anyone seeing any different... unless that "anyone" is you. Then I can't imagine what world you live in, because you're seeing something that simply isn't there. 2. HHH was all over the first half of RAW and was brought up plenty of times in the second-half. The most memorable thing about the show... what was it?? 3. HHH got the most heat on the show from beating up Regal - they pulled nearly every trick in the book in doing so. Blood, Gimmicks, Refs, a Stretcher, tons time for crowd pandering, and -of course- the tipping over of the stretcher.

Ok, I lied. I didn't just enjoy the Regal/HHH stuff. ...I liked Rosie as well. It's a shame they're blowing their load on Regal/HHH; because that program had potential.

I enjoyed the HHH/Regal segments. That was about it. Flair really needs to stop wrestling. The man is the worst wrestler on the roster. The Coach is better than Flair. Flair botched so many spots tonight - Edges spear, on the outside, calling spots incredibly loud, and taking a billion backdrops. It's ironic that Flair hates when fans use "inside lingo", but he's exposing the business every night in the ring.

Benoit is _consistantly_ ignored on WWE.com RAW previews. The Previews *are* important because they contain what the company wants to get over the most. JR didn't even go nuts *after* the match and was too busy focusing on Eugene screwing HHH, so I doubt he'd give it enough attention tonight. Rather, it'll be "Orton is going to face Benoit. I wonder what would happen with HHH if Orton were to win the title?" and "HHH must be furious with Eugene costing him the World Title." And it's not exclusive to Benoit, but it's still stupid and shouldn't happen. His only two contenders outside of HHH/HBK were just shot up cheaply through a battle royale - which was the whole point that you conveniently left out - while the instance you cited Dvon and Test and the Brooklyn Brawler/Taka/Funaki, beat HHH while HHH was "on top" in "Hogan" form. Those wins did _nothing_ for them because they stayed where they were while HHH remained on top. HHH didn't "lose" anything from those losses and hasn't lost anything from the Ironman match because he is *still* the focus, as evidenced by this preview and how he was mentioned constantly, by Rosses treatment, and with how they present Benoit.

No, but it does scream out "superstar".

That's one of the points I was making. Benoit is never mentioned, yet the title is. In all those 5 mentions he was never brought up once. They never said that Chris Benoit beat HHH or that Orton would face Benoit. It's taking the focus off of Benoit and putting it on Evolution (as a group were mentioned *9* times) and their goal for the title. Anyone could have been holding the belt with this paragraph because it wasn't about the title holders - it was about HHH and Orton and Eugene.

Wait... .... RAW 2 was "Ok"??? Did you PLAY the Career Mode? Xbox really, really, really, really, really, really, really needs a good Wrestling game.

The PRIDE card just-may-be the best since...well... Final Conflict 2003. And the UFC card has the potential to be great. Both events are aired the same weekend (The PRIDE card is on -EUGH- 1 week delay), which should make for some happy-fun. The highlights for me are Belfort/Couture, Liddell/Vern, Diaz/Parisyan, Edwards/Thomson, Fedor/Ogawa, Nog/Sergei, Cro Cop/Alek, Silva/Kondo... shit, that's 8 matches that I really wanna see. EIGHT! Holy Crap! That makes me wanna HUSTLE! (HUSTLE!)... ON THE WITH CARDS~! Fight Card: Vitor Belfort vs. Randy Couture for the Light Heavyweight Championship Chuck Liddell vs. Vernon White Matt Lindland vs. David Terrell Mike Kyle vs. Justin Eilers Nick Diaz vs. Karo Parisyan Yves Edwards vs. Josh Thomson Joe Doerksen vs. Joe Riggs (Sunday, August 22nd) Tournament Matches: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Naoya Ogawa Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera vs. Sergei Kharitonov Kevin Randleman vs. Ron Waterman (alternate bout) Non-Tournament Matches: Middleweight Championship - Wanderlei Silva vs. Yuki Kondo Mirko Cro Cop Filipovic vs. Aleksander Emelianenko Kazuhiro Nakamura vs. Murilo Bustamante