Art and entertainment

I highly recommend you buy this movie on DVD!

Bruce Wayne: 

* Lost his parents when he was just a child but allows this traumatic experience to transform him into a fearsome vigilante who is hellbent on preventing crime from happening to anyone else. 

* Trained by various masters in the martial arts and is very resourceful as well as intelligent. 

* Often uses intimidation and fear as weapons to match his dark mysterious character. 

* Puts on a fake persona during the day while unleashing the real Bruce Wayne at night as the Batman. 

* Committed his whole life to fighting crime. 

Terry McGinnis: 

* Like Bruce Wayne, he lost his father in a traumatic event and sought justice for it. 

* Unlike Bruce Wayne, Terry was a high school hooligan with no formal training. Nevertheless, we see Terry develop as the Batman and fight with spirit to compensate. 

* Terry McGinnis unlike Bruce Wayne is not wholly committed to fighting crime. He has a life outside of being the Batman. He has a girlfriend, friends, academics, and a family to care for which makes him relateable to a younger audience. 

* Terry McGinnis unlike Bruce Wayne was not obsessed with fear and intimidation. He often made light of situations with humor and occasionally focused on reasoning with supervillains rather than flat out punishing them.

After noting the similarities and differences between both characters, i've come to rethink which character would be more fit for the Batman role. While it is important for a superhero to be committed to fighting crime, should they do so even if it means putting up an image that society wants to see like Bruce Wayne did or should they keep their lives balanced like Terry has done? Should the ideal Batman have many skills and talents like Bruce does or fight with heart above all like Terry does? Who exactly is the better Batman in your mind? Let me know in the comments below. 

DVDs are cheaper than streaming - Streaming sites are a waste of money. When you compare the time you're not using your monthly subscription to the time you are, you'll see you're not getting your money's worth. It's worse if your internet is poor to where your movies buffer. You're wasting money paying monthly fees. If you pay more for better internet, that's even worse. With DVDs, you only make one-time buys which save you a ton of money long-term.

DVDs have tangible ownership, streams don't - When you buy DVDs, you technically own them. With streams, you only pay for permission to watch them. If a company no longer wants to have its content in say Netflix's library, the company can request Netflix to remove it. You won't be able to stream it anymore. If a company stops selling a movie on DVD, that's the worst thing they can do. The company won't bother to confiscate your DVD.    

DVDs have exclusive content, streams don't - DVDs (namely special editions) have much more content than streaming services such as extended editions, unrated editions, deleted scenes, interviews, "making of" documentaries, etc. Movie streams don't. Typically, streaming services play only standard editions of movies. This DVD set for example gives extra footage used to promote the release of the Dark knight and gives more background info. on the characters! 

You can resell DVDs but not streams - You can resell DVDs since you have tangible ownership of them. With streams, you don't own them so you can't. Once again, you save a ton more money buying DVDs than streaming. 

DVDs have better quality than streams - Quality is determined by bitrate. Higher bitrate means higher quality video and audio. Quality can also be affected by codec encoding and compression techniques. Regular DVDs run at 6-8 megabits per second. Streams usually play movies at lower rates. Netflix for example plays movies at around 5 megabits with a standard connection. 

DVDs don't require Internet, streams do - If your internet connection or streaming service fails, you won't be able to finish watching your favorite movies and shows. Nothing is worse than watching one of the most critical and intense scenes in a movie only to be interrupted by say internet lag. It ruins the viewing experience. With DVDs, you don't have those problems. 

DVDs look fantastic on display! - DVDs will make your room look much more alive with its stunning physical artwork! There's nothing like holding a DVD of your favorite film in your hands! With streaming, everything belongs to the streaming service. It can feel like you're just renting your favorite films.  

New copy.

The feud began when Stone Cold began disrespecting Bret Hart and calling him out in interviews. Stone Cold was repulsed by Bret Hart's popularity and glamorous display. Stone Cold stood by the belief that the best wrestlers don't concern themselves with that. The best wrestlers go out there and beat everyone that comes in their path. 

After a series of attacks among each other especially with the sharpshooter. When the time came for Wrestlemania 13, Stone Cold would finally get his shot to prove that he is the best. The climax of the match ended with Stone Cold being put in the sharpshooter but refuses to tap out. As the blood pours out of his open wound, Stone Cold amazingly fights through the pain and tries to get to the ropes. Even when he could no longer do it, he still refused to tap. 

I loved this feud especially their Wrestlemania 13 as it was rooted in more than just talk. It was about athletic competition and actions. Stone Cold literally gave blood, sweat, and tears in what he believed in when opportunity knocked. The Stone Cold/Bret Hart feud gave fans many memorable moments that will never be erased from WWF history. 

When Eminem started, he was on fire to make it in the rap game leading him to freestyle battle to put his name out there which worked very well. Since then, he's been blazing and essentially invincible when it came to diss tracks after he became famous. Once he made it to the top, he didn't see the need to battle rap anymore. 

Eminem is a talented artist in lyrics and has made many solid records but the reason why i think he's not competent is because the battle rap scene has evolved over the years. Back then, freestyle battling was a thing along with DJ's. If you could freestyle tons of impressive disses then you were respected and declared the winner. Now, battle rappers are judged by different standards. Battle rappers prewrite their bars, use many literary devices, entertain the audience, and so forth. Rappers no longer battle rap just to get ahead. It's become a lyrical competition in it's own respect. 

I think Eminem understands that since he's from a different generation and that is why he won't battle rap because he doesn't want to disappoint the fans. I believe that he is unbeatable on the track but he shies away from being put on the spotlight in a battle league. Because of differences in generation, we may never see Eminem battle again.  

Used copy.

New copy. 

Used copy. 

Prince Puma vs. Johnny Mundo: Highly entertaining match with tons of flips and agile moves done by both wrestlers especially when Prince Puma gets knocked down but instantly jolts up like nothing happened. Johnny Mundo, AKA Johnny Nitro in the WWE, put on a surprising performance in and outside of the ring. I found this match to be quite interesting not only because of the moves, but also because of the shocking plot twist that occurs at the end.



Overall, i loved the first episode of Lucha Underground. It was a breath of fresh air. Every talent was evenly pushed. The matches are done differently from the norm, the storylines are highly intense and unpredictable, the characters are very believable, the fans are respectful and passionate, etc. Lucha Underground is for the wrestling fan and non-wrestling fan alike. I recommend it to anyone looking for action packed drama, innovative storylines, and a new environment from the typical wrestling shows.

I thought Raven should have never apologized for his creative usage of the cross. The harsh criticism posed against Raven's use of the cross is absolutely ridiculous. No one seemed to bat an eye when Raven and Tommy Dreamer crucified each other during their feud. No one was bothered when Joey Styles cried "oh my God!" when there was extreme moment. ECW was known for pushing the boundaries of their edgy storylines so i can't comprehend why this angle was such a big issue. 

As a Christian, i did not find this offensive at all because the cross never belonged to Christianity in the first place. Crosses have been used by various religions for many centuries long before the Romans adopted them for the purpose of crucifixion. As for the symbolism, anyone with an understanding of the Raven character and the feud would understand the meaning behind it. Raven as he called himself in shoot interviews "a martyr for society's dysfunction.." The character saw himself as a savior and a voice for the voiceless. He saw it in his mind to vindicate those who have been outcast by society.

I thought this was one of the greatest moments in ECW history especially in their feud because Raven finally made the Sandman feel his pain.

Pro-wrestling began in the post Civil War period in the late 1860's where wrestlers were trained in amateur wrestling to compete in carnivals. Gradually, pro-wrestling became entertainment orientated and drifted away from scientific based wrestling to keep the interest of fans. Because of the media's refusal to write on pro-wrestling's athleticism, three wrestlers - Ed Lewis, Billy Sandow, and Toots Mondt formed the Gold Dust Trio promotion to modify the product using flashy moves in an attempt along with tag team wrestling in an attempt to make pro-wrestling more interesting. They also introduced the concept of feuds and storylines by having pro-wrestlers in cards as opposed to having them travel around. 

After pro-wrestling became televised, Gorgeous George was the biggest star to use a charismatic and narcissistic character.

Since then, pro-wrestling has thrived on Kayfabe and entertainment. As a sport, it died off. 

What does this mean for pro-wrestling today? What does this teach us about pro-wrestling today? Everyone should know pro-wrestling is entertainment rather than a sport although there is athleticism involved. If pro-wrestling is to survive, it must adapt to each generation. It must continually reinvent itself and become far more entertaining than it was in earlier generations while refusing to abandon the foundations it was built on.

* Story-telling - What made pro-wrestlers like Mick Foley so great? While they used weapons at their disposal, they told a dramatic story with their bodies. They have a build up from the beginning to middle until the end. Story-telling especially in hardcore matches are what cause audiences to react and jump out of their seats. 

A great example of a brutal hardcore match incorporating story-telling aside is Pentagon Jr. vs Vampiro. As you watch, take note of how it builds up to the final act: 

* Believable characters - Raven is a master at ring psychology and in this case, psychological heel tactics. He's arrogant, disrespectful, ambitious, ruthless, brutal both verbally and non-verbally. You can clearly see that in the way that he mocks his opponents, plays mind games, taunts them, does his signature pose, the list goes on. To stand out as a hardcore wrestler, you must have character be it heel or face. You can have the most brutal match of the century but if you have no character, your reduced to an extreme stuntman. 

Watch his match against Sabu and pay attention to how he shows his character. Notice how Raven mockingly uses the Sheikh's camel clutch against Sabu. 

* Ring Psychology - Sabu is another notable wrestler who skillfully uses ring psychology in his matches. Hardcore wrestlers apply the same principles of pure wrestling to hardcore matches. They still treat pro-wrestling as a sport as opposed to a blood bath by resorting to strategy and applying wrestling techniques in their matches. They are aware of their surroundings, the rules, etc. and use that to sell their moves to the crowd. 

One of my favorite hardcore matches serving as an example of ring psychology is between Sabu and Abyss at TNA's Turning Point barbed wire match in 2005. Notice how both pro-wrestlers struggle over control and try to throw each other into the barbed wire while avoiding it at the same time. Take note of how they took the time to sell their moves as the match progresses.  

* Creativity - Hardcore wrestling contrary to popular belief have creativity in their matches. A fantastic example of this is Tommy Dreamer. Whenever he was tossed a weapon by ECW fans regardless of what it was, he would instantly use it creatively and often painfully on his opponents. It's easy to see why he earned the title of "the innovator of violence." It doesn't matter what weapon you have, it's how you use them that matters.

Any hardcore match that completely lacks all three of these elements and more is what i define as garbage wrestling. There's nothing wrong with garbage wrestling. It's only when hardcore wrestlers and fans forget about the foundations of hardcore wrestling that problems arise. What's wrong with today's hardcore wrestlers? They think that by doing high spots, they are great at hardcore wrestling which isn't true. It doesn't matter how brutal your moves are or how bloody your matches are. If you rush your matches by over-saturating them with gore and lack story-telling, ring psychology, a believable character, and creativity then you won't be a memorable hardcore wrestler.