The Best In WWE Right Now

I need to re-purchase Photoshop and some FTP software, so updates are limited right now, partly because I have lots of photos to upload (on which some entries depend). There will also be lots of photos from wrestling event, as I’ll be going to both Wrestlemania 25 in Houston and a WWE Smackdown! & ECW taping at the Garden in April. With this mind, it seemed good to focus on some WWE wrassling.

I could go on and on about the things in professional wrestling that I don’t like, but it probably wouldn’t accomplish a whole lot. So I thought I’d focus on my favorite things in the WWE right now:

• Chris Jericho: He’s gotta be the best thing in wrestling right now. There’s no one better on the mic and he’s such a convincing bad guy because a) he believes he’s the good guy and b) he’s got a strong, logical framework for his actions. His feud last year with Shawn Michaels was great because everything he said about Shawn being a liar and hypocrite was correct, even though Jericho went about his revenge like a scumbag. There’s no one more enthralling in pro wrasslin right now and while no one is quite sure who he’ll face at Wrestlemania, it’s safe to say he’s a contender to steal the show. Here’s an example of his promos:

• Randy Orton & The Legacy: This may just be the most compelling wrestling storyline I’ve seen in a long time. Randy Orton, a third generation wrestler, decides he wants to cement his legacy and “The Age of Orton” by aligning with two sons of legendary wrestlers: Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. The three accomplish a lot, including Orton winning the Rumble, till Orton snaps and attacks Vince McMahon. See it here:

  So, as it stands, this is now a personal feud with HHH, as his family has been threatened by Orton, who seems genuinely unhinged. It’s brutal, emotional and everyone is putting forth great performances. This is all about being the best in the business, about the lengths people go to in order to be the best and for sports entertainment, that’s a great story.

• Jack Swagger: the name won’t be familiar to you, but I urge you find a copy of his battle with Christian on ECW this past week and argue that Jack isn’t one of the most promising new talents in the business. He’s got a unique look, a good technical style and knows how to work match psychology. He’s supposed to be the bad guy, but his energy is infectious and he’s so damn talented in the ring that he warrants cheers. Here’s the first part of that aforementioned match:

• Miz & Morrison: While Tag Teams aren’t at the level of prominence they once were, the team of Miz and Morrison remind you why fans love tag action so much. They’re fun in the ring, with some of the most athletic moves you’ll see on any pro wrestling show and are a lot of fun on the mic. In an age of pseudo-real characters and very serious storylines, it’s nice to have a fun team who want to be the best—but also want to have fun, make money and get laid. Here’s one of their recent—and most exciting—matches.

Arune Interviews Matt Striker

If you’re a wrestling fan, you know Matt Striker from ECW and I recently had the opportunity to speak with him for Marvel.Com.

Click Here To Read The Interview

Arune.Com Will Return SOON

Folks, Arune.Com will return to regular programming soon– stay tuned for regular weekly updates. There’s a lot to write about, but for now, a few thoughts:

• How great is the Legacy storyline on WWE Monday Night Raw?
• College football is actually really fun to watch and I generally enjoy it more than NFL games.
• The newest Scott Pilgrim graphic novel is out in stores– get it NOW!
• I really haven’t much enjoyed Battlestar Galactica since the end of the New Caprica storyline.
• Meanwhile, 24 is firing on all cylinders
• Went on a few Hockey Trips– I shall update everyone on these soon, including my trip to this year’s Winter Classic in Chicago.
• I’m really excited for both G.I Joe: Rise Of Cobra and the new Star Trek films.

Arune Is Now At Twitter

Folks, as you can tell, I’m too busy to blog properly now, but you can follow me at Twitter right here. It’s not a substitute for what I do here, but consider it a bunch of Arune.Com “minisodes” till I have time to blog again.

And go see the best comic book movie ever, and one of my favorite movies ever– The Dark Knight! It’s a masterpiece and something everyone should see in the theatre.

Go See Iron Man

By now you’ve probably heard of– if not seen– Iron Man, the newest super hero film abot a Marvel Comics hero (and the first film from Marvel Studios). The basic plot, as described on most sites is “Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who builds a high-tech suit of armor to escape captivity” though there’s much more to the film than that. In a nutshell, this is an action-packed film with superb acting, a thrilling plot (that does have a few speed bumps) and is really one of the few adult super hero films in some time (the other than comes to mind is Batman Begins).

Let’s begin with the special effects. This is a film that begs to be seen on the big screen because of the dazzling visuals, which amazingly enough, never draw you out of the film. Sure, you’re watching people in high tech armor battle it out, but it all looks very real. When Iron Man soars in the sky, you see him move in a very realistic way complete with the appropriate additions on his armor to show just how he’d cope with these fast speeds and turning quickly at high speeds. Little details, like the complicated process of putting on his armor to the often humorous results of the armor development process, make Stark’s transformation into Iron Man seem completely plausible.

Now, onto the the rest of the film, which is similarly excellent. Tony Stark has always been an atypical hero not only because he’s an alcoholic and not much a nice guy, but because his transformation into super hero happens later in his life. He’s not Spider-Man, going through changes in high school, or Batman, nursing childhood anger that will transform him later in life. For Tony Stark, it’s coming face to face with his own choices, and their inherent consequences, that forces him to change. Add in stellar performances from a top notch cast, plotting that doesn’t waste a minute with a surprisingly mature ending and you’ve got the reason why Iron Man set the box-office on fire this weekend.

I’m keeping this short because I don’t want to spoil much for anyone, but make sure to check out this film. Don’t like super heroes? Don’t worry– this isn’t your typical super hero film. It’s a fascinating look at a man realizing what he’s meant to do by confronting the sins of his hubris and trying to embrace his nobler intentions, all wrapped up in an exciting action film.

Here’s a look at the trailer if you need further convincing:

Go See Forgetting Sarah Marshall

I don’t often recommend comedy films for the simple reason that I don’t enjoy most comedies. In particular, I generally haven’t enjoyed most of Judd Apatow’s films– Superbad didn’t make me smile one and I turned off Knocked Up after 30 minutes because I was bored– but his newest release, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, still looked appealing to me. Jason Segel, who wrote and stars in the film, is a scene stealer in CBS’ How I Met Your Mother (and has impressed in other roles), and the idea of exploring how he gets over a big break up seemed appealing. Here’s the film’s premise (courtesy IMDB):

Devastated Peter takes a Hawaii vacation in order to deal with recent break-up with his TV star girlfriend, Sarah. Little does he know Sarah’s traveling to the same resort as her ex … and she’s bringing along her new boyfriend.

Turns out this film was funnier and far more thought-provoking than I expected. I don’t want to spoil anything, but I was most impressed by the balanced portrayals of all the various characters. Normally you’d hate Sarah because she’d be portrayed as unreasonable, but she’s shown to be a reasonable person who makes mistakes but has a sympathetic rationale guiding her actions. Her boyfriend steals every scene he’s in, with some of the funniest music I can remember in any film I’ve seen. Even Peter, naked (literally) and wallowing in his own self-pity, should be the kind of character who annoys me, but he’s also another nuanced character in his own right. I credit both the actors and the script for making every character– from the main characters to some of the throwaways– completely likable in their own way.

The film tells a thoroughly comparing story that eschews the cliches of most romantic comedies. No one schemes incessantly and there’s no silly misunderstandings. The people talk, act and communicate like real people. It’s also one of the few films where I felt like the characters really cared about each other and had reasons to be attracted to each other beyond those of the physical nature. While this is a Rated R film and there is a lot of sex humor, it never feels sophomoric or immature– it’s a very mature look at relationships in our lives. Plus, I can’t stress this enough, it’s actually quite a funny film because it so effortlessly– and accurately– deconstructs the absurdity of our lives, the choices we make and the things we do.

Bottom line, see Forgetting Sarah Marshall. You’ll leave with a smile on your face and a desire to see it again because you’ll know you laughed so hard that you probably missed some of the jokes.

Finally, here’s a clip from the film that’ll give you an idea of the humor:

Break The Walls Down

November has been a good month for a number of reasons, but last night WWE gave me one more reason to smile– the return of wrestler Chris Jericho (learn more about him right here).

So why does this matter?

For fans of wrestling in the nineties, or early 00s, you’ll remember Chris Jericho as not only a gifted pro-wrestler, but also one of the most entertaining performers to every step in the squared circle. He was funny, smart, spontaneous and never disappointed. Good guy or bad guy, he made you love him. And no one ever left a feud with Jericho looking like anything less than a million bucks. Jericho made sure everyone he worked with came out better for it and always put on the best show possible.

Now that’s he back, feuding with my favorite current WWE superstar, Randy Orton, it means the WWE championship scene is about to get interesting. There’s a reason to watch WWE on Mondays because RAW…is…JERICHO!

If you don’t know wrestling, this won’t mean anything to you. But if you do…you’re smiling right along with me.

National Fun League

There is no sport above hockey in my world. None. I love baseball and soccer– it’s been that way since childhood– but hockey is number 1. Of late, there’s one sport that’s earned the number 2 spot and it’s surprising– Football.

Let me say this– the NFL presents not only a compelling game because of the players but also because of the format. With only 4 months of regular season play and one more month of playoffs, every game matters, so there’s no wasted time. You know that Sunday is football day, and while we may get Monday or Thursday games, it’s easy to plan watching your favorite team in action. So for five months, fans of football are consumed with each week’s game, the fallout and preparation for the next game. There’s no “all star break” or anything other interruption of the season. There’s no best of seven series between teams in the playoffs. Those are all great things in other sports, but the lack of them in football makes the game stand out.

As a child, I remember my father visiting Dallas and bringing back a Dallas Cowboys sticker that remained on my bedroom door till I moved out of that house. While I flirted with being a San Fransisco 49ers fan (to be opposite of my brother) and a Minnesota Vikings fan (I lived there for three years), I’ve always loved the Cowboys. It helps that I got into the sport when Troy Aikman & Co put together a magical run with the franchise, but the Cowboys remain the one team my entire family agrees on. They’re the Singh family football team.

This year, thanks to a better managed schedule and less hectic weekends, I’m watching football each week. Now that I’ve learned the rules, understand the strategy and see it regularly, I’m realizing why fans are so rabid about football. It’s an exciting sport because you only get one chance a week to prove yourself. One chance to say your peace on the field. Yes, it’s a very physical, sometimes violent game. But the nuances of football strategy and beauty of a perfectly executed play raise it above any concerns I have about the brutality.

After spending the last three hours glued to my sofa, my eyes not averted from the screen, I’m glad to say it was time well-spent. My Cowboys won, I was thrilled the entire time and it’s made my whole weekend even better. While I’ve always love hockey the most, I gotta admit– when it comes to Sundays, it’s all about the football. Now I hope my neighbors aren’t concerned about my frequent yelling of “Get the damn ball!” and “Not another f—in penalty!”

Heart To Hart

November is a good month. The Montreal trip (yes, the posts about it will continue) was a dream come true and enough to put a smile on my face for the next year. But for now, life is conspiring to make me happy and today I met the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be. I met my idol…Bret “The Hitman” Hart.

Last week, co-worker (and co-member of B.A.D—Big Apple Defenders) Bill Rosemann informed me that the legendary wrestling team the Hart Foundation would be in New York for a signing. My first reaction? “You better not be kidding!” I quickly went online, registered for RingsideFest 2007 and counted down the moments till I met my idol. Remember, I grew up in Canada, the same nation from which Bret Hart hails and the country he proudly represented throughout his wrestling career.

You need to understand that in Canada, Bret and the Hart family are royalty. Canadian wrestlers are among the best in the world and in Canada, we all know that pro wrestling is, at it’s purest, an art form. I’m not sure why, but wrestling was always a big part of my childhood even when I wasn’t watching it and always knew that Bret Hart was a hero. His wrestling character was always a pro-Canadian, proud-to-be-Canadian, tough as nails character. Proudly proclaiming himself “The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be,” Bret epitomized the perfect combination of theatrics and technical wrestling. Check out this video of some great clips.

Throughout my life, Bret Hart epitomized the characteristics I wished to embody—integrity, honor, dedication and “the excellence of execution.” As a child, I had few role models and Bret was one of them—a Canadian, just like me, and it struck a chord with me. I followed Bret’s career to it’s end and thrilled to all his matches. I especially loved his stable—the Hart Foundation. While the line-up often changed, the most notable members were Owen Hart (rest in peace), the British Bulldog (RIP), Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart and manager Jimmy Hart (no relation). Proudly carrying the Canadian flag, kicking ass, taking names and just being cool, there was no way a little kid like me wouldn’t become their fan.

Today I got up early, headed to Carolines in midtown and lined up behind hundreds of other devoted fans. On some level I don’t think I realized I’d be meeting my childhood idols in person, as I felt sort of half asleep throughout it all, as though it were a fuzzy memory. After entering the room where autographs and photos would be handled, I met two other big Bret Hart fans at my table, who I chatted with for the rest of the show. Things kicked off with Jimmy Hart making his way into the room.

Jimmy’s a huckster– and I mean that in a good way. You know it but you can’t help but want what he’s selling because you believe he believes in it. So when he began talking, everyone in the room was on the edge of their seat, hanging on every word he said. He spoke about the upcoming Wrestlemania, his years in wrestling and then– he introduced Jim Neidhart. The room erupted as the big man walked in, but it was nothing compared to the standing ovation for the next guest– Bret Hart. Everyone, including myself, stood to cheer and applaud the Hitman. Below we’ve got Bret, Jimmy and Anvil.

I must say that the autograph/photo session went very smoothly. Small groups were moved into position and, far as I can tell, no one felt rushed. Would I have liked more time with the Hart Foundation? Sure. But I got to tell Bret and Anvil that they inspired me, I got to hear their thanks and I got the great photo below:

After the photo was taken, Bret and Anvil wanted to see it and seemed happy with the result. Anvil also joked that I was the only one who looked good in the photo and I pointed out he still looked like he could kick ass. After going through so much, Bret looks a lot older than last time he was in the ring and seemed a bit slower than I’d expected, but he was cordial and radiated awesomeness. Look into his eyes and you know the Hitman is the best, now or ever. Bret also signed my copy of his excellent book (buy it right here). I wanted to stick around for the Q&A session, but when it was over an hour late, I figured I’d call it a day, as I’d been there for five hour already. Sure, I spent 5 minutes with the Hart Foundation, but now I know something: these guys are the real deal. Great wrestlers, great guys and still my idols.

I’m not one of those people who gets overly excited to meet celebrities– not a value judgement, just no real interest– but Bret Hart’s on the short list of people I always wanted to meet. I have very few idols in life, so I guess it’s just my desire to see if Bret was really a good guy. Now there’s no way I can learn that from one short meeting, but it’s a great memory I’ll carry with me as I do my best to embody the Hitman’s ideals.

Zut Alors! Part 2

And we’re back, continuing our look at my first day in Montreal with my brother Nick. When we left off, we’d been planning what to do for the evening and we both agreed on one thing– it was time to see a movie. American Gangster seemed like the best choice, as we’d both found the trailer interesting, figuring that the combo of Denzel Washington and Russel Crowe couldn’t possibly do much wrong. But before I get to that, let’s back track.

Parts of downtown Montreal don’t have crosswalk signs. You walk when traffic is running parallel to you and watch out for crazy drivers who don’t support your right of way. Nick & I were thrown off at first because every country has signs indicating when you can cross the street (the coolest ones being in Sydney, because of the “beep boop” noise they make), but apparently Montreal is all bad ass and doesn’t play by the rules. Certain sections of the city have the signs, but the busiest areas don’t– which just confuses me.

Equally confusing is crazy French people. No, I don’t mean all French people are crazy, but y’know– the transients (can’t think of a PC word folks– don’t skewer me) who seem totally nuts. When they babble and yell at you in Francais, they somehow sound even more nuts. My heart goes out to them of course, but I admit to chuckling when some crazy guy walked by and babbled at me in French.

Alright, well back to the movie. We went to the Scotia Bank Move Theatre on Rue Saint Catharine (this street was central to everything it seemed), which won me over by having not only a bar at the bottom (beer + movies = great combo if I was drinking), but a Tim Horton’s inside. What is Tim Horton’s you ask? Here’s the Wikipedia article, but I’ll define it simply for you: the best hot chocolate, the best donuts and some of the best sandwiches I’ve had in North America. Period. Try some TimBits and tell me you don’t love ‘em. I dare ya! Dare ya! An added bonus came in the form of all the advertising for WWE’s Survivor Series wrestling event later this month. Now we all know I’m a wrestling fan, but thanks to the Hart family (and others) in Canada, people are generally a lot more accepting of wrestling up in Canuckland. You’ll find more bars in major cities showing the weekly shows and as this theatre reminded me, you’ll often find the pay per view events shown in movie theatres. Sure, you’re not actually at the event, but how many home theaters can replicate the experience of watching a wrestling event larger than life, live and with hundreds of other fans?

Making out way into the proper auditorium, Nick and I got great seats when we both came to the same realization: we needed beverages. I headed out to get some drinks when I was approached by a member of the theatre security, who asked if I’d ever worked in security. I said “yes” and he told me he’d like me to call him about more work. I got his business card and didn’t have the heart to explain I’m not from around there because he just seemed so…enthusiastic about me. But at least I know if I ever went to Montreal, I can always do security work at the movie theatre, eh?

The movie was preceded by lots of commercials in both English and French, which worried me at first because I hoped the movie wasn’t in French. I love Quebec, the language and their proud history, but a movie in French meant I wouldn’t hear Denzel and Co’s own voices, which was part of the film’s appeal– hearing everyone involved deliver their lines. Thankfully, the movie was in English and, even better, it was a phenomenal movie. You probably know the premise– Washington plays a rising gangster who takes over the Harlem drug trade and Crowe plays the cop trying to taking him down. Based on a true story and drenched in authentic New York attitude, this is the kind of gangster films that gets us at the core because Washington’s character (”Frank”) is relatable to a point. He believes in a code of honor. He believes in paying people what they deserve. He believes in family. But at the same time he’s got no problem selling drugs to kids, killing his rivals in cold blood and getting violent with anyone in his way. Meanwhile Crowe’s detective character (”Richie”) is the perfect cop– a man of integrity who believes in justice and honor. A man who won’t compromise or take the easy way out. But when he gets home, he can’t stay faithful to his wife or be a good father. Both men are contradictions representing the dueling aspects of so many people’s personalities. The contradictions within us all.

But American Gangster succeeds on every other level as well, providing some gripping action scenes without excess gore or violence. When blood appears, it means something to the viewers and characters. That probably seems really silly to some, but in an era of torture porn films (IE: Saw) and so much violence in all our entertainment, it’s good to see a movie that recognizes the truth of violence. It’s disgusting. It’s repulsive. But it’s a big part of life and to tell such a layered story about these two broken men, we need to see the violence in which they’re drowning. But it never feels gratuitous because all the characters in the film recognize the effects of violence and react appropriately (if not immediately then down the line at some point). By so powerfully depicting how violence can twist us, a movie about gangsters– which one might expect to celebrate violence– is one of the best arguments against the culture of violence we’ve created. The dialogue is similarly purposeful– Frank rarely uses the “n-word,” even though we’ve been trained to expect that from African-American gangsters. I don’t know who made that decision– or if it’s how the real Frank spoke–but it makes his moments of anger even more powerful, when we see the sophisticated veneer swallowed by primal anger in the form of curding.

Easily the best thriller I’ve seen all year and highly recommended to all. On a lighter note, the trailer for the film (watch it right here) was a big part of what attracted me to the film and you’ll notice that half way through the trailer, there’s a catchy hip hop song. I enjoyed the song so much that I sort of worried I wouldn’t enjoy the film as much without that song in the background– but if you’re like me in that regard, no need to worry. American Gangster is easily one of this year’s best.

I’d expect a lot of people to copy Washington’s delivery of the phrase “My man” to convey irritation with someone while remaining cool on the outside. He just says it so much and makes it sound so cool that you can’t help but want to repeat it in place of cursing.

After the film, Nick and I headed out for dinner to a place called Mike’s, which apparently has numerous locations around the city and offers a nice variety of basic pastas, sandwiches, salads and entrees. While we hoped for some hockey on television, we ended up watching a CFL (Canadian Football League) game between the Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. I haven’t watched the CFL in some time, so perhaps I’m remembering old games with rose colored glasses, but did the quality drop significantly? There was barely any running game and it just seem like everyone ran the same plays. Blitz the offense. Offense throws long pass. Offense often has incomplete throws. I didn’t enjoy the game but had to finish it to see if it improved and it just seemed atrocious. Am I missing something or was this some incredible game I couldn’t appreciate? I know the CFL is inherently a different kind of football than the NFL (Go Cowboys!), but it just felt boring and sloppy to me, though I can remember loving old Calgary Stampeders or Toronto Argonauts games. Did something change?

After pondering this, Nick and I headed back to the hotel where I proceeded to continue reading Chris Jericho’s book. Just as the man made me laugh with his promos in ring, he made me laugh with some of his stories about rising up the wrestling food chain. I fell asleep at 1am and slept soundly, knowing I wouldn’t have to wake up any time too early on Saturday.

To Be Continued!