I was watching Bret's documentary earlier, and something confuses me -- what was Bret taping all of this for to begin with? Was he planning on making a totally different film with the footage? Or did he begin taping all of this when the negotiations began, with a sort of precognition that he'd need tangible proof of what happened?
I believe they were making a documentary on Bret anyway, and things just kinda worked out this way. They make mention of it during the play-by-play of the PPv broadcast.
I believe Paul Jay approached Bret around the time he renewed his contract with WWF, and if I'm not mistaken, it was supposed to be a documentary for CBC, the government-owned national television network. They were following him around for one year, initially, and I remember them saying something to that effect at the "Canadian Stampede" PPV.
Then, of course, it took on a life all its own. Talk about the ideal documentary subject...
Yea, I believe they were following him around, with the idea of a completely different movie in mind, and then things started to develop. Bret gave the film crew the heads up that Survivor Series was going to be worth checking out (though they might have planned on getting more footage there all along), when he was still under the impression he'd be champion for one more month. There are some parts where they played it smart (like keeping a mic on Bret), but mostly it was right time, right connection.
Vince and the WWF weren't thrilled to have them there, but had already given them permission before things started to break down. If they had to do it again, they might not have allowed them in and let the lawyers handle it after the fact, though that would've probably tipped off Bret as to what was going to happen.
Then, of course, it took on a life all its own. Talk about the ideal documentary subject...
It was more being in the right place at the right time. In the same vein, there was Sam Jones intending to do a small documentary on Wilco recording an album, but then of course came the whole snafu right in the middle of the filming with Reprise dropping the band because they felt the CD was unmarketable...which later resulted in another subsidiary label of Time-Warner picking up Wilco after they were dropped, essentially paying for the same record twice. The result? "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart".
Another set of documentary filmmakers that benefitted from kooky timing were the crew that was following Terry Gilliam around in the creation of the movie he was working on at the time that got iced unexpectedly by the studio, which became the documentary "Lost In La Mancha". Which was far more interesting than what they probably expected to happen when they started the project.
(edited by Blanket Jackson on 23.6.05 1558) "Did you get your Journalism degree from a box of Cocoa Puffs?"
Then, of course, it took on a life all its own. Talk about the ideal documentary subject...
It was more being in the right place at the right time. In the same vein ...
There also were two French brothers who showed up early one morning to film a documentary on NY firefighters. While they shot footage outside the open firehouse garage, they noticed a plane flying very low, and the camerman turned up to film it just as it hit the WTC. They then followed the firecrew to the site and recorded the rescue effort from inside the building.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
His wife really pwned Hunter, yeah? Hard to see the guy as this huge menacing force when he just got his ass handed to him by a little Canadian lady. Heh! And did Hebner haul ass out of that ring or what? I thought he was going to break something with how fast he scrambled out of there.
I also found it slightly smirk-worthy that Vince's office was in the women's dressing room.
The filmmakers also got a ton of footage for the Owen Hart documentary as well - interviews, footage with his family, stuff like that. Good on them for being so thorough in their work that it inspired them to make not two separate documentaries.
Originally posted by cfgbThey did a biography on Owen Hart in 1999 which aired as part of 5 they did one week (I recall Foley and Austin as two of the others).
Then TVO (I think?) did another Owen Hart special later. I don't know if it was exclusive to Canada or not.
Wasn't Hogan and a rerun of Andre the Giant's two others?
Originally posted by cfgbThey did a biography on Owen Hart in 1999 which aired as part of 5 they did one week (I recall Foley and Austin as two of the others).
Then TVO (I think?) did another Owen Hart special later. I don't know if it was exclusive to Canada or not.
Wasn't Hogan and a rerun of Andre the Giant's two others?
I believe you're thinking of the A & E ones. This is the same one that cfgb was referring to on TvOntario. It was footage mostly culled during Wrestling With Shadows, with some attempt to explain what happened in Kansas City.
It wasn't a big-scale production like Wrestling With Shadows or anything, but it was okay.
Then, of course, it took on a life all its own. Talk about the ideal documentary subject...
It was more being in the right place at the right time. In the same vein ...
There also were two French brothers who showed up early one morning to film a documentary on NY firefighters. While they shot footage outside the open firehouse garage, they noticed a plane flying very low, and the camerman turned up to film it just as it hit the WTC. They then followed the firecrew to the site and recorded the rescue effort from inside the building.
Their footage made up the bulk of the 9/11 TV special that was hosted by Robert Deniro.
It was absolutely chilling.
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I'm liking the upcoming Styles/Kash feud. These two can really go and could put on some classic match-ups. TNA is doing the right thing by main eventing their X guys now. That's they're bread & butter and they know that.