Van Dammer

Surely its impossible to go anywhere near an NFL style sport given the current lawsuits and knowledge surrounding CTE. The NFL are being sued because they possibly had knowledge of its existence and didnt do anything, anyone starting a brand new league when all of the information is already out there is opening themselves upto lawsuits by allowing players to make that sort of contact. Especially as the XFL was founded with the promise of being rougher and more physical than NFL.

They really need to add a third day of tapings at this rate. A smaller venue to tape 205, specials like this and maybe some NXT and whatever shite like Main Event they still do. The draw of a live RAW or SD show should be enough to get enough through the doors for a decent TV crowd and they should get a decent fan base in for the 3rd day of tapings if the arena size is sensible.

On 08/12/2017 at 5:08 PM, ColinBollocks said:

I disagree. The trouble with Bray in top feuds is they can't help themselves, for the most part. In top feuds (Cena and Orton being an example) everything can start out fine and tick along nicely for a month, but then Vince decides they should have a demon kid appear to badly lip sync a song, or the ring mat should show a video of Keith Chegwin's January cock.

He's definitely at his worst when stuck in the midcard, no doubt, but that's because they put less effort into it. It also helps being in there with a performer the level of Cena.

Also, I've never really been a massive Undertaker fan. Prime Streak years and American Bad Ass were good fun, but the character has been in so much rubbish.

Agree on Taker. Its amazing that he got away with mucking around with Bundy, Kama, IRS, Executioner etc for what felt like decades as a kid. Sure, he had some decent stuff chucked in there but it wasnt really until he started his Mania classics streak that I actually warmed to him. There's no way a character would get away with now what Takers did in the mid 90's.

Wyatts always been fine pitched against the top tier guys in my view. its when he's pitched against generally character-less midcarders like Balor, Rollins and Ambrose where it makes very little logical sense for him to be bothered. Guys like Cena you can get, he wants to bring down a figure head or in Bryan a fan favourite to assert dominance. He almost should be a special attraction character. Taker was able to plod through the mid 90's and go unnoticed for huge chunks but so much is expected of Wyatt that it seems every feud is under a microscope. As thats the case, either just have him be open about randomly fucking with people or just keep him quiet for a while and bring him out when needed.

5 hours ago, scratchdj said:

Saw this on Instagram which claims it was a promo pic from Here Comes the Pain, although unsure if that’s true.

Just to stick to the rules, here’s Kenneth, Lilly, Doyle and a Brock Lesnar.

It definitely was, I can remember this quite well for some reason.

Just seen that Universal are now doing a Marvel Character meal thing at IOA. 1, this is something Universal are miiiiiles behind Disney on so its good to see them putting some thought to little things like that. Also their Xmas HP stuff is a step to try to rival Disneys evening entertainment.

2, There had been loads of speculation that Universal and Disney had come to a deal with regards to the Marvel stuff, hence Disney going with Guardians at Epcot and adding other little bits and pieces in their parks. So its interesting that Universal are now increasing the Marvel presence in their parks. They must be coming to the point where they'd consider revamping that whole area too seeing as its nearly 20 years old now. 

We got back a few weeks ago now and our 2 year old took to it far more than we were expecting Anyone going with a toddler or any age child really MUST do a Disney character meal. They're a bit toppy if you arent on Dining Plan but so worth it. 

He 'injured' Jason Jordan 2 weeks ago before Survivor Series, im not sure if he was around last week. Probably not, based on current writing continuity.

The thing is, he's not 'over' is he? His entrance is to a degree, but hes not over enough to be main eventing the Rumble as far as I can see.

I like that its not being mentioned, as it just confirms its status in the Wrestlecrap HOF. The best(worst) wrestlecrap gimmicks are the ones that get canned after one night and never see the light of day again. Obviously it didnt get canned, and only extremely rare circumstances meant it didnt continue, but it still counts.

I dont mind Bray the performer, infact I think hes excellent and has kept some of the shit on the straight and narrow with his delivery. Maybe hes a victim of his own success in that sense, he effectively created a wonderful character that was able to be exploited with shit they couldn't do with anyone else. A face turn wouldnt be bad, but again he needs a reason, introducing a female character could lead to that, but I doubt its what they want. Talent doesnt just go away anymore either, unless injured or seriously short of ideas. Unfortunately, it seems they arent short of ideas for him.

Love thinking that the Bray Wyatt thing came about because Psycho was one of the most recent films Vince has watched.

How does that bollocks make it out of the original brainstorming session? Actually, I can see how it could be pitched well and make it to the original design of the idea. But then how does Bray Wyatt not turn it down and say it sounds shite? OK, I can see how he might not be prepared to do that. But surely he raises the question about it being shit when he's in the veil and make up infront of the camera? Again, maybe he doesnt feel comfortable (Despite being there what? 4-5 years in this character? And even longer before that. But after all that, once its filmed and they watch it back after editing, how does somebody not say 'yeah, this isnt really what i pitched' or someone else says 'yeah, this is going to be terrible' or even just 'the idea could work, but lets hold fire and see if we can think of a better way of pulling this off'.

I dont even really mind the idea of Bray being Sister Abigail, but theres got to be a better way of doing that than a morphing camera and hes suddenly slap bang in front of you in a veil with a hokey voice changer on. I cant really see where this goes where it doesnt shit on atleast one character, probably minimum two. I can only see it being rescued by an actual reveal of an actual sister Abigail, but there's no trap for it, so what would be the point of that? At best it'll be Bo Dallas.

29 minutes ago, johnnyboy said:

It was a knee-jerk to Potter.  They didn't have Star Wars at the time and they're hamstrung with Marvel in Florida.  They wanted something that was hot, but it ended up being years late.  I'd still be more interested in an Oliver and Company land than Pandora though.

True, I forget just how long its taken them to get that land done. By the sounds of it, its turned out great and they are talking about expanding it, but they must have wished they'd held out now given the success of the live action Jungle Book films and potentially Lion King and gone with those instead.

On 05/10/2017 at 7:08 PM, Nick Soapdish said:

See Harry Potter. Infact, Island Of Adventure, minus Jurassic Park, is all bought in IP's. As is Terminator, Shrek (was until this year), Transformers, The Simpsons. So they have a lot that isn't there's already. The long standing rumour was they wanted LOTR but Tolken's estate kept turning them down

Yeah true, it just feels like Disney have a never ending catalogue of potential IPs to use and continue to create new ones whereas Universal are struggling to get anything substantial off the ground these days. 

Admittedly Disney have bought alot of this in by buying our Lucas Film, Marvel etc. Them paying James Cameron for Avatar/Pandora still puzzles me, considering how many of their own IPs they could have used instead.

Oh man, Kongfrontation was to this day one of the most immersive rides ive ever been on. The streets of New York in the queue was amazing for me as a young kid and I can still remember the smell and noise of it. The Mummy is one of my favourite rides now though so it would be hypocritical to say it shouldnt have gone! T2 is a personal favourite of mine, I remember queuing an hour for that the year it opened and it being ground breaking at the time. As you say though, it has dated badly. If only theme parks spent money on modernising rides and attractions rather than just leaving them to age and become unpopular. 

Yeah, we are eyeing up doing the majority of rides in a day at both parks and going back one morning to finish off the remainder and re-ride any favourites. The fact that 3 hotels are in the process of being built or will start soon is a big sign of what they are planning. I still think it'll be 10 years before another gate opens though, but I hope im wrong. I mean, what angle could they really go with? Universal have crammed all of their IP's into their two parks and dont really have many left to work with unless they buy in.

1 hour ago, Nick Soapdish said:

ET will not close while Steven Spielberg is alive. He was so angry when they close they one in Hollywood to do the Mummy, he forbid them from doing the same to Orlando. I personally, after the initial bit, hate it. It's just a shit small world.

I'm not sure exactly why he is so keen on it staying because it is terrible, other than maybe his royalty cheques, but I am glad its still there. Part of me still wishes that Universal Studios became their Magic Kingdom park with originals staying intact and it being a bit of a retro park with slight updates and additions over the years. I suppose land-wise they dont have the luxuries that Disney have in being able to open and drastically expand newer parks to keep them modern whilst retaining the classics elsewhere. 

If Universal do ever open a new park I would pay top dollar to ride modernised versions of Jaws, BTTS, Earthquake and Kongfrontation.

On 03/10/2017 at 2:51 PM, Nick Soapdish said:

quite similar to Fallon, but I think Fallon edges it.

And seriously what is up with Universal and every ride spraying water in your face? I think only Hulk, Forbidden Journey, Jurassic Park and the other log flumes were the only attractions not to do it. It's like they are obsessed (even happened in a few of the Horror houses this year for HHN)

Im intrigued to see Universal this year and whether it feels like screen overkill. It seems like every new ride is just screen based now and since I was last there Gringotts, Kong and Fallon have opened that are atleast part screen based. Add to the fact that alot of rides feel a bit dated quality wise due to general advancements im kind of looking forward to Disney parks a bit more this year to get to experience more physical rides and less simulation.

On 29/09/2017 at 1:14 PM, Nick Soapdish said:

Has anyone done Halloween Horror Nights? Just come back from my first and really enjoyed it

Never done it and decided against it when were there in just under a month. Its probably great and I know some people really love it, but from the videos ive seen it looks like cheap/jump scares in admittedly very impressive looking sets. I was really on the fence about whether to go and decided that the cost on top of all the other tickets increasing quite a lot this year that it wasnt worth it. Also a big factor was that it seems if you only go for one night (which is all we would be there for on a HHN night, then you pay well over the odds compared to the frequent fear pass and might not necesarily get alot of the stuff done without a FOLP.

5 minutes ago, DJM said:

They should just stick Harper and Rowan with him again as the Wyatt Family. It might seem a step back for Wyatt, but none of them have really done anything of note since splitting up.

The problem is they'll split them again with no plan yet again. They have no creative direction for (The) Wyatt(s), just that he's weird and fucks around with guys on a seemingly random basis. How they havent delved into this character more over the years is crazy. The Wyatt compound should have been a thing, like a regular thing, it should have been explored and explained. Sister Abigail should have become a physical character, even just as a short term thing to explain something.There's so much potential for the character, but theres no creative want beyond the standard hokey shit. If thats all they want from him, id turn him face. Let him carry on with his act but at the expense of heels. Some kind of tone down of the character even if they dont go down this route is probably needed too. Every feud has become the same now.

Im tempted to try that place but theres just so many other places I have to eat in when at Universal. Mels Drive In is somewhere I have to eat every time and ive still not eaten anywhere in the Harry Potter areas

On 28/07/2017 at 9:02 AM, Supremo said:

I'm blown away that anyone would use Balor's entrance as a way to criticise Nakamura's. Even at its very best, when he's in full makeup, with all the bells and whistles, Balor's entrance always feels super phoney. He comes across as a guy uncomfortably doing what he's been taught to do. Like a kid in a school play. It doesn't look or seem natural at all. Especially when he whips the dreadlocks off at the end and his hair is oftentimes sticking up. Standing there in the makeup, with his hair sticking up a bit, he looks like a five year old going to his first Halloween party.

Nakamura's entrance, for all his weird mannerisms and random poses, it comes across as completely authentic. He never feels like someone has sat down with him and meticulously rehearsed what he should do. With Finn, you can see in his eyes that he's doing his routine and performing his act. I never see that when I look at Shinsuke. 

Plus, I've seen Nakamura's entrance live and, fuck me, it was up there with the best I've ever seen. Proper spine-tingling. He felt on a level above almost everyone I've ever seen, oozing confidence and charisma like very few in the business.

I'm also fascinated as to why people feel the need for Nakamura's character to be, "explained." People complaining that they don't understand what he's supposed to be or why he moves and acts the way he does. I'd never seen him until he debuted in NXT and not once did that thought cross my mind. Why can't someone just be a super confident, super charismatic, super flamboyant, weirdo oddball? Why has everything got to be explained? 

The very reason he felt like the biggest breath of fresh air when he came to NXT was because of how weird and different he was. It was ridiculously compelling to see this guy talking, wrestling and moving unlike anyone else. Him doing all these strange, subtle, weird things was what made him stand out. You couldn't take your eyes off him and had no idea what he was going to do next. Requiring for him to be, "explained," or to have his act boiled down, like they've attempted to do by calling him, "The Artist," or whatever, does nothing but take away from his act.

Real people act in strange, subtle ways. The best characters can't be boiled down into one sentence. That people want him explained and boiled down is dishearteningly indicative of how everyone's been raised on Vinny Mac's vision of how to write and portray characters. That approach is why most characters in WWE are such one-note, boring bastards that are impossible to invest in. Instead of just being an arrogant dickhead, displaying loads of subtleties that make you hate him, Dolph Ziggler has to be called the "Show Off," he has to constantly tell everyone he's showing off, the commentators have to keep referring to him showing off and Jesus-fucking-Christ how could anyone possibly give a shit by that point? It's the difference between the genuinely funny guy in your office and the, "whacky," guy who keeps telling you how funny and mad he is.

I completely agree with the 'Demon', its shit and is one of the lamest things ive seen.He looks like a 15 year old girl at Ozzfest in the early 2000's.What Finn does do though, or maybe what his whole entrance/act does, is draw the audience into his entrance. Sure, it might not be down to him and his awkward ways, but they're still drawn in. I feel that Nakamuras entrance would be brilliant regardless of whose walking out, its all about the stunning music and not about the shuffling 'eccentric' on the ramp. The only time I felt his entrance worked was when he had the violinist performing and he had something to play off and a reason to be doing what he does. Acting like that when you're coming out to interrupt Dolph Ziggler is just a bit bizarre.

I dont get him either, but I get why others do. What I dont like though, is that he's being made to seem cool without actually being it. His music is briliant, but it doesnt work for him.Its a big grand musical piece that is totally unique by wrestling standards, what that music needs is a huge entrance to boot. Instead, Nakamura slowly walks out, waving his arms and fingers around and the moments virtually dead. It needs a piece of theatre, like with Balors entrance and the way he draws the audience into the moment. 

Some fault is his, but a lot is to do with how he's been brought in. His arrival was odd, he debuted in the middle of the segment (with the Miz I think?) but nothing occured, the commercials started and when they came back they were onto something else and there was little mention of it. That isnt a way to tell your audience this guy is a big deal. Its as if HHH isnt managing these guys creatively when they come in, which he might not be, im not sure. But he should be on top of anyone coming onto the main roster. Nothing about them should be changed without his say so and that should only come if he thinks its going to help them get across to a larger audience.

I think the idea of the hotel, from what ive read. Is that you will only stay there for a night or two and it'll be adjacent from, or easily accessible to the Star Wars land. I think the lack of windows will gave you a real feeling a being somewhere unique and distant. Particular if they have some kind of experience when entering the hotel that makes you feel like you've been transported somewhere. 

Probably not for me though, im more of an explorer than somebody who wants to spend five minutes talking to a bounty hunter with tentacles. 

It looks great. i'm not into the immersive stuff so I dont think the resort would be for me, but the visuals of the place should be amazing and the rides in particular look great.

4 minutes ago, quote the raven said:

3RD park? tell me more........

It's an ongoing rumour really but it's quite strongly rumoured now after Universal bought huge plots of land to the south of their existing property a year or so ago. Ive linked to an article showing the plot of land HERE

The land itself is a distance away from the current resort but its still on universal boulevard so theres been various rumours about transport links, they've also bought several small plots int he same area. It could just be that they acquired it to stop others piggy backing their product and taking some of the revenue they're creating but for what they spent I imagine they're planning on using it.

I'm not normally into the D23 expo announcements but it feels like they've announced loads of new attractions and alot feel like expansions rather than replacements. Ratatouille and Guardians of the Galaxy will be huge additions to Epcot. I didnt catch the details of the improvements to Future World too but the image I saw looked impressive. Tron in another massive addition to MK and is being extended past the railroad so doesnt replace anything. The new Mickey ride at Hollywood sounds cool too, but its a shame its replacing the Great Movie Ride when they really cant afford to close things down over there.

There's going to be a lot of building work when I go this year with Toy Story Land, Star Wars Land, Tron and Ratatouille all being built and GMR being replaced by this Mickey Ride.  Add to that the Star Wars resort, Gondola system and general minor works going on to gear up for the 50th anniversary in a few years theres a lot of changes going on. Add to that the rumours of a third Universal park and the expansions theyre looking at and in a few years time you could practically spend a 2 week holiday just doing things that are new.