Picked this up from an online retailer for 14.51! I wasn't a huge ECW follower, but remember watching it at 12:30am on the old Prime Sports Network in the Spring of 1995. Back then I liked ECW because their shows seemed like one big party. I was already of fan of their intro tunes (Killing Joke, Alice in Chains,etc) and the Bingo Hall reminded me of the Sportatorium. Prime Sports stopped airing it in June of 1995 and I kinda' forgot about wrestling until WCW's Nitro premiered in the Fall. One of the reasons I started watching Nitro was because they had ECW imports Eddie Guererro, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko and (later) Public Enemy.

I haven't gotten to the second disc containing the matches, but the first documentary disc is great. They touch on all of the big angles and controversies of ECW's "glory days". Busted tables, lesbians, lucha libre, Singapore canes..it's all here. Tommy Dreamer and Paul (E. Dangerously) Heyman provide the majority of the comments. Other ECW alums like Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam, Stevie Richards, Guererro, Benoit, Taz, the Dudleys, Dawn Marie and even Kurt Angle pop in (I never knew that Angle made a quick "celebrity appearance" at an ECW event).

About halfway through, a chapter talks about the ECW fans. You can see "Straw Hat Guy" (aka "Hawaiian Shirt Guy"), "Sign Guy" and "Faith No More Guy". One guy I was always curious about was the guy who used to sit to Straw Hat Guy's left. He was a regular in 1995 or so. Semi-built guy with dirty blonde dreadlocks. Usually wore a vest and would point into the ring alot. He pops up in the documentary quite often, but isn't acknowledged. I'm just curious why he didn't become an ECW icon like Straw Hat Guy, Sign Guy and Faith No More Guy. These "Guys" crack me up.

I'd recommend taking some of the comments and coverage with a grain of salt. For instance, Paul Heyman says that they wanted to provide a "new revolution" to pro wrestling and would routinely trash WWF and WCW. Of course, they had no problem employing cast-offs like Shane Douglas, Cactus Jack, Ron Simmons, Nancy Sullivan, Al Snow, the Steiners, Missy Hyatt, Bam Bam Bigelow, Steve Austin and even Tully Blanchard. Heyman's comments regaridng the infamous "Mass Transit" incident seem quite vindictive. A 19 year old wrestler filled in for an ECW match and was seriously injured by New Jack. "He falsified his documents" says Heyman...as if it was the kid's fault that New Jack was allowed to literrally beat the bloody crap out of him. So if he was 23 and was mutliated, it would have been okay? Also, ultimate shill Mick Foley contradicts some of his vicious anti-WCW statements from his "Have a Nice Day" book.

Watching this, I'm reminded of how much I hate Raven. A 36 year old playing a early 20's disillusioned grunge rocker. In the late 90's, well after the trend had passed. But he was SERIOUS about it. He's still doing this crap today...quoting Public Enemy's old "Welcome to the Terrordome" a few weeks ago on "TNA Impact". On this disc, it's funny to hear him try to act all brainy, and pronounce "iconography" as "I-con-O-graffy" (watch the segment about Sandman's crucifixtion). Guy's a tool.

I'm left to wonder "whatever happened to" the following people: Francine, Bill Alphonso, Pit Bulls, Beulah, Blue Meanie, Nova, Perry Saturn, John Kronus and Mike Awesome. Is Dean Malenko still working for the WWF, behind-the-scenes?

Overall, I'm enjoying this disc. Recommended if you folllowed pro wrestling in the 90's. Good time capsule piece.

I'm not a very big ECW lover, but let me see...

Alphonso occasionally works indy shows, and was managing Sabu in Major League Wrestling before the promotion folded.

1 of the Pitbulls died either early this year or last year from some kind of drug overdose.

Blue Meanie slimmed WAY the fuck down and I think runs 3PW (I have no Idea what the 3 P's are for).

Nova is currently Simon Dean in WWE, doing the Body Donnas gimmick all over again. He also apparently has man boobs now.

Perry Saturn I last saw on TNA last year, and haven't heard of him anywhere since.

Kronus I have no clue about past his ECW stuff.

Awesome works Japan a lot, but will do US shows from time to time.

Dean Malenko is a Road Agent with WWE.

Beulah left in the late 90's to finish college. She married Tommy Dreamer in the past year.

I think Kronus has went the way of Dynamite Kid and can barely move.