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This HBO documentary is based on a highly original idea: tell the storyof baseball from the Great Depression era through the late 1950s using footagefrom home-movie cameras shot by fans and players. The result is a marvelous lookat baseball in America as seen from the ground--the culture of stadiums, theritual of afternoon games, the spiritually sustaining rivalries. Among the trulyunexpected sights is color footage of the 1938 World Series, not only frominside the stadium walls but from the street as traffic cops, crowds, andvehicles amassed. It also covers World War II's impact on the game, and, ofcourse, the heroes, often caught in relaxed, unselfconscious moments.

Arguably more defined and even more lyrical than its predecessor, When It Wasa Game 2 moves from a general celebration of baseball culture in America toa specific focus on various facets of the game's history, including the specialrelationship between game announcers and fans and the farm-team system duringthe 1930s, '40s, and '50s. Brooklyn's assimilation of the Dodgers into theircommunity identity is covered quite winningly as is the heartbreak of the team'sdesertion to California. Last, the film takes us on a tour of some of the game'slegends and presents a touching tribute to the extraordinary Babe Ruth. --TomKeogh

When It Was a Game 3 focuses on the 1960s, a time of change for all ofAmerica.Through sharp, incredibly clear color footage of players and fans, thefilm shows how Major League Baseball slowly but surely evolved from pure sportto moneymaking entertainment. Covering the mighty Yankees, the western expansionof both leagues, the increasing inclusion of black players, and the rise of freeagency and increased salaries, the film shows the growth of baseball fromadolescence to adulthood. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (2)

When it was a game-3 pack
I have been an avid baseball fan since 4 yrs. old. (1951) I am a collector of baseball sports memorabilia going back to late 20's. The series, "When it was a game" was an absolute delight. It finally placed faces to names I have collected for over 50 yrs. The 8 and 16 mm made the viewing even more spellbounding. It made me feel like I actually took the photos. It is refreshing to see my hero's in everyday circumstances; snapshots of the best of the best as ordinary people. The movies were well-done, I was not able to stop viewing until I have watched all three DVD's. This is the best collection of home movies of hall of famers I have ever seen. I would recommend this collection to any baseball fan who truly wants to reward himself with the very best footage of his favorite leaguer. I will cherish the entire set.

Baseball History on DVD
The when it was a game series is one of the best baseball documenturies that I have ever seen. The extreamly rare footage of baseball's greats with commentation is a very good mix. You'll love to relive the history and remember those great days "when it was a game." ... Read more

Book Description

The companion audiobook to Ken burns's magnificent PBS television series

The authors of the acclaimed and history-making bestseller The Civil War flow turn to another American phenomenon. Their subject is baseball.

During eight months of the year, it is played professionally every day; all year round, amateurs play it, watch it, and dream about it. Baseball produces remarkable Americans: it seizes hold of ordinary people and shapes them into something we must regard with awe. Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio ... truly gifted human beings acting out universal fantasies that, for whatever reason, are most perfectly expressed on a baseball field.

All this and more rings through Ward and Burns's moving, crowded, fascinating history of the game -- a history that goes beyond stolen bases, triple plays, and home runs to demonstrate how baseball has been influenced by and has in turn influenced, our national life: politics, race, labor, big business, advertising, and social custom. The audio covers every milestone of the game: from the rules drawn up in 1845 by Alexander Cartwright to the founding of the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players in 1885, from the 1924 Negro World Series through Jack Roosevelt Robinson's major-league debut in 1947, and Nolan Ryan's seventh and last no-hitter in 1991.

Monumental, affecting, informative, and entertaining -- Baseball is an audio that speaks to all Americans.

Baseball is available in hardcover from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. ... Read more

Reviews (93)

A DVD All Baseball Fans Should Own
Ken Burns did his usual outstanding job with this documentary. He tells the story of baseball, using a combination of still photos, videos, interviews and quotes quotes. The DVD includes a bonus disc, which includes several great interviews.

He hits all aspects of the game: The development of the game itself and the leagues, the labor history, the stars and great teams and personalities, the great moments in the history of the game, and so on. He also gives us a pretty good look at the old Negro leagues and we get to hear some of the great stories from those days before MLB was integrated.

The only bad thing I can say about this collection of dvds is that by the time it was over I was really sick of hearing different versions of "Take Me out to the Ballgame."

The great stories in this collection more than make up for that one drawback, however. He does more than just interview and quote the players, managers, umpires, owners and sports writers. He includes stories from fans. Doris Kearns Goodwin told about how she grew up rooting for the Brooklyn Dodgers, then after they moved away, she found herself in Boston, becoming a Red Sox fan, just in time to have her heart broken again.

All fans of baseball should see this collection.

this is a 'must see' for people who love baseball
THIS BEAUTIFUL AND METICULOULSY CRAFTED FILM ABOUT THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL, TRACES IT'S ROOTS IN AMERICA FROM THE 1830' TO THE 1990'S. ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN KEN BURN'S CIVIL WAR SERIES KNOWS HOW WELL THE AUTHOR COVERS HIS SUBJECT. THIS NINE TAPE SET LETS YOU SEE THE EVOLUTION OF AMERICAS GAME. THROUGHT A COLLECTION OF STILL PHOTOGRAPHS AND EARLY MOTION PICTURES YOU CAN SEE THE LEGENDS THAT YOU HAVE ONLY HEARD OF IN BOOKS AND FROM YOUR OLDER RELATIVES. CAP ANSON AND 'HOME RUN BAKER COME TO LIFE, TY COBB AND HONUS WAGNER, AND GROVER CLEVELAND DISPLAY THEIR ATHELETIC PROWERESS ON JERKY SPOTTED FILM. THE NARRATIVE IMPECCABLY DONE BY JOHN CHANCELLOR AND A HOST OF WELL KNOWN FANS SUPPLIES YOU WITH A RUNNING COMMENTARY OF THE PLAYERS AND THEIR STORIES OF MOST OF THE HONORED MYTHS. THE STORY IS TOLD IN A CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER SEPARATED INTO ININGS, A TOTAL OF NINE. THEY ALSO COVER THE 1910'S AND THE BLACK SOX SCANDAL. THE 20'S AND THE 'BABE'. THE 30'S AND THE 'IRON HORSE'. ON INTO THE 40'S WITH 'JOLTIN JOE' DIMAGGIO AND TED WILLIAMS. THE WAR AND IT'S EFFECT ON THE GAME WITH THE BIRTH OF WOMEN IN PROFESSIONAL BALL. THE INSPIRATIONAL STORY OF JACKIE ROBINSON AND THE INTERGARATION OF THE 'NATIONAL PASSTIME'. INTO THE 50'S AND THE RISE OF NEW STARS LIKE MICKEY MANTLE,WILLIE MAYS,HANK AARON AND THE TRIALS OF THE BROOKLYN DODGERS. THE SERIES COVERS THE EFFORTS OF PLAYERS TO OVER THROW THE HATED RESERVE CLAUSE WHICH BOUND EVERY PLAYER TO ONE CLUB FOR HIS LIFETIME. EACH TAPE HIGHLIGHTS THE WORLD SERIES OF MOST OF THE YEARS. THE THROWING OF THE SERIES BY 6 SOX PLAYERS, THE PICTURE OF BABE RUTH CALLING HIS SHOT AGAINST THE PIRATES. THE MIRACLE CATCH BY MAYS IN '54' AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF AMERICA IN DIMAGGIO'S INCERDIBLE STRING OF 56 GAMES SAFELY HIT IN. IT ALSO HAS ITS SHARE OF ZANIES AND SHOWS SOME OF THE WARTS OF THIS GREAT GAME. THE CURSE ON THE BOSTON REDSOX BY BABE RUTH AND THE INCOMPRABLE SATCHELL PAGE. THE MIDGET HIRED BY BILL VECK AND THE EXPRESSIONS COINED BY THE LIKES OF CASEY STENGEL AND YOGI BERRA. THE LOVEABLE CRAZINESS OF BILL LEE. IT'S ALL HERE IN ABOUT 10 HOURS OF VIEWING WHICH WILL PASS IN FLASH LIKE THE PICTURES ON THE SCREEN. YOU MUST WATCH THIS DOCUMENTARY IF YOU GREW UP IN AMERICA IN THE 40' AND 50'S LIKE I DID- TO RECALL THOSE WONDERFUL LOSE DAYS OF CHILDHOOD SPENT ON THE BASEBALL FIELD AND THOSE WHO WERE NOT FORTUNATE ENOUGH, TO SEE THE FABLED PLAYERS OF THE PAST.

View it as entertainment, not as history
Ken Burns is becoming well-known as much for what he leaves out of his documentaries as for what he tells you and how he tells it. One sees it somewhat in the Civil War documentary (unless of course you are a Lost Cause devotee, in which case you view that series as horribly biased and riddled with errors), and it is definitely (and troublingly) evident in his Jazz documentary, where 40 years of jazz is virtually glossed over in favor of an almost obsessive fixation on Louis Armstrong. In the case of "Baseball," Burns again leaves out huge chunks of the story, although the end result is nonetheless entertaining.

In the case of "Baseball," the unrelenting focus is on New York City, Babe Ruth & Jackie Robinson, and to be fair, there is no way you could discuss the subject of baseball without devoting a great deal of time to these subjects. However, the title of the documentary is "Baseball," not "The New York City, Babe Ruth, and Jackie Robinson Story," and it is possible to watch this documentary at times and come to believe that nothing else was happening out side of New York most of the time.

I recall reading a Sports Illustrated article a few years ago that discussed the Philadelphia Athletics from 1929-1931, and made the case that that team was better than the famed "Murderer's Row" Yankees of 1926-1928, and possibly the best team in baseball history. The article's author crunched the numbers, compared the stats, and made a pretty compelling case. He then asked why so little attention has been paid to the A's over the years, and posited that because most of the nation's important papers and sportswriters were based in New York City; by default the majority of the great sportswriting was devoted to the Yankees, while relatively backwater Philadelphia languished in obscurity. It seems to be the same situation with Burns. While other incredibly dominant teams such as (in the early years) the Chicago Cubs, the A's, the Pittsburgh Pirates & the Detroit Tigers are given passing mention, they are quickly shoved on the back burner in favor of the Boston Red Sox & New York Giants. Then the Yankees & the Dodgers begin to coalesce, and it is all New York, all the time. One gets no feeling for how dominant the 1929-1931 A's (or the St. Louis Cardinals of the mid-1930's) were, because Burns continually focuses on Babe Ruth & the Negro Leagues.

When Burns gets to the 1950's he can be excused, because really it was a New York-dominated decade like no other. However, the other decades did in fact see a more competitive balance, and one would not get this impression from the documentary.

It would have been nice if Burns hadn't crammed the last quarter century of his story into one "inning." Are you telling me that the stories since 1970 aren't as compelling as the early years of baseball. I don't believe that Burns would have had to devote that much more time to the post-1970 era to make it feel less cursory and rushed. This is a somewhat annoying tendency of his that was more griveously evident when he made "Jazz."

Also, I get a little tired of the "poetry of baseball" school of thought. It isn't as though I am some knuckle-dragging troglodyte who gets all his news from sports radio; I am just as likely to go to the opera as to the ballpark. This baseball as metaphor for how the cosmos works gets on my nerves after a while (although I consider Roger Angell's comment "there's more Met than Yankee in all of us" to be priceless beyond description). It's not that baseball doesn't imbue our life with a little extra something special, it's just that some of these talking heads tend to get a little overwrought.

I enjoyed watching the documentary the first time, and I have watched it probably half a dozen times since over the years. By comparison, I have watched "The Civil War" about 15 times, I would guess. I was so disappointed with "Jazz" that I managed only a second viewing. In any case, "Baseball" is very entertaining, and that is what largely accounts for my 4-star rating I would only caution those who don't know their baseball history that this documentary omits a great deal of what is a very good story.

Costas at his best
You don't have to love baseball like I do to enjoy this documentary about Americas pastime. Although I got a little tired of Ken Burns style (I think it's unnecesary to quote someone and THEN state the name of the person being quoted, a Ken Burns trademark) the material is just too great and too American to be disliked. The best part? I was mesmerized by Bob Costas' description of events that took place in the BoSox clubhouse during their 9th inning collapse in game six of the 1986 World Series. When he recollects his "What do I do if they tie it?" remark to his producer it is fascinating, thrilling, and in the end, very sad. Just more proof that baseball is "designed to break your heart". Trust me on this one.

Great documentary but what's the deal?
Has anyone noticed that the times given for each "Inning" (i.e., disc) on the DVD is wildly inaccurate? Am I missing material or what? Almost every inning is under two hours according to my DVD player but the case usually indicates a time of 145 to 155 minutes or more. Are there hidden easter eggs on the disc or is PBS just wrong?
jr ... Read more

Reviews (111)

Perhaps the greatest Pro-Wrestling DVD set ever made!
Here is the official listings for this 3 DVD set due out November 18th, 2003.

"His name draws universal awe and admiration. He is the 16-time Heavyweight Champion of the world. He has held the World Championship more times than any competitor in the history of sports-entertainment. Fans around the world pay tribute by shouting his trademark "Woooooo!" He's influenced more Superstars than anyone else. There are legends and all-time greats, but there is only one Ric Flair.

Wrestling match footage from the 70's, 80's, 90's and today. This includes some of Ric's most famous matches with: Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk, and Sting.

Ric Flair vs. ... (shown in their entirety)

1. Harley Race Starrcade (11/24/83)

2. Dusty Rhodes Starrcade (11/28/85)

3. Barry Windham World Wide Wrestling (01/20/87)

4. Ricky Steamboat Clash of the Champions VI (04/02/89)

5. Ricky Steamboat WrestleWar (05/07/89)

6. Terry Funk I Quit Match Clash of the Champions IX (11/15/89)

7. Royal Rumble (01/19/92)

8. Sting Undisputed World Title Unification Clash of the Champions XXVII (06/23/94)

The DVD will also feature:

*Debut match with the WWWF vs. Pete Sanchez 3/1/76

*A day in the life of the Four Horsemen

*Flair'd match with Triple H from 5.19.03 Raw with a post-show tribute that has never-been-seen before on TV

Plus all the promos & controversies surrounding his greatest matches against Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, Terry Funk, Sting as well as his 1992 Royal Rumble victory.

BONUS: 6 hidden Easter eggs

The Best WWE DVD Ever
As an avid fan of WWE and WWE DVD's, its easy to say that this is the best WWE DVD ever released. Its fitting given that Ric Flair is arguably the best wrestler ever. This DVD makes Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michael, NWO, Triple H, and any of the Rock or Stone Cold Steve Austin's DVDs look trivial.

The DVD includes some of Flair's most famous feuds and matches with Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, Barry Windham, Ricky Steamboat, Terry Funk, and Sting plus all the important promos & controversies surrounding some of his greatest feuds.

The Matches Include:
Ric Flair vs. ... (shown in their entirety)

1. Harley Race in a Cage at Starrcade '83 (11.24.83)
-->Five Bonus Features, Pre-Match & Post-Match Interviews
2. Dusty Rhodes Starrcade (11.28.85)
-->Six Bonus Features
3. Barry Windham World Wide Wrestling (01.20.87)
-->Five Bonus Features including Flair v. Windham (1.13.87)
4. Ricky Steamboat Clash of the Champions VI (04.2.89)
5. Ricky Steamboat "The Greatest Match" WrestleWar (5.7.89)
-->Three Bonus Features including Flair & Windham v. Steamboat & Gilbert (1.21.89) and "Flair Calls Out Steamboat from Clash of the Champions V (2.15.89), Controversy Recap with Five Features including Pre-Match Interviews.
6. Terry Funk I Quit Match Clash of the Champions IX (11.15.89)
-->Six Bonus Features, Pre-Match Interviews
7. Royal Rumble (01.19.92)
-->Six Bonus Features including Royal Rumble Post-Match Interview
8. Sting Undisputed World Title Unification Clash of the Champions XXVII (06.23.94)
-->Three Bonus Features including Sting gets kicked out of the Four Horsemen and Pre-Match Interview.
9. Triple H on RAW (5.19.03)
-->Plus all the footage from the RAW post-show tribute that has never-been-seen on television.
*This is worth the price of the DVD all by itself.

Bonus Features Include:
1. Debut match with the WWWF vs. Pete Sanchez (3.1.76)
2. History of the Four Horseman
3. A day in the life of the Four Horsemen from WWE Confidential
4. The Plane Crash
5. Flair's WWE TV Debut on Prime Time Wrestling (9.9.91)
6. PWI Wrestler of the Decade Presentation (11.15.89)
7. A Workout with Rowdy Roddy Piper in the NWA (1.24.82)
8. The Final Nitro Speech

BONUS: 6 Hidden Easter Eggs:

Easter Egg #1
Disc 1: To the the "Chapters" menu and then highlight "Barry Windham: Keeping up with the champ" and press right on your remote. You will then see a promo with Flair talking about Tully Blanchard, Dusty Rhodes, Magnam TA, and Nikita Koloff and ribs Buddy Landell while he is in the ring.

EASTER EGG #2
Disc 1: Go to the "Chapters" menu and then into the Dusty Rhodes menu. Highlight Flair cuts a promo and press left, you see Flair cutting a promo about being the Champ.

EASTER EGG #3
Disc 2: Go to the "Chapters" menu again, highlight "A Day in the Life of the Horsemen", press left on your remote. Now you will see a promo with Flair talking about being the best and also talking about Jimmy Garvin and the Freebirds.

EASTER EGG #4
Disc 3: On the main menu highlight "Play" press left on your remote and it will highlight the WWE logo in the top left corner of the screen. Hit enter and there is a promo of Flair's talking about the Greatness of the Horsemen and also talks about the Freebirds, and the Road Warriors.

EASTER EGG #5
Disc 3: Go into the "Chapters" menu Highlight "The Final Nitro" in the "Special night in Greenville" menuand press left and you see Flair talking about coming up with the WOOOOO! and you see stars such as Lance Storm, Al Snow, Golddust, Coach, Josh Matthews, Ivory, and many many more stars and staff members doing the famous "WOOOO!"

EASTER EGG #6
Disc 3: In the "Special night in Greenville" section.... Highlight the word "MAIN"..... Press right and it will highlight the Beer can in Flairs hand press enter and you will see Flair's Full Titan Tron video

This is the best wrestling DVD (three DVD's to be correct) ever produced. If you own one wrestling DVD make it this one. I cannot say enough about the unbelieveable matches, history, pre & post-match interviews, behind the scenes information, and easter eggs that are contained on these three discs. This is definitely a step in the right direction for WWE Home Video.

a man of great wisdom
I'll have to post this on CDNow.com next modnay during raw!

This is hopefully going to be one of the most inspirational DVDs ever and save the dying sport of wrasslin. Ric Flair has been nothing but such a great influence in th wrestling world.

He's inspired some of the best booking in wrestling (Triple H, Jeff Jarrett and Dusty Rhodes) and as well being the original Eminem where he has a million clones walking around the wrestling world (David Flair, The Maestro, Garrison Cade, Ricky Morton, Tommy Rich, Beautiful Bobby Eaton, Nature Boy Buddy Landell, Double J Jeff Jarrett, and a million jobbers from the 1980s where ever other jobber looked like ric flair). Hell, even Ric Flair inspired rock stars to steal his looks like GNR's Duff McKagan and Poison's CC Deville. As a huge bonus, Ric Flair had the best cronies hanging out with him such as Arn Andersen (just remember him as the great marty lunde, ace hardware store owner), Mongo McMichaels, Lex Buger, Ole Andersen, Batista, Overrated Randy Orton, Sting, and Wonderful Paul Roma.

This DVD is just too sweeeeeeeeeet! I also agree that its the best chops money can buy!

this dvd
This DVD exmplifies brilliance and a story of one man who started out as a bus boy for the tool box but ended up being one of the greatest figure four lock heroes of our time.

Hey Delphi, are you threatened your boyfriend Nature Girl Richard Flehr is not a real hero but just a guy who books himself to win so he can look good in wrestling history books? Do you realize Bret Hart is a better wrestler than Ric Flair could ever be? What is your fascination with Ric Flair? Do you wear your bathroom robes playing your odyssey 2001 soundtrack walking down the aisle of your bathroom? Do you bleach your hair like every other wrestler to look like Ric Flair? Why must you be so hateful? Its not my fault Bischoff was smart in WCW and picked talented wrestlers over a guy with giant man boobs and some old guy named Arn who couldn't tell what time it was.

Can't wait for volume 2!!!!
First I want to say that I loved this DVD set. If only one Ric Flair DVD collection is released, it's hard to argue with the matches chosen for this set. Thank God it includes my favorite match of all-time, Flair vs Steamboat 2 out of 3 falls from the Clash - this match is worth the price of this set alone! However, I'm really hoping that someone from WWE reads these reviews because I really want to suggest a Vol. 2 for Ric Flair to be released next year. So many classic matches were missing from this set that Ric deserves a second volume. I would love to see Flair vs Vader from Starrcade '94, both of Flair's classic International world title bouts with Ravishing Rick Rude!, the first War Games cage match, Sting vs Flair from the Clash (which was only shown in clips on this collection), Flair vs Savage from WM VIII (and a couple of matches from WCW too) and the Thunder Dome tag match with Sting & Flair vs Funk & Muta, well I could go on and on.
This set is 10 stars, but this is Ric Flair! and you can't contain his 25+ year career on just 3 DVDs, I don't even think 10 DVDs would be enough. Just please, Vince, release a Vol. 2 of The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection in 2005!
Plus, while I'm here, I think another great idea would be to release Saturday Night's Main Event by the season (Season 1, Season 2, etc.). That was the greatest wrestling TV of all-time and is the WWE's only ongoing program that could easily fit onto an affordable season by season package. ... Read more

Description

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the film that captured the essence of riding as no film had before, this unique trilogy presents all the thrills, the spills, the men and machines that create the incredible excitement on every Sunday. The Special 30th Anniversary Boxed DVD Set includes On Any Sunday, On Any Sunday: Revisited, and On Any Sunday: Motocross, Malcolm and More, plus a limited edition sticker and autographed photo. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Flawed, but very watchable
This is a difficult set of father/son directed films to rate. On Any Sunday gets 5 stars; the all time classic, perhaps best motorcycle film ever although I would consider The Road Racers a contender. The seriousness of the sport is not ignored, but Bruce Brown's sense of humor always shines through. And the music is so perfect that I sometimes hear it in my head while riding my motorcycles. OAS is only 1 year younger than me, yet it does not feel particularly dated; it really is timeless. While I enjoyed the other films, and in particular the present day interviews with the OAS riders in OAS Revisited, they really pale in comparison to the original. Like an earlier reviewer, I feel Dana Brown got a free pass from his dad to make the sequels. They lack the humor, pacing, and with the exceptions of the old deleted scenes, cinematography of the original. I love the original so much that I like the sequals more than I should. Still, it is worth the price of admission just to see Malcolm Smith and Mert Lawill 30 years later, and hear them tell their own stories in their own words. If only Dana Brown had the talent of his father, this would be an absolutely brilliant set. As is, I am still glad to have bought the set and passed on my original On Any Sunday DVD to a seriously ill old flat track rider, who I hope gets some joy from it.

You need this collection!
My "On Any Sunday" VHS is pretty much worn out, as I'm sure most hard core fans can appreciate. I wished for a DVD version almost as soon as the DVD was invented!

This three disc set is great. "On Any Sunday" surely needs no further review from me. I seem to enjoy "On Any Sunday - Revisited" much more than the other reviewers here. I, for one, am grateful for the release of previously unused footage. The interviews with riders from the original movie are just like sitting down and benchracing with the guys.

"Motocross, Malcolm, and More" is another bit of fun. It won't win an Acadamy Award, but if you've read this much, you'll enjoy it.

A Complete Picture
Yes, On Any Sunday was the original masterpiece but the updtated clips of the old masters in OAS Revisited & OAS Malcolm & More completes the picture.

Yes, I want to know and see what the old codgers look like now and how the ground breaking movie of 71 affected their lives.

Yes, Dana Brown's attempt does not match his fathers brilliance and his attempt is amateurish. It could be seen as downright expoitive of the original and purely a money making venture.

Yes, I'm a dirt-biking nut and I loved it anyway !

My name is Dana, and Dad said I could make a movie...
Let me clarify up-front: The main attraction, "On Any Sunday," earns 4 stars as a classic film. For any kid who saw this movie when it came out in 1971, it was a life-changing event. Most of us took up motorcycle riding because of it. And to see it again after so many years is a real thrill. It's the free-spirited, shaggy-haired, helmet-optional, no-padding, sunshiny '70s - with a parade of old, now-extinct dirtbikes to drool over. As with "Endless Summer," Bruce Brown shone sunshine upon a little-known pasttime and made it cool, accessible and very popular.

The big problem arises when Bruce's son Dana takes the helm to offer the "revisited" supplementary DVDs. What Dana has put together is a mish-mash of unused footage from the original - along with some 30-years-later home-video interviews with Dad, Malcolm Smith, Mert Lawwill, and a handful of the other racer stars of the movie.

As the "writer," Dana gives us only one-line-at-a-time, occasional screen text to tell the story. It's choppy, poorly written, grammatically flawed. For example, a sample line when Dana is explaining that we are seeing this footage for the first time. "It it being shown for the first time." It it??!! How could they miss that? And did Dana not inherit any of Dad's narrative skills? If you want us to feel that old Brown magic - then talk to us, don't type little bulletins across the screen with mis-spellings.

As "director" and "editor," Dana chops together average footage from 30 years ago with shallow reminiscences from today. It feels like someone's first project with a home-editing system. It looks like Bruce was interviewed at his dining room table - with no professional lighting and no professional camera work. And no professional interviewing skills. Note to Dana: The only way you're going to pull interesting stories from your interviewees is by asking interesting questions.

Ughh - I could go on and on. Long story short: buy the movie, "On Any Sunday." Skip the "revisit." ... Read more

Reviews (9)

GARBAGE GARBAGE GARBAGE
Rather then being a 5 DVD set highlighting the greatest moments in wrestling history, this is more like a 5 DVD shill for Dave Meltzer's newsletter.
Granted the matches ARE classics, but most are clipped or joined in progress, and the "insider" commentary is more to cater towards wrestling marks then towards those that really have insight on the business.....Plus Newsflash to the makers of this....Classic Wrestling matches occurred in OTHER PLACES THEN TEXAS!!! the majority of these classics are from Texas based promotions. If your looking for a wrestling history lesson do not look here because the majority of "classic" matches of the time are left out..Wheres Lou Thesz, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Steve Williams, Stan Hansen, The Von Erichs and so many others?
I hope a REAL classic wrestling DVD set comes out soon...

For the long-time fan, this truly is like finding "gold"!
For someone like me, who became a wrestling fan just before the big wrestling boom of 1984, a collection like this is priceless...It’s funny, I’m sure those people who have become fans within the past few years, who are used to the glitz and glamour and pizzazz of the current wrestling scene, would find this collection a complete bore. To those who miss the old days of wrestling when having a great body wasn’t the only prerequisite to stardom, when you didn’t have to do a quadruple flip off the top of a cage for a move to seem effective, and when title belts actually seemed important and prestigious, this is great nostalgia. This collection brings back so many great memories in the same way watching an old sitcom or listening to a song that was popular when you were a kid does.

The collection is fun on many levels. It works almost as a “Before They Were Stars”, as many future superstars like Shawn Michaels, Randy Savage, Rick Rude, Bobby Heenan, Tully Blanchard, and others can be seen in their formative years, before they achieved stardom in major promotions like the WWF or WCW. You also get to see many classic pre-1985 matches, such as Rock `n’ Roll Express vs. Lanny Poffo and Randy Savage, Harley Race vs. Terry Funk for the NWA World Title, Jerry Lawler vs. Nick Bockwinkle for the AWA World title, and others. I personally enjoyed the chance to see many legendary wrestlers that I’ve heard much about, but never really got much of a chance to see perform, such as Dick the Bruiser, The Sheik, Bobo Brazil, Ray Stevens, and Pepper Gomez (although the matches featuring these performers tend to be at the end of their careers as opposed to in their prime).

The best feature of the collection is the “Insiders Commentary” provided by Wrestling Observer Newsletter editor Dave Meltzer, and legendary manager/promoter Jim Cornette. This commentary provides expert insight, personal recollections, and historical context to the matches featured in this series. Both Meltzer and Cornette are true wrestling historians. Listening to their insiders commentary is almost like taking a class in the history and evolution of the wrestling business.

The Ultimate Pro Wrestling History Lesson on DVD
I had purchased this collection on VHS back in the early 90's and found it very good then. Getting to see some of todays stars/legends wrestle when they were alot younger (and greener, in some cases) was great, and also seeing action from the territories, which there are virtually none of these days.

But w/ this collection on DVD, just the quality alone makes it worth watching, but for me, the greatest part is the additional commentary from Wrestling Observer frontman Dave Meltzer and Jim Cornette. If you are a wrestling insider "junkie" as I am, and love to learn about the history of the SPORT of pro wrestling, the commentary from these 2 will certainly give you your fix. The biographies I could have done without, but the whole set is great. A completely different world from today's "sports entertainment" wrestling. I hope they are planning a 2nd edition.

Wrestling Legends, Matches and History on DVD. MUST HAVE!!!
Wrestling Gold Collection contains 5 volumes collecting vintage wrestling matches from the 1970s and 1980s. Overall, there are 62 matches and about 11 hours of wrestling action.

In addition, volumes I and II feature two biographies each. Volume I features biographies for Shawn Michaels (a contemporary star) and Dave Meltzer, the noted wrestling journalist who co-hosts this series. Volume II features biographies for Bruiser Brody, the late wrestling legend and Jim Cornette, the noted wrestling manager/promoter who also co-hosts this series.

The biggest sell of this DVD series (which distinguishes it from the VHS version) is the optional "Insider Commentary" from series hosts Cornette and Meltzer which can be turned on in lieu of the original match audio. The insider commentary offers great insights into wrestling history, the superstars that made the sport and the world of wrestling in general.

Though called "Wrestling Gold" perhaps a better name for this series may have been "The Best of Memphis and San Antonio Wrestling" which is where most of the matches on these volumes were pulled from. Here's a rundown of each volume:

Volume I - Busted Open: Eleven matches.

Highlights: a "semi-historic" bout between Adrian Adonis and Bob Orton Jr. for the Heavyweight Title with Lou Thesz as a guest announcer, Shawn Michaels as a rookie, several matches with Gino Hernandez and Tully Blanchard, Terry Funk, and one of Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the Butcher's legendary encounters.

Volume II - The Maim Event: Twelve matches.

Highlights: Several matches with Jerry "The King" Lawler, a few matches with Randy Savage, a rookie Rick Rude, The Von Erichs, the Road Warriors, the Rock N' Roll Express, Bruno Sammartino, The Sheik, Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher. Plus, an AWESOME match with Nick Bockwinkel and Manny Fernandez.

Volume III - We Like To Hurt People: Fifteen matches.

Highlights: The historic NWA title match between Terry Funk and Harley Race, a few Jerry Lawler matches, Dory Funk Jr., The Sheik in a Cage match, Randy Savage, the R N' R Express, Ray Stevens and a Tennessee Street Fight.

Volume IV - No More Mr. Nice Guy: Twelve matches.

Highlights: The Wrestling Bear vs. Gene DuBois, The Shark Cage Match, Andre the Giant, 4 matches with Randy Savage, a few Lawler matches, 3 Rick Rude matches, a GREAT Nick Bockwinkel vs. Lawler match.

Volume V - Beat Me If You Can: Twelve matches.

Highlights: A Mud Match between The Sheik and Tiger Jeet Singh, Bobo Brazil, Magnum TA and some great tag action.

Simply put, this DVD series is AWESOME and a must have for ANY wrestling fan. Here's my rundown:

Price of Admission: Seeing some of the legends of the ring (like Andre the Giant, Bruno Sammartino, Dick the Bruiser, the Crusher, The Sheik, Nick Bockwinkel, the wrestling bear) and many of the contemporary older favorites ("Macho M an" Randy Savage, Tully Blanchard, Tommy Rich, the Rock N' Roll Express, Manny Fernandez, Magnum TA, etc) in their primes and many of our departed stars like Rick Rude, Bruiser Brody, Eddie Gilbert, Gino Hernandez, etc

Pure Gold: The "Insider Match Commentary." It's a fascinating insight into the stars and the business. You'll learn a GREAT deal about the history of the business and the stars that made it. Also, Cornette's anecdotes are PRICELESS.

Could Improve: The match intros. Cornette and Meltzer do a good job introducing the matches and placing them in context of the feuds and time, BUT they neglect to mention important details like the DATES of these contests. It's something they should mention AND put on the box. You'll have to listen with "Insider Commentary" to get this basic info, and even THEN may not get it!!!

Give Me More!!!: Only four biographies??? If they really wanted to immortalize the older legends of the sport it should have been all of THEIR biographies on the DVDs as opposed to a contemporary star like Shawn Michaels or Dave Meltzer and Jim Cornette (the two guys who promotes this DVD series), who come off as simply "patting themselves on the back."

Overall, this series is a MUST HAVE if you are into old-school wrestling or just wrestling. Several of the matches in this volume are great (Taylor/Sabu, the tag and six-man tag matches)!!! You'll see many of the older stars back in their prime or as rookies and some of the legends that older fans always reminisce about. If you are a wrestling nostalgist THIS IS FOR YOU. Plus, you'll learn a great deal about wrestling history through the "Insider Commentary." It's a fascinating listen.

All I got to say is, I hope there's another one coming out down the line!!!

Highest Recommendation Possible

Incredible Blast From The Past!
Wow, what can I say? Purchased this five dvd set last week and it is definitely worth the price. If you're some johnny come lately fan who doesn't appreciate the history of the sport or the men who broke their backs making it the spectacle it is today, you won't appreciate these dvds. On the other hand, if you enjoy classic stars, classic wrestling, and an absolute history lesson on sports entertainment, this is the set for you. Lots of footage from mid-south (lots of Lawler), Texas, Toronto, Detroit, and Florida. See stars like Shawn Michaels, Randy Savage, Sherri Martel, Tito Santana, Jerry Lawler, Terry Funk, King Kong Bundy, Marty Jannetty, Kamala, Rick Rude, Ted DiBiase, and many others very early in their careers. See legends such as The Original Sheik, Abdullah the Butcher, and Bruiser Brody in their brawling primes. Even Bruno Sammartino and Bobo Brazil are here! One very nice feature is that you have the option to flip audio tracks from either the original commentary or new commentary from Jim Cornette and journalist Dave Meltzer. I watched the entire set listening to the latter, and dadgumit, Jim Cornette is a walking wrestling encyclopedia! Well...he screwed up one Ted DiBiase fact, but who's counting? My only real gripe is that one match advertised, Terry Funk vs Harley Race, is not included. Not enough to disappoint, however. Buy these now! ... Read more

Reviews (10)

mixing the production, but the fights are here
First off, I've got the DVD set. There are but 53 fights (55 if you count the two championship "fights" listed as fights but in which one of the competitors could not fight due to injury in their semifinal match - so they just walk out to the ring and concede the fight).

Production quality is poor, but varies from disk to disk. One disk has a few noticeable spots with bad macrovision encoding. Also, the disks are not numbered nor listed anywhere in chronological order so if you watch the disk labeled 1 first, you find out who is the tournament winner on 2 other disks, which leaves you knowing the winner of 6 of the fights before they begin - more than 10 percent of the fights, and by the time you've watched 3 videos, I'd guess you know the results of more than half the matches on the remaining ones.

The fights are raw. Some are out and out brawls, but, due to 7 ounce gloves, there is little blood. Some events in this "no holds barred" contest have significant rule changes - the Montreal fights allow no headbutts, some rule with respect to elbows, no striking a guy on the ground when you are standing, etc., that significantly detract from the quality of the fights (this is the only time I've ever seen a fight actually get stopped to let a fighter take a breather after an illegal blow).

A lot of fights seem to have been stopped by the ref prematurely, IMHO, for the saftety of the fighter. All said, I wouldn't compare the average quality of these fighters to UFC or Pride, but they are the equavalent of minor league stuff, but there are a few significant exceptions.

Great investment
When i first got involved into mixed-martial arts tournaments, I would never have expected to see so many high-quality performances in one package. The fights, ranging from America to the Ukraine, helps you to discover great fighters along the way. Seeing Igor Vovchanchyn upset the great Paul Varelans is worth the paying price anyway. The Women's matches scattered througout the five dvd set is very intense, yet suprisingly good for a non-commercial event(s). This is great to add to a mma fan's collection, but if you are just getting involved into this astonishing sport, buying this would not disappoint. Whether you just want to see two people have a slugfest, or a complex and intense batle of talent, the variations included inside this specific set will satisfy you.

Not Pride but still OK
You'll see some fighters before they went to Pride FC. You'll see a young and thinner Vovchanchin in Kiev, Anthony Macias, Vernon White, Jeremy Horn, etc... In addition, theres girl MMA contest and though technically very bad, Its fun to watch.

The set contains:
Baton Rouge,Louisiana
Kiev,Ukraine
Akwesasne,New York
Biloxi,Mississippi
Montreal,Canada

Note, This set and the other 3 Disc set together contains all of the IFC fights on DVD.

Picture quality (VHS box set)
You really get what you pay for in this tape set as far as video quality is concerned. Let's forget about fight quality/content and focus on footage/picture quality. ALL 5 of the tapes are recorded in EP! HORRIBLE EP I might add! Although the fine print on the box and on the tape labels suggest "highest quality EP", that's really so far from the truth. Don't get the VHS edition if you're looking for a good quality picture. I only tolerate EP from tapes I record myself off of TV, not when I pay money expecting professional quality footage. Remember, this rating is only for video quality on the VHS edition and not for quality of the fights. There are plenty of other reviews here that judge the fight quality.

Very good
This is a great video.The standard of tactical and grappling fighting may not be as high as the UFC but the brawling in many of the fights is pretty good.I like the Ultimate Street brawls at streetbrawls.com but this is good for caged combating.There are even a few womens fights included, but after viewing them i think you will agree that their place is in the kitcheon,not in the cage!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Another great IFC DVD set
This is the second DVD set from the IFC (International Fighting Championships) going under the name "Caged Combat". It includes the 3 DVD's:

Battleground 2000 (Sold seperately...)
King of the Mountain (also sold seperately...)
Warrior's Challenge..

as stated by another reviewer. If you are a collector of MMA/NHB videos, I would bypass buying them separately as the set is a better buy. That is of course unless the set gets sold out and you have to buy them separately. The IFC can be described as the Canadian version of the UFC. They are one of the few fighting organization franchises that has outlasted the other UFC clones that were started in the mid-nineties (World Combat, Extreme Fighting which aren't around anymore). Some of the best fighters in the world got their start in the IFC including Vladimir Matyushenko, Gan McGee, Vernon White, Igor Vovchanchyn and even Chuck Liddell has appeared in the IFC.

The quality of the fights in my opinion is just as good as King of the Cage. The production quality is not quite as good as the sound fades in and out sometimes. As a "B" level production, it's better than Hook'N'Shoot and it's a great buy! At least they have commentary featuring Eddie Goldman who had an MMA radio show not too long ago.

If you buy this set along with the original IFC 5-DVD set which you can get "used" from this site, you will have all of the 8 DVD's which IFC has put out. For the fighting aficionado, the key match in this set is on Warrior's Challenge where Vladimir Matyushenko meets Vernon White in the Heavyweight Championship Main Event. Both of these fighters are UFC veterans. White has also been in Pride. Warrior's Challenge is especially interesting with it's 8-man Super Heavyweight tournament in which Gan McGee, current UFC top heavyweight contender, wins it all with wins over notables Paul Buentello and UFC vet Tim Lajcik. Before fighters get to UFC or Pride, they have to start somewhere and the IFC is one of these events where you can see relative no-names (at that time) rise to the top of the fight game. They have to start somewhere you know. They didn't just learn to fight on the street.

Along with the first Caged Combat 5-DVD set, this one is a must have for the MMA/NHB collector as you can watch part of the history of the IFC organization.

Pretty good FC fighting
This DVD is a set. This set includes the DVD's;
Battleground 2000 (Sold seperately on Amazon.com as well)
King of the Mountain (also sold seperately on Amazon.com)
Warrior's Challenge (again, sold on Amazon.comseperately)

So, DON'T buy any of the individual DVDs if you plan on buying this one!! Yes, I got nabbed on this...

Good fignting. Some of the matches are real quick, but most of them are action packed. They reset the fighters after two minutes on the ground if there's not a lot of action (which is subjective - in these DVD's, they punch a lot on the ground, but the ref still resets them. In Pride, that amount of punching would not constitute a reset).

There are some tournament categories (usually two per DVD - based on weights (lightweight/heavyweight)). You will see Tim Lajcik (not sure of spelling) in there too. Not many other popular fighters, but you will see some familiar faces in the corners.

All in all, these are good DVDs. The sound cuts out sometimes, but it's not too annoying. For the price, these are great DVDs. If you are a FC collector, I would suggest buying these! ... Read more

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The complete 4-disc set of 1998 Winter Olympics highlights: Figure Skating Competition Highlights, Figure Skating Exhibition Highlights, Hockey Highlights, and Overall Highlights. ... Read more