Has anyone seen The Backyard or Wrestling With Shadows? - Beyond the Mat (2000) Discussion

[–] paulbutterworth1978 20 years ago

"The Backyard" I have never heard of, to be honest. "Wrestling with Shadows" is a much more interesting film, if only because at the outset, the director wanted to film a story about the life of Bret Hart, and instead ended up with the behind the scenes story of the "Montreal Screw-Job" (for those who don't know, the "Montreal Screw-Job" was a real event, in which Vince McMahon in essence stole the WWF title off Bret Hart to avoid Hart going to rival WCW with his championship belt. Hart was set to go to the WCW, and it happened that his last match was in Canada, and against someone he didn't like [in person, outside of "storylines]. So Hart refused to loose the match, McMahon came to the ring, told the time-keeper to ring the bell, told the ref to award the title to Hart's opponent, and left Hart standing there in disbelief) It's a much more personal story than "Beyond the mat" and much better told, although "Beyond the mat" is a good movie aswell. You should definatly get your hands on it, if you have the chance, I'm sure you'll find it interesting!

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[–] Tgogators 20 years ago

Wrestling With Shadowa is very good
I cant see why it isnt on DVD and it is incredably hard to find also I had to beg blockbuster to sell it to me, Anyway
Wrestling wiht Shadows goes into much greater detial about WWE backstage and focuses on just Bret Hart and the events leading up to his scewjob in 97
and has a lot more of WWE backstage.
Beyond the Mat goes onto the indapendit circut as well and kind of focuses a little bit more on that and it is a bit more dis-organized in order.
But they are both good owns but Wrestling wiht Shadows is something I can never get enough of and its on USA early Sunday morning like at 3AM almost every Saturday.

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[–] NineBall1986 20 years ago

Never heard of "The Backyard" Wrestling With Shadows is really deep, I wouldnt go so far as to call it as deep as BTM, but it's right up with it. BYM is truely a masterpiece, a great wrestling documentary that is really for all those illerate people out there who dont have a clue about what wrestling is and simply just dismiss it as "oh it's all fake" or "oh it's not a sport", this documentary should be watched by all you people out there who dont have a clue about pro-wrestling it should answer a lot of your questions and than some. I find it to be one of the greatest documentaries I've ever seen. I wish there would more like em, this is IMO the Citizen Kane of Documentaries.

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[–] bbombel 19 years ago

Bret Hart was a true hero
and the best there is the best there was and the best there ever will be!
WWE after the screw job is trying to minimalize his legacy all the time

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] phewBAR 18 years ago

I agreed with Luoldeng999 up until you come to the part that Vince might've had something to do with Owen's death.. that is just wrong!
But Bret was the WWF champ at the time, he was jumping to WCW! Vince had to strip him of the title, WWF would've been buried if Bret had come to WCW with the title.
Noone here would take a mans "word" when it comes to billions of dollars!

Subspace.net - Free online multiplayer game

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] jamie_mcmillan 19 years ago

Hey, you can purchase Wrestling with Shadows on Play.Com for £9.99 (just over $10).

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] snoddy88 19 years ago

For those wondering about who's to blame for the Montreal Screwjob in Wrestling With Shadows - Bret Hart screwed Bret Hart. Bret only has himself to blame because he thought he was bigger than the WWE, even though Vince McMahon gave him the oportunities and made him a star. and what is with Bret Hart fans who still can't get over it??? It happened over 7 years ago!!!!!

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[–] Batman89 19 years ago

I'm so sick of people living in the past. It was a long time ago, it's over. Move on. You really think Shawn Michaels cares if you boo him or not? He's the Showstopper! The Icon! The Main Event! He could make a match against Duane Gill look exciting!

"Look, I try to avoid all this, but I can't. This is how it is. It's not a perfect world."

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[–] justin8003 19 years ago

how dare you talk that way about gillberg. he is one of the most electrifying performers today. when i would see him with those awesome pyros, i mean the man was holding those sparklers, talk about hardcore. and the physique, that guy is built like a house.

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[–] AllenSokolik 17 years ago

This is for Justin8003. Gillberg suck my left nut, that how bad he sucks. He is only a very lame ripoff from Goldberg that the why the WWF/WWE was to make fun of The WCW & Goldberg.Goldberg would spear him & then jackhammer him throught the ring period.

Mr. Allen C. Sokolik Jr.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] kevindicator_2 19 years ago

The Backyard was an excellent movie, I enjoyed it more than beyond the mat. Beyond the mat focusd more on the rise and fall of superstars and the backyard was more about the future stars of wrestling, its a must see.

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[–] silversurfer9090 19 years ago

Beyond The Mat and Wrestling With Shadows were both good documentaries. The Backyard is interesting to watch, but doesn't give you much more substance than watching teenagers kick each others asses in terribly performed backyard wrestling matches. But it's worth watching for The Lizard.

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[–] 19 years ago

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[–] hugogonz-1 18 years ago

Michaels is a piece of crap (he is a good wrestler though). He is one of the worst backstage politicians in all of wrestling. I am glad HOGAN outpowered him in backstage politics and that is why Michaels lost to Hogan at Summerslam 05, though he has been a big baby about it. Michaels is lucky Bret cant do anything physical if not he would kick his monkey a$$ all over the locker room for spreading lies in his new book.

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[–] snoddy88 18 years ago

"Shawn Michaels is a proven compulsive liar. For years he claimed he had no prior knowledge of Montreal Screw job. But just recently he acknolwdged that he was always in on the plan.

I can care less that he was part of it.....I just don't like hypocrites who preach the bible and then stab you in the back. "

what kind of a moron are you??? You do realise that HBK became a Christian way after the Montreal Screwjob...??? After he converted he admitted his involvement in it... yeah, he lied... he admitted that!!! He lied BEFORE becoming a Christian...
What is it with people like you??? You're going to accuse him NOW for somethign he done years ago??? People like you deserve to die of AIDS.

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[–] Jimmy_Bananaz 18 years ago

HBK will never change. He can say hes become a born again christian all he wants but being a christian doesn't stop you from lieing. He whines and moans to get his own way and if he doesn't he goes home. Thats mature. And for those who say Bret Hart (greatest wrestler ever!) can't get over montreal, why is it that vince is the one that keeps bringing it into storylines like this wierd one thats going on with HBK now.

Oh and that comment you made about dieing of AIDs, that was just uncalled for.

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[–] deacon-25 18 years ago

yea dude, thats aids comment is totally unnessercary.

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[–] AllenSokolik 17 years ago

This is for Jimmy Bananaz. First of all stop putting down HBK he is a born agian christian & what he may or may not do in the past is in the past. And God has forgiving him for his past mistakes. People who are christians no matter who they are ask God to forgive them & if they truely mean it, God does forgive them for there past mistakes. We as humans are not perfect but God does not expect us to be perfect & if he did he would have made us perfect just like him to begin with. By that way let him with out sin cast the first stone, You are not with out sin or mistakes so put down the stone. HBK is not perfect eather but he is doing the best he can just like all of us. Plus it does not matter what we humans think of him, It only matter's what god thinks of him. HBK is a awesome christian & wrestler.

Mr. Allen C. Sokolik Jr.

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[–] Jimmy_Bananaz 17 years ago

If you want to see a great example of a christian wrestler look at sting. He never brings up his religion constantly. The whole DX thing made me sick, Shawns a dad in his forties now and he needs to realise hes not a teenager acting cool, it was cringeworthy. I'm not a christian, I don't believe in god so I find it difficult to put myself in his shoes so I can't really comment on what you said.

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Fatt_Abbot 18 years ago

wanker, its BECAUSE he has now found Christ, and is a born again, that Shawn Michaels has admitted about the screw job. He did confess before he became a born again, and has not yet, as far as i know (and i am a huge member... of the kilq) apologised to Bret for it. and i dont believe he will. Bret Hart was running from the company.

Shawn Michaels made mistakes. We all know that. I know that, and i dont give a s__t. Like you have never made a mistake. I know your mummy and daddy have. But Shawn has found forgivness, acceptance, and if people like you won't drop the past, from almost a DECADE ago, then i think you should perhaps die of AIDs, because you seem like a fairly large waste of space upon this wonderous earth. Or at least you should get Syphallis.

i don't see why he couldn't just re-negotiate his contract if he wanted to stay with the 'E, but nooo..... he had to be greedy, and ask Vince to make him an offer that was double the WWF UNDISPUTED CHAMPIONS pay. And, i mean, come on, who wants to work with Vince for 20 years?

Who wants to talk about Bret's roumours? About how he claims that Shawn Michaels told him to get the f__k out of the ring after Shawn's Wrestlemania XII win... or perhaps how he was trying to pull his brother Owen (god rest his soul) from the company, so that Owen could join Bret down in WCW, when all Owen wanted to do was finish off his contract, retire and become a school teacher, with enough money from his previous job to live a comfortable life.

Point is, Bret Screwed Bret by being greedy, and Shawn Michaels should NOT be taking the heat for wrestling's biggest whinger. Whose belt did he have at the time. Im fairly sure its not the Bret Hart Undisputed Championship...

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] john_bukowski 18 years ago

Never heard of "The Backyard" either.

I'm not sure how anyone could see "Wrestling with Shadows" and not come out of it thinking that Brett Hart is egotistical jerk. Sure, Vince McMahon is a scumbag who didn't deal fairly with Brett and doesn't deal fairly with the majority of his employees, but that happens in life.

For entertainment value and a wider view of the workings of pro wrestling, it doesn't get any better than "Beyond the Mat".

For a documentary about a guy who takes himself and his job way too seriously, then by all means watch "Wrestling with Shadows".

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[–] 007BondJamesBond 18 years ago

From what I have learned about the Montreal Screw Job...

Vince had offered Bret Hart a massive contract, in order to stop him going to the competition, WCW. Vince, after realising he would probably not be able to fulfill his part of the deal, due to the ammount of money involved, told Bret that he should try and seek out a deal with WCW again, and Bret reluctantly did so. Bret was happy to give up the title, just not in Montreal, which was in his home country, Canada. So the finish was supposed to be something like HBK getting Hart in a Sharpshooter, which Hart would reverse, before there was a run-in from various wrestlers, and the match would be ruled a no-contest. However, when HBK got the move set up, Vince told Hebner to give him the victory. Bret then spat in Vince's face, and smashed a few TV's etc which were at ringside. Things basically turned worse, too, when Owen wanted to leave, due to the treatment his brother got, but Vince wouldn't allow it. Bret apparently even talked to Bischoff about signing him, and Bischoff agreed, and was willing to match his WWE wages. Vince, however, got wind of it, and basically told Bret if he tried to progress with getting Owen signed with WCW, he would sue him. I might be wrong on a few things, feel free to correct me. This is just stuff I've read, if anyone knows anything else, I'd love to hear it.

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[–] darkram13 17 years ago

If people are still reading this board...just watch the "Bret Hart" DVD that WWE released in November 2005. Let bygones by bygones.
Thanx

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[–] snoddy88 17 years ago

Montreal can't let bygones be bygones... WWE got over it! But the idiot fans kept chanting "you screwed Bret" and that's why WWE keep bringing it up.
Oh, and all the Bret Hart dvd was, was a love letter from Bret to himself. He honestly believes he's the greatest thing to happen to the wrestling world! Yeah he was good, but not great...

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[–] Mr_Brownstone 18 years ago

I think I've seen The backyard. Not 100% sure though. If it is what I'm thinking of, then it's an ok documentary. Basically they just show a bunch of trailerpark trash kids doing backyard wrestling showing how much of a bunch of idiots they are. It's been a few years since I've seen it, but I remember them doing some pretty extreme stuff, considering it looked like their ages ranged from 10 to 16.

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[–] SoulMan08 17 years ago

The Backyard features an interview with Rob Van Dam and thats the high point of the film, it's just about different people backyard wrestling and doing promo's not very interested IMO. I would certainly recommend "Wrestling with Shadows" though, which gives a detailed look at Bret Hart and backstage at the WWF in general.

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