7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
ECW started as a small, Philadelphia-based local wrestling company, but rapidly became a sensation that built a passionate fan base and influenced both WCW and WWE permanently. Extreme Championship Wrestling was known for its intense matches, fan interaction, and introducing a number of future superstars to the general public, including Tommy Dreamer, Raven, Sandman, Taz, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, the Dudley Boyz, Rob Van Dam, Shane Douglas, and more. Now for the first time in years, ECW returns to home entertainment with The Biggest Matches in ECW History. Hosted by the longtime unmistakable voice of ECW, Joey Styles, this home video release collects some of the most amazing and over-the-top matches in ECW history, some of which have never before been released on DVD.
Starring: Joey Styles, Tommy Dreamer, Mick Foley, Chris Jericho, Rob Van DamSport | 100% |
Documentary | 10% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080i
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1, 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1, 1.33:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Professional wrestling as it was meant to be.
It's nice to see the WWE bringing the past alive on Blu-ray. Certainly compilation releases and wrestler profiles are not new to the WWE-on-Blu-ray landscape, but the sports
entertainment conglomerate has of late focused on time travel of sorts, bringing collections of wrestling history to the high definition
format, the first a high quality assortment of WCW matches from the acclaimed "Clash of the Champions" series, and now
the
best of the ECW, or "Extreme Championship Wrestling," which dazzled audiences in the 1990s with its hardcore wrestlers, unbelievable matches,
and
intimate setting, all differentiating it from the somewhat more commercialized mega-federations, the competing WCW and WWF. This is but the first
volume
of such ECW matches to be made available on Blu-ray, if the "official" title of this set is to be believed. And how could wrestling fans be anything but
thrilled with the prospect? This is some of the most entertaining, bare-knuckle, sweaty, bloody, intense, hardcore wrestling the professional
world has ever produced. It might lack the style and flash and polish of the WWE, but this is wrestling at its most raw; it never loses its
appeal, even if it does hail from the 1990s when standard definition video wasn't just en vogue, but the only game in town. Yet no
matter how it looks today, the action remains worth watching again and preserving forever, a task best suited for and by the Blu-ray
format.
Cactus Jacks up his opponent.
ECW Unreleased Volume 1 follows in the 1080i footsteps of another recent WWE Blu-ray release, The Best of WCW Clash of the
Champions, that package also sourced from, largely, broadcast footage originally captured in the 1990s. ECW Unleashed appears in a
standard 1990s 4x3 (1.33:1) frame with WWE's decorative strips framing either side of the image on the 1.78:1 display, these themed towards a
slightly
hardcore feeling visual rather than traditional "black bars." Considering that this release is probably 99% up-converted SD material -- the other 1%
coming
in
the form of newly-minted HD interludes between some of the matches -- viewers must set their expectations accordingly going into the release. This
is
a classic "best of" archive, not an eye candy home video transfer. It's not a bad image at all, it's just not in high definition because, obviously,
these matches weren't captured in HD. Those high definition interludes offer simple but effective HD video
quality; audiences who have seen these sort of WWE releases know exactly what to expect. The HD footage is suitably sharp, the image clear and
well-defined, presenting a stable, nicely detailed and colored image that's at baseline for these sorts of segments, not noticeably poor and not
noticeably
looking above-average.
The 1.33:1 ECW wrestling matches hold their own. While the image never impresses in the way more recent HD-captured wrestling can, this antiquated material looks as good here
as it
ever will for home viewing. That's not to say it's problem-free. Viewers will note sloppy blacks, inefficient colors, poor detail, and all sorts of
compression-related issues, not to mention the general fuzziness of SD material, particularly when it's blown up on even modest HD TV sizes. What
looked passably
good in 1995 on a 27" television set looks bad on modern-day 50" or 65" sets, never mind the even larger displays and projection screens. There's
just no
improving on an original source of this type. The primary advantage here is that Blu-ray offers the ability to place hours upon hours of material on
one
or two discs. Releases like this benefit from Blu-ray simply for posterity's sake, and what little HD material there is isn't really anything special. In
other
words, buy this release for love of the material, not the video transfer, adequate though it may be under the circumstances.
ECW Unreleased Volume 1 makes its Blu-ray debut with a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, just as fans could have likely guessed. But as is the case with the recent WCW compilation release, this track is really only 5.1 in name (and maybe in spirit) only. The presentation rarely extends beyond a tiny little corner of the center speaker, keeping things rather similar to how they were in the 1990s. The usual little montage that leads off all the WWE Blu-ray discs offers strong clarity, fine spacing, and an evident attention to detail that, along with the overlaying music which plays over the film's intro, represent the only parts of the whole thing, really, to make any use of the surround channels or even the front-sides. Joey Styles' in-studio comments play cleanly and clearly, contrasted to the in-match ringside commentary which is audible and intelligible, but somewhat scratchy and not at all seamlessly clear or up to today's standards. Additionally, most in-match sounds come up severely lacking. Wrestlers fall onto the mat with a generic thud but nothing more. Crowd chants are muddled and applause never enjoys much clarity, let alone immersion. This one's very simple, recreating the 1990s television presentation and nothing more. There is no sonic revelation, but fans should enjoy the blast from the past, and should also be comforted knowing that the soundtrack delivers the original elements to satisfaction.
ECW Unreleased Volume 1 contains two bonus matches, both located on disc two of this set.
Content-wise, ECW Unreleased Volume 1 makes for an excellent release. More bonus matches or supplemental materials would have been nice, but there's hours upon hours of classic ECW wrestling to enjoy. Joey Styles' insights make for a fascinating history lesson, and the set could have done with a little more of him. Yet for as thin as it appears to be, this is a quality assemblage and the set produces as-advertised. Hopefully there will be a more in-depth release focusing on the ins-and-outs of ECW history -- Styles offers a nice little taste of the story and the intrigue surrounding it -- but as a mere collection of wrestling, this package excels. WWE's Blu-ray release of ECW Unreleased Volume 1 offers video and audio that reflects the source. As noted, more supplements would have been nice. Still, this release comes recommended.
1981-2011
Collector's Edition
2003
2011
2011
2012
2012
2011
2012
2012
2013
2011
2012
2013
2010
2011
2012
2010
1983-2010
2012
2011