ROCKAMANIAC REVIEWS...

 

Coming out of left field this week is Havin' a beer with Mikes Hacksaw Jim Duggan : Caught On Tape! The Orlando based syndicated TV series has over the years filmed numerous segments with good old Hacksaw and these segments have now been compiled onto this new DVD release.

When I stumbled upon this DVD, I was quite intrigued and confused all at the same time. I had never heard of the Having a beer with Mike series and if I were to make the mistake of judging the DVD by its cover Id possibly believe that the series caught Duggan in some rather controversial moments as it boasts of its footage of Duggan intoxicated and on a legitimate rampage. As it turns out its quite the opposite.

Having a Beer with Mike is a comedy series that attempts to blur the line of reality and documentary, the easiest way to explain it would be a blend of Candid Camera and Jackass. As a result some of the stuff can be hilarious, while other parts are overly cheesy. The show itself airs in Orlando and through various other syndicated stations in the US and UK. Best of DVD volumes have also been released over the years and are available in big ticket stores like Best Buy and Circuit City. This release centering around the wrestling legend contains footage that was mainly shot in the early to mid 2000s, much of which was before WCW closed as he is referenced to as a WCW superstar.

 The DVD is separated into 4 separate features. The first is a best of episode of the series running just over 20 minutes in length, It begins with Hacksaw sitting down in a Tuesday Night Titans like environment to be interviewed by host Michael Mc Donald, Hacksaw promises to keep his composure as long as no one mentions Stone Cold Steve Austin. He answers the typical career in wrestling questions and eventually leads to him randomly blowing up and tearing apart the stage. Next up is a staged attack as Hacksaw is approached by a masked man while meeting with some of his fans in a parking lot, The masked man calls Hacksaw a jerk, and Duggan demands the individual get off his back and proceeds to pound him and throw the guy onto a car trunk. That would not be the end of it as Hacksaw is hanging out and signing autographs  at a local bar with a hot ring rat, this time Hacksaw puts the guy through a table to the shock of the local patrons. Getting closer to reality, Duggan accepts a dare and we get to see him performing somewhere you probably never thought youd see Duggan perform and thats a comedy club. Hacksaw holds his own for an amateur telling a funny airport security joke and a story about fighting Andre The Giant. This is followed by another sit down interview with stories about being sick in the middle of the ring, experiencing an earthquake while on the road, and Jake Roberts forgetting his snake in the car one night in Detroit and finding it frozen to death the next morning. The episode is topped off with  promos where Duggan confronts someone who looks like a terrorist in a bar and chokes him out, and where Duggan is confronted by a Richard Simmons impersonator.

Part 2 of the DVD is a 30 minute lost pilot of Bikers Court. Hacksaw is featured as the judge in this red neck biker parody of the peoples court. Alongside him is the sexy bailiff Bunny Gunns. The case before him features three individuals suing the tobacco industry for ruining their lives. The plaintiffs includes a midget who claims his growth was stunted by smoking, a fat individual who says his health sucks because of smoking, and a nude houseclean (played by Duggans real life wife) who complains about the cigarette ash burns on her breasts. There is a jury who renders a verdict but Hacksaw then lays the law down himself. This is actually kinda funny and considering Brian Knobs once had a pilot for Trailer Park Justice then something this crazy isnt unheard of. The post show includes a real life interview with the actress who played Bunny Gunns and some deleted scenes from the episode.

 Part 3 is another confrontation as the boys from having a beer with Mike convince a guy who looks nothing like hacksaw to put on the hacksaw trunks and a carlito type wig and run into a bar where Hacksaw is hanging out  and confront him as his impersonator, the stunt gets the crew kicked out promptly so they head to another bar and stage it successfully.

 The DVD then closes out with a one on one interview with Duggans wife Debra who talks about life with Hacksaw. DVD Bonus features are trailers for the previous released best of DVDs.

 One of the cool things about this release is that it comes with an actual chip off one of Hacksaws recently used 2 x 4s. A certificate of authenticity signed by Hacksaw, his wife and creator Michael McDonald accompanies it. If youre a long time fan of Duggans then this alone could entice you to order a copy. One things for certain, youve never seen a wrestling star in a DVD quite like this so if your looking for something unique to add to your collection then this could be worth a look, and even more so if youre a fan of this type of comedy.

 Havin' a beer with Mike presents : Hacksaw Caught on Tape! Is now available on DVD for 15.95$ US. For more info or to order your own copy head on over to www.beerwithmike.com