Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be

This article is about the WWE Home Video release. For the similarly titled autobiography, see Bret "Hitman" Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be.
Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be

Cover of the DVD
Produced by WWE
Starring Bret Hart
Roddy Piper
Chris Benoit
Mick Foley
Distributed by WWE Home Video
Release dates
 November 15, 2005 (2005-11-15)
Language English

Bret "Hit Man" Hart: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be also known as The Bret Hart Story: The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be[1] is a best selling DVD documentary film released as part of a three-DVD set on November 15, 2005, by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).[2] The documentary chronicles the career of popular WWE wrestler Bret Hart. Hart collaborated with WWE to make the documentary, contributing hours of interview content to the film. This collaboration marked the first time Hart had worked in an on camera capacity with WWE since the Montreal Screwjob, which was Hart's last in-ring appearance with the company until his return on January 4, 2010. The documentary chronicles Bret Hart's wrestling career, from how he broke into the business as a member of the Hart family to his run in World Championship Wrestling (WCW). Highlights of matches from his days in his father's Stampede Wrestling promotion, as well as his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and WCW are shown while insight is provided from Hart about what went on behind the scenes.

This is the second documentary about Bret Hart, the first being Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows (which was produced with cooperation by the WWF, but not released by WWF/E Home Video) which chronicles Hart's last days wrestling in the WWF and talks about his relationship with his brother Owen.

History

Hart has stated that the video was a project that he had wanted to do for a long time and that he originally pitched the idea of a compilation set to Vince McMahon before DVDs were commonplace.[3][4]

Initial idea

Originally, the DVD was to be named Screwed: The Bret Hart Story, and would be a film focusing on the negative aspects of Hart's career, much like WWE's The Ultimate Warrior DVD, The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior.[5][6][7] It originally featured derisive interview comments from former opponents like Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and Jerry Lawler, with whom Hart had real-life personal issues (Hart has since made amends with Michaels and Lawler). Hart said of the project: "It was kind of a smear. It was basically a platform for guys to express their dislike for me and their jealousy." Hart was not slated to contribute to the documentary, but later agreed to participate, claiming that WWE essentially told him: "Get on board or we'll run you over."[8]

Hart's involvement

Negative interviews were thereafter deleted when Hart got involved, and replaced with positive appraisals from alternate former opponents like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Roddy Piper and Chris Benoit, who held Hart in high regard.[9] Hart has said that a major factor in his agreeing to participate in the project was an encounter with a small child in a dentist's office. The child had a Bret Hart action figure, but he had no knowledge of Hart's actual work and was only familiar with WWE video games in which Hart was featured as a "WWE Legend."[10] After a promotional photo with WWE chairman Vince McMahon, Hart contributed over seven hours of new interview footage and was allowed full creative input in the project. McMahon noted Bret's participation with a message before the main program in which he thanked Bret for putting aside the various personal and professional differences the two men had in order to produce the DVD for the fans.[3] It has been suggested that the Screwed DVD was conceived by McMahon as a ploy to persuade Hart to the project.[9]

After the DVD's release, Hart was interviewed for WWE.com's show ByteThis! and promoted the DVD with a series of appearances to meet, and greet fans. He also appeared at the next year's WWE Hall of Fame to be inducted by Steve Austin.[11][12]

Overview

Hart as a collegiate wrestler

Disc 1

The first disc is separated into several smaller segments focusing on different parts of Hart's life.[13][14][15]

Bret Hart partakes in several interviews were he discusses specific events, such as the origin of the name "the Dungeon" for his father’s training hall, being away from family on Halloween, his friendship with the other Hart Foundation members, learning his signature move: the sharpshooter, his brother's pranks and about his trademark sunglasses. There are also two tribute videos included, one for his older brother Dean who died in 1990 from kidney failure and another for dead wrestlers Hart knew.[13][14][15][17]

Disc 2 and 3

The second and third discs contains a selections of matches from Hart's career. Hart himself chose all the matches presented on the DVD.[13]

Reception

The DVD has received positive reviews.[18][19][20][21]

From Hart

Hart has said that he is very happy with how the DVD ended up.[3][10] Hart has also said that he is very glad that the documentary did not end up like the "Screwed DVD" which it was originally intended. Despite this, Hart has stated that he feels that it is not comprehensive enough and says that he felt that the DVD could have been one or two discs longer and wishes that his match with "Macho Man" Randy Savage from Saturday Night's Main Event could have been included. Said matches could not be included due to legal issues involving Jesse Ventura.[21] Because of this Hart expressed that he wished to do another collection of matches at some time.[22]

Match content

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Bret Hart Story: The Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be (2005)". imdb.com.
  2. ↑ Heath McCoy (2007). Pain and Passion: The History of Stampede Wrestling. ECWPress. p. ??? pp. ISBN 978-1-55022-787-1.
  3. 1 2 3 "Interview Highlights: Byte This – Bret Hart has high praises for Kurt, Curt, and Eric". pwtorch.com. Pro Wrestling Torch.
  4. ↑ BAINES, TIM (December 10, 2010). "Hitman has finally found contentment". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  5. ↑ "Interview – Bret Hart with John Pollock". fightnetwork.com. May 13, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Bret Hart explains how the "Screwed" DVD was and how that changed". wrestleview.com.
  7. ↑ "Slayer's Wrestling and Stuff: Bret Hart DVD Review & a Mini-Diva Recap". insidepulse.com. November 16, 2006.
  8. ↑ Bret Hart feature. Power Slam. Issue 140. March 2006.
  9. 1 2 Martin, Fin. "Q&A". Power Slam. Issue 212. April 2012.
  10. 1 2 "The Hitman talks DVD, TNA and acting". Canoe.ca.
  11. ↑ Oliver, Greg (April 2, 2006). "Hall of Fame inductions sincere and entertaining". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2009-09-01.
  12. ↑ "Bret Hart On Byte This Recap: Farewell Speech, Vince". wrestlezone.com.
  13. 1 2 3 "Interview Highlights: WWE - Bret Hit Man Hart - the Best There Is, the Best There Was, the Best There Ever Will Be; Review". dvdtalk.com. DVD Talk.
  14. 1 2 "WWE: Bret "Hit Man" Hart - The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be". barnesandnoble.com.
  15. 1 2 "Bret Hart : The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be - DVD Review". prowrestlingtvreviews.blogspot.se.
  16. ↑ "The SmarK Rant for the Bret Hart DVD – Part One". insidepulse.com.
  17. ↑ Adam Martin (November 8, 2005). "WWE releasing new Bret "Hitman" Hart DVD a week from today; 11/15". wrestleview.com.
  18. ↑ "Dark Pegasus Video Review: Bret Hart: The Best There Is, Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be (Disc Three)". 411mania.com.
  19. ↑ "What's All The Hubbub: Bret Hart – The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be (Disc 3)". 411mania.com.
  20. ↑ "WWE: Bret "Hit Man" Hart - The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be (DVD) (Eng) 2005". bestbuy.com.
  21. 1 2 "Hitman DVD comprehensive and respectful". Slam!. canoe.ca.
  22. ↑ KAPUR, BOB (October 28, 2005). "Bret Hart happy again". Slam! Wrestling. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved 2016-01-26.
  23. ↑ Ben Undelson (2013). A Nostalgic Guide to Growing up with the WWF. lulu.com. p. 291 pp. ISBN 978-1304128751.
  24. ↑ Christine Simonotti (2012). The Complete WWF Video Guide Volume II. James Dixon. p. 161. ISBN 978-1-291-25292-7.
  25. ↑ Hart, Bret (2007). Hitman: My real life in the cartoon world of wrestling. Ebury Press. p. 94 pp. ISBN 9780091932862.

External links

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