It seems all the rage lately on the WWE home video landscape has been the sometimes loved, sometimes loathed "compilation" release. While most
are certainly worth the wrestling entertainment dollar -- they deliver hours upon hours of highlight reel professional wrestling goodness all in one
place and grouped under one main category (match theme, best of year, best of era -- the one constant has been, generally, a real lack of insight
beyond a few blurbs in between matches. Not
anymore. Bret "Hit Man" Hart: Dungeon Collection takes the classic compilation a step further by adding in some genuine insight beyond a
blurb to set the stage. This collection, hand-picked by Hart himself from the archives of never-before-seen, little-seen, and long-forgotten matches
comes complete with a detailed, well-spoken, first-hand account from Hart himself, delivering vivid portraits of the match and the history surrounding it
before audiences are treated to the clash itself. Not all of them are presented full-length from start to finish, but Hart's narrative fills in the gaps and
makes this a premiere WWE release and a very welcome and much-needed new styling for the somewhat tired compilation release.
Then this is your Blu-ray.
In essence, this is a Bret Hart career retrospective as told through a collection of recently unearthed archival footage, aged footage, and forgotten
footage spanning a career that grew from humble beginnings to one very much at the forefront of the WWE universe then, now, and forever. It's
rather jarring to watch
history take its course with Hart's career through this set, beginning with matches from his earliest days in small, sparsely attended, and very much
low-tech and poorly maintained arenas to the world's biggest wrestling stages as he matured to become a centerpiece of the WWE universe, taking
on its biggest stars in
the largest events. His was a career that would withstand the test of time and find a place in history, one certainly not forgotten -- as some of this
material may have once been -- but rather one worthy of praise and a detailed look back at how it grew into one of wrestling's most prominent.
The Dungeon Collection is a must-see for all Hart fans and, indeed, all fans of professional wrestling. It's a well-rounded collection and
shows the evolution of a career quite unlike any other WWE home video release before it.
But it's not just the video compilation and wrestling footage that makes this release a winner. The Dungeon Collection distinguishes itself
with Hart's own detailed, lengthy, and truly insightful commentary in between the matches. He sheds a light on his career through the prism of
these matches that's only equalled by the WWE's finest superstar-focused retrospective documentaries, like those covering CM Punk and Steve Austin. Hart proves himself a natural storyteller, nearly as good at
retelling the tale of his career on video as he was shaping it in between the ropes back in his heyday. In fact, enjoying Hart's retelling is nearly as
much fun as watching the matches unfold
thereafter. The wrestling, of course, is wonderful, very organic and exciting, whether in the early parts of Hart's career or under the brightest lights
the WWE has to offer. In this set, Hart battles other legends of wrestling, including Ric Flair, Andrew the Giant, and Steve Austin. It's an all-star
roster that
lends to this set an even wider fan appeal as it traverses the landscape through pro wrestling's best years, years that were largely shaped by Hart's
incredible career.
The Following matches/partial matches are included in The Dungeon Collection:
Disc One:
2-Out-of-3 Falls Match for the British Commonwealth Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Dynamite Kid.
Stampede Wrestling -- December 1978.
Career Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Buzz Sawyer. Georgia Championship Wrestling -- September 1979.
North American Heavyweight Championship Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Leo Burke. Stampede Wrestling -- January 1983.
Career Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Dynamite Kid. Capital Centre -- September 1985.
WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Hart Foundation vs. The Islanders. Philadelphia Spectrum -- March 1987.
Career Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Andre the Giant. Milan, Italy -- April 1989.
Career Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Mr. Perfect. Maple Leaf Gardens -- April 1989.
Career Match: Hart Foundation vs. The Twin Towers. Duluth, MN -- May 1989.
Career Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Tiger Mask II. Tokyo Dome -- April 1990.
Intercontinental Championship Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Ric Flair. New Haven, CT -- November 1991.
Career Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Undertaker. Madison Square Garden -- January 1992.
Career Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Bam Bam Bigelow. Milan, Italy -- April 1993.
Disc Two:
WWE Championship Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Diesel. King of the Ring -- June 19, 1994.
No Holds Barred: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Owen Hart. Stockton, CA -- March 1995.
Career Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Jean-Pierre Lafitte. In Your House 3 -- September 24, 1995.
Career Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin. Sun City Superbowl -- September 14, 1996.
WWE Championship Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. The Patriot. In Your House: Ground Zero -- September 7, 1997.
WCW United States Championship Match: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Booker T. Nitro -- January 25, 1999.
Semi-Finals Match for the WCW Championship: Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Sting. Mayhem -- November 21, 1999.
No surprise, The Dungeon Collection offers a wildly mixed bag of visual elements. The earliest wrestling footage appears sourced from film. It
reveals faded colors but decent details, enough to make out far better than the video footage to follow the frays and flaws in the ropes and mat and the
sparse audience around the ring. Then the wavy video starts. Imagine a broadcast recorded from a signal brought in through the old rabbit ears, mess
with the VCR's tracking until playback looks wavy and distorted, and that's how some of this material looks (see the audio screenshot below). It's a
classic case of "it is what it is," and there's no real improving on it. The good news is that the newer material from the 1990s looks significantly more
stable. Fans who have seen other upconverted standard definition material on WWE Blu-ray know to expect a presentation that's as good as technically
possible, with some problems no doubt and minimal clarity, color, and detailing, but providing at the very least a watchable experience. The new Hart
interview material enjoys good, crisp, clean HD video sourcing, revealing skin tones that are a little warm and pasty but nevertheless nicely revealing.
There is some light blocking off to the sides but otherwise these segments offer no real problems of note. This may be the most wildly varying Blu-ray on
the market in terms of its video quality, but fans shouldn't mind considering it all looks about as good as it can.
The Dungeon Collection features the WWE-standard Dolby Digital 5.1 lossy soundtrack, and there's really not much of a need for anything else.
The program is comprised of wrestling footage from the late 1970s through the late 1990s and recently recorded dialogue in a controlled, otherwise
silent environment. There's not much to any of it, certainly not the very earliest material that features very light, sonically bland, and environmentally
unconvincing crowd sounds and wrestling thuds. The in-match commentary plays well enough, a little shallow at times and more balanced at others.
Disc two, home to the newest material, enjoys the best sound of the two discs, where crowd and arena ambience is a little more filling and prominent.
The main focus of the program, however, is Hart's dialogue before each match, and there are no problems with clarity or intelligibility in any scene; the
dialogue comes through the center as well as it can under the lossy 5.1 parameters. Overall, it's not an exciting track but it suits the material about as
well as may be expected.
The Dungeon Collection contains more Bret Hart interview snippets as well as some more wrestling action.
Disc One:
Dream Matches (HD, 1:06): Hart shares his wish to wrestle some of the current Superstars.
Travel Schedule (HD, 1:35): Hart remembers extensive traveling and a good match in Honolulu.
Sleeping on a Plane (HD, 0:53): Hart remembers his ability to sleep on a plane.
Survivor Series with Bob Backlund (HD, 2:45): Hart discusses his wrestling with Backlund.
Masked Man (HD, 2:04): Hart shares a desire to wrestle while wearing a mask.
Trumpet Sound (HD, 2:11): A story about flatulence.
Customs with Owen (HD, 1:20): Hart shares a story about chatting at customs.
Lost at Sea (HD, 1:22): Out of gas off the coast of Hawaii.
Prized Possession (HD, 3:11): A good story about Hart making a kid's day and doing what he can for the fans.
Two of the Best in Japan (HD, 1:05): Hart talks about the wrestlers he respects most from Japan.
Disc Two:
Super Skilled, Super Athletic (HD, 3:08): Hart praises Yokozuna.
WWE Championship Match (HD, 19:41): Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Yokozuna. RAW -- November 1993.
Doing it Old School (HD, 1:08): Hart discusses The New Foundation.
Career Match (HD, 20:20): Bret "Hit Man" Hart & British Bulldog vs. Owen Hart & Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. Albany, NY -- October
1994.
A Good Soul (HD, 1:57): Hart talks about Hakushi.
Career Match (HD, 13:56): Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Hakushi. RAW -- July 24, 1995.
Cement Truck (HD, 3:34): Hart speaks on Vader.
WWE Championship Match (HD, 9:10): Bret "Hit Man" Hart vs. Vader. Friday Night Main Event -- August 29, 1997 ("Judgment Day" for anyone who cares).
The Artist (HD, 2:25): A look into Hart's drawing hobby.
Favorites (HD, 6:44): A few of Hart's "favorites," including "favorite wrestler growing up," "favorite opponent," "favorite match,"
"favorite commentator," "favorite TV show," and more.
The Dungeon Collection offers fans a detailed look inside the career of Bret Hart, both through wrestling footage and Hart's own words. Unlike
previous compilation pieces, The Dungeon Collection distinguishes itself through Hart's dedication to storytelling, of sharing his career not only
through matches but by filling in the details and painting a much more vivid picture than classic video and a few interspersed blurbs alone can
accomplish. Together, they make for
one of the finest sets the WWE has ever released. With a good amount of extra content and proficient video and audio, this is lining up to be one of
the year's
best WWE releases. It's a must-own for fans.
