> I don't know if you watched his Death of Superman video from a few years ago, but it was great. And I think this is pretty spot on. Is HHH just the guy we all love to hate?
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYvMOf3hsGA&feature=youtu.be
Many emails about it thus far. Apparently Max might be a lurker on this site as well, so go us!
I loved it. The shit with Cena and HHH was hilarious. 21:43 is the BoD cameo if anyone wants to check it out.
ReplyDeleteI was going to email Scott too. Very entertaining video
ReplyDeleteLots of fun cameos
ReplyDeleteGoldberg's might have been my favorite. The way he said predetermined killed me.
ReplyDeleteHe calls Triple H a B+ player at one point. Love it.
ReplyDeleteI legitimately don't trust HHH. I think things will be as bad, or worse, whenever he takes over. I think this new corporate era is largely the fault of him and Steph not knowing what they're doing and not hiring the right people to help them out. I also don't really watch the WWE, so who cares what I think....
ReplyDeleteGod damn this is amazing... cameos galore.
ReplyDeleteFantastic. More effort in this than the build for Mania. 31
ReplyDeleteUpvoted for final sentence.
ReplyDeleteWhat's a WWE, again?
ReplyDeleteI can't argue with anything that was in that video, but I can't help but feel as if I was being condescended to for about 24 minutes. It was still funny, though, especially the Cena stuff.
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind that he made this more for the casual or non-wrestling fan audience. Not the hardcores like us. He's preaching to the choir there. Which is why there's a FUCK ton of cameos. That's for us.
ReplyDeleteSwerve ! Max Landis is Dougie
ReplyDeleteRight, no, I get that. But with this video and the Death and Return of Superman video before it, Landis still seems like he's talking down to everyone - hardcores, casuals, however. Something about him just makes me want to punch him in the face. Which I believe I said when the Superman video came out.
ReplyDeleteI almost believe that...whoa...the implications...
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm a hardcore Superman fan and some of the things he said bugged me there. Same as his idea for his own version of the Death of Superman story, like a reboot.
ReplyDeleteNah. Landis is at least more tactful and respectful.
ReplyDeleteI'm only halfway through this and holy shit, I can just IMAGINE Triple H watching this. Max is right: Triple H IS probably the most insecure man in all of pro-wrestling. He's never been respected like the rest of the old guard.
ReplyDeleteJust look at all the times he's attempted to do things that they did that the audience showed respect for. Doing the whole sad, "Oh, I lost to Brock, what do I do now?" and staying in the ring far too long. What did the audience do? If it were Flair, Michaels, Taker, or ANYONE else, they would've given him the respect clap. HHH? Fuck him. HE TAPPED OUT.
It's similar in some ways to Reigns. Triple H has force-fed himself down our throats for years. Though unlike Reigns, he CAN bring it in the ring...sometimes. But we're constantly told how great he is and we've heard it for years. But he's really not earned it. He wants to be that same big name, top dog, ultra respected guy but he's not. Most of us - me, for sure - are just sick and tired of seeing him on TV all the time. And that drives him MAD.
We'll know whoever has this on backstage tonight, by who Steph gets to verbally berate.
ReplyDeleteI don't get that vibe.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I only just heard of this guy last week... and have now made the connection that he's John Landis' son. Similar humor.
ReplyDeleteYeah, his Death and Return of Superman vid is legendary. I followed that storyline for months and hit the nail on the head.
ReplyDeleteHere's the teaser from four months ago...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WI97qsgG74
He is a screenwriter. He wrote Chronicle.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm looking up info about that movie... I don't remember seeing anything about it. But then again, if it's not a commercial during football... I didn't see it.
ReplyDeleteIt's pretty good. Probably the last good found footage film.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a comic book or superhero guy at all... but Superman video is pretty good. His videos and story telling kind of draw you in... obviously a man of passion, or at least portraying one.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it was surprisingly deep for the type of film it was. I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteApparently he got booted from the sequel.
ReplyDeleteBecause the studio wanted him to do EXACTLY the same thing again. He wanted to do something different, expand the universe, and do new things with the mythos he'd created.
ReplyDeleteIt's kinda depressing watching this because I doubt you could make a video like this about current guy because the character development that HHH had just isn't there anymore.
ReplyDeleteThis guy is like a nerdy Sean O'Haire.
ReplyDeleteHe does have a lot of passion. And, honestly, he makes that story sound so convoluted -- and it is. I remember trying to explain it to people who hadn't followed Superman since the movies and they would always look at me like I had swallowed an entire bag of Ex and had invented that story from some sort of hallucinogenic fever.
ReplyDeletetotally true; I was thinking the same thing. He was smart enough (and politic-ed enough) to keep getting storylines
ReplyDeleteJust finished it. Holy crap, I didn't see any of them during the video, but there were a lot of guys in the business involved in this video. Chris Hero, Colt Cabana, JTG and Shad Jaspard, Frankie Kazarian, Christopher Daniels. Not to mention all the actors and actresses involved.
ReplyDeleteFor a guy who's really only done one thing of note so far (writing the script for Chronicle), the guy's got a lot of connections.
The other thing is that he keeps talking about the Triple H CHARACTER, but I really don't think he's far off from the truth about Paul Levesque, either.
ReplyDeleteNo, Max is ELVY! or Jessie Baker
ReplyDelete*Baked*
ReplyDeleteHe's the son of a famous director, so there's that. It also looks like three of his scripts are in production.
ReplyDeleteI like how he keeps referring to Ric Flair as "Old Man Ric Flair."
ReplyDeleteYeah, his work is getting there, but he still technically only has one movie under his belt so far. I'd argue he might be more known for the Death of Superman video than Chronicle. Rarely does anyone pay attention to the screen writer.
ReplyDelete"His skin is basically leather"
ReplyDeleteI mean. He's not wrong.
ReplyDeleteYeah, writers tend to get more recognition in TV than in movies.
ReplyDelete"Well, we don't like John Cena"
ReplyDeleteThis is essentially Drunk History: Triple H.
ReplyDeleteThe neckbeard flipping through BoD on his phone make this video a true A plus.
ReplyDeleteWhen the guy is looking at the BoD on his phone what is on the top of the page? The BoD Daily Update.
ReplyDeleteThat my bearded ass was doing the same thing was an irony not lost on me.
ReplyDeleteEven then, I'd argue they don't. Maybe a LITTLE more recognition, but usually not until after they'd become big with other projects. Whedon was a writer who worked on Roseanne and the first Toy Story. And even the Buffy movie. But no one gave a damn about him until the Buffy series.
ReplyDeleteJoey Ryan and John Morrison too.
ReplyDeleteJesus...fully grown Haley Joel Osmond is just creepy as fuck. He was the creepiest part of Tusk by far, fuck the walrus suit.
ReplyDeleteI like some of this kid's work, but I *HATED* his Death of Superman video. He seems like a person who would be pretty insufferable to be around for very long. I've known a few motormouthed hipsters in my time...and he's a RICH one at that.
That being said, this was pretty good. Getting HHH's leather cabbie hat right was a nice touch.
We need Cole at the end saying, "Max Landis, as you may or may not know, is the son of director JOHN Landis..."
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough, heel Trips got the respect ovation after his awesome cage match against Flair in '05.
ReplyDeleteI get as annoyed with this nonsense as I get with the oversaturation of Triple H at certain points. The guy was A GOD in the ring from late-99 up until the quad injury, and he was THE main foil, especially for Rock, during the best year WWE put out since Hogan/Savage. Hell, without Triple H The Rock's shelf life might have been used up by the time 2000 rolled around.
ReplyDeleteShades.
ReplyDeleteI liked the John Cena part.
ReplyDeleteJesus christ, Macauly Culkin looks like shit
ReplyDelete^THIS^
ReplyDeleteYou're probably right. As critical as this video is of Trips at times, it seems to be more of a homage; Landis said on Reddit that HHH is his favourite wrestling and in his opinion, the most complex.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong. There were times that I welcomed his return or an upcoming match of his. But in the long run, throughout his entire history in WWE? Those moments were far and few between compared to the rest.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I usually find Max Landis obnoxious when he talks, I can't disparage his work ethic. The guy seems to actually have some good ideas and tries to get them done.
ReplyDeleteHe had this brilliant idea for dark take on Winnie the Pooh of all things. In some ways, it reminded me of Hook. I would've loved to have seen the movie he described.
ReplyDeleteThere's no way a guy does a video like that without having a ton of respect for Triple H. Even though there was some friendly jabbing at him, it was clearly meant in honor of Trips.
ReplyDeleteI think this is because HHH never left. If Austin and Rock never left, people would have gotten sick of them too.
ReplyDeleteI'll admit to being intrigued.
ReplyDeleteMax is legendary for his pitches.
ReplyDeleteI watched the first minute and the kid is just too annoying. That Death of Superman video was shit, too.
ReplyDeleteAh ha. Found it:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sVfEFlonTk
Where's the BoD cameo?
ReplyDeleteI never got the impression that was a hit piece on HHH. I believe the dude when he says at the beginning that HHH is his favorite wrestler.
ReplyDeleteI feel like there was another one for a Saturday morning cartoon. Was it He-Man? Thundercats? I feel like there was something I saw online about a pitch he did for a cartoon I used to watch as a kid, but I can't remember which.
ReplyDelete21:43
ReplyDeletePretty much same reaction. Not sure where he'd be of his name was Max Doe...but this is entertaining. Loved the Flair part (paraphrasing) "Sometimes things in wrestling are better than they sound"
ReplyDeleteYeah, I get that. But as much as he clearly loves and respects Triple H, he's also critiquing him for the insecurity.
ReplyDeleteHook is one he did that sounded pretty awesome.
ReplyDeleteIt's also kayfab. He is talking about the Triple H character the entire time.
ReplyDeleteHe was only the shits in 2002 when he hadn't worked back into shape with the quad and was trying to do that diastrous face run. The "Reign of Terror" an Evolution period was quite fine, in retrospect*, with the real problem being that they didn't put people on Raw who could work with him in entertaining feuds/matches to carry the monster heel run.
ReplyDelete*The exception being Summerslam 2003 and not dropping the belt to Goldberg, of course, but that's a money thing, not something that I think could have made for better TV.
I think Triple H would be GREAT running the company. I think Stephanie would be AAAAAWWWWWFULLLLLLLL.
ReplyDeleteAs I said in the original comment to this thread, it wavers awfully close to what could easily be behind-the-scenes, too.
ReplyDeleteHHH should have never been on Raw in 2002/03. That spot should have been Brock's. That is really the only sin I can fault HHH for.
ReplyDeleteYou're not fooling anyone, Triple H!
ReplyDeleteMaybe, though I could see a business argument for not wanting Brock to carry the live show at that time.
ReplyDeleteI think that is only because of the perception he has from smarks. A lot of people say he is insecure about the Rock, so when Max says his Triple H the character was insecure, people will think he also means Paul Levesque. I don't think that was Max's intention.
ReplyDeleteThen why have him basically squash Rock at SummerSlam? Not putting Brock on Raw was a massive mistake in hindsight.
ReplyDeleteHHH might be great in a similar role with just about anything NOT named WWE. But WWE, by it's nature, actually leans more towards Steph's "talents"...
ReplyDelete... that is NOT a good thing for WWE, by the way.
To say nothing of just handing over a vanity world title to HHH.
ReplyDeletePeople were definitely getting sick of Austin by the end of 2003 when he wouldn't leave.
ReplyDeleteWell, when Vince dies that won't much matter.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a problem with that. It was a good idea.
ReplyDeleteYep, and Rock too when Brock turfed him.
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to agree to disagree on that, I guess.
ReplyDeleteAnd it was at least logical.
ReplyDeleteY'know this is all kayfabe right?
ReplyDeleteIf he was a babyface, I'd agree with you. But as a heel, making up a title and getting awarded it was a pretty genius move to get heel heat.
ReplyDeleteI would have liked it more if they also didn't combine the Hardcore and IC Titles into the WHC at the time. That just seemed wasteful to me. But as far as Triple H being handed the Ric Flair vanity title, that made perfect sense, both for the company and for the character.
ReplyDeleteI do. But as I've said, it wavers awfully close to some of the ideas many have about what Triple H is like behind the scenes.
ReplyDeleteKnow why? Landis clearly got his ideas about Triple H from lurking here. Hence, the BoD cameo.
ReplyDeleteAnd having the decision made by a heel authority figure. Obviously it wouldn't have made sense if Jack Tunney did it, but with Bischoff it worked fine.
ReplyDeleteI loved Chronicle :(
ReplyDeleteNo one's dissing it from what I've seen. I'm certainly not.
ReplyDeleteI love me some dick suckin' vagina.
ReplyDeleteAH! It was Super Mario!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.maxlandiswrites.com/super-mario-world/
I guess I meant that as a defense of max landis.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was pretty decent.
ReplyDeleteThe Hardcore title was done. But I agree with you on the IC title.
ReplyDeletehe is only talking about the on screen character in that video though.
ReplyDeleteUnlike modern WWE that wasn't a waste of 24 minutes and it entertained me.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah Chronicle was way better than it was given credit for.
I would make a John Landis joke, but man, Chronicle was awesome
ReplyDeleteI really only cared about the IC Title, too, but I figured if I didn't mention the other title that ended up being folded into the WHC, someone here would have brought it up.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I GET THAT. Jesus Chris, how many times do I have to repeat the same point?
ReplyDeleteOkay, I watched it. It was enjoyable!
ReplyDeleteThat Cena part was hilarious.
I don't agree with that last line, that becomes the title. Steve Austin said it best in his podcast with Vince, that everything is built upon the foundation of having matches, i.e. the "wrestling" part of "pro-wrestling", for a reason. Without the matches, no one would watch this horseshit. It would make the worst soap opera in history look like fucking Shakespeare. Wrestling NEEDS the matches to make all of the other stuff work, and that definitely goes both ways because I don't see NCAA wrestling tournaments in primetime cable slots. So wrestling IS wrestling, but professional wrestling isn't. So really, just call this 'WRESTLING', because if you took the actual wrestling matches out, or like Russo, trivialized them to the point of almost nothingness, if every wrestler was a great promo but couldn't work for shit, then my lifelong fandom would vanish like a fart in the wind. Thus my issue with most of Max's points...good as they (sometimes) are, he always misses something. And I chalk that up to entitled arrogance.
ReplyDeleteI love the music. DOO-DO-DO-DOOOOOO! DOO-DO-DO-DOOOOOOO!
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff, really enjoyed it. The video does a good job at conveying to the normies why wrestling fans can get so into it. I just watched his superman video too, I liked hat as well.
ReplyDeleteHa, I just emailed Scott about this. Was watching the last few minute on it and had to rewind it to be sure, but yep- we get a glimpse of this very website.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this was done by splicing two different podcast appearances, but it's still really cool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSe1maLmLUI
Max Landis is too fucking annoying to listen to. Jesus Christ.
ReplyDeleteBest version of X-Pac ever.
ReplyDeleteYou missed the point completely.
ReplyDeleteNah nah, I got it. It's a good explanation of things to the non-fan, told in a really funny way. I just think that part could have been phrased better.
ReplyDeleteIt's a catchy way to say "wrestling is more than just two dudes fake fighting in a ring".
ReplyDeleteMax Landis did "The Slap" which was more intimate and entertaining than First Kiss: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ninOz5ValUM
ReplyDeleteAnyways, this video is amazing. Either he, or those around him, know the business very well.
Agreed...doesn't mean the art of the actual wrestling itself needed to be trivialized. Isn't that what we hate about Russo (among other things)?
ReplyDeleteHey guys, just a quick reference, the dude reading BOD is Michael Lawrence. If you watch @Midnight he's on a lot. He's referenced about himself that he looks like Mick Foley. I'm pretty sure he's a wrestling fan.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the last playing HHH is Chloe Dykstra, she's Chris Hardwick's ex, and does some stuff for Nerdist.
ReplyDeleteHayley Joel Osment sighting. He was in The Slap as well.
ReplyDeleteThe 'Ric Flair' introduction is gold.
"I'm a fucking snake. I like to hurt old people. " - 'Randy Orton'
ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem "smarks" have is that they can't separate the character from the real life person.
ReplyDeleteI really got the feeling it was meant as a Drunk History of the Character of HHH.
ReplyDeleteI shouldn't be surprised that Hardwick managed to nail her down, but I am. Then again, I guess the fact they're both nerds helped immensely.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing in that video that trivializes pro wrestling.
ReplyDeleteNon-inspirational verion:
ReplyDeletePaul Levesque is a decent pro-wrestler who made friends with main eventers. By using backstage influence and destroying other people's careers, he soars up the card. Finally, it takes Mick Foley making him look like a million bucks to look like a true main eventer. He then gets into a romance storyline with the boss's daughter, which transitions over to a real life romance. Being already a major influence on creative and now part of the family, Paul proceeds to "dominate" (read "book himself to win") for the next decade, to the detriment of the product. Now he basicly runs the company and rewrites history to make it sounds like he made the Attitude era, while continuing to ruin the careers of up and comers.
But hey, it would make for a less entertaining video.
To be fair, he's dating Lydia Hearst now.
ReplyDelete"Paul Levesque is a decent pro-wrestler"
ReplyDeleteThis is hilariously inaccurate. Let's see if if the rest of your paragraph is also bullshit.
"who made friends with main eventers."
This is statement that could be made by literally thousands of wrestlers. Great point.
"By using backstage influence and destroying other people's careers, he soars up the card."
He had so much backstage influence that he couldn't politic for Rock's spot at Survivor Series 98. And who's career did he destroy? I'm legit curious in your batshit answer.
"Finally, it takes Mick Foley making him look like a million bucks to look like a true main eventer."
Yes, this is how pro wrestling works. I'm actually shocked you know how basic pro wrestling works.
"He then gets into a romance storyline with the boss's daughter, which transitions over to a real life romance. Being already a major influence on creative and now part of the family, Paul proceeds to "dominate" (read "book himself to win") for the next decade, to the detriment of the product."
Wait...did Vince McMahon die in 2000 and no one told me? Oh, he didn't? Then no, HHH did not book the promotion for a decade. Points for the spectacular inaccuracy tho.
"Now he basicly runs the company and rewrites history to make it sounds like he made the Attitude era, while continuing to ruin the careers of up and comers."
Unless the company you're referring to is NXT, this is, shocking I know, also false. Speaking of NXT, look at him destroying all those up and comers!
Congrats dude on writing the batshit insane paragraph this side of 411.
Put yourself over at all times.
ReplyDeleteI taught you well.
Duuuuuuuude, when he said "when hhh sees daniel bryan..." I popped
ReplyDeleteCuz eventually brock would have to turn babyface and talk.
ReplyDeleteBrock couldnt carry a program on the mic now, in 002-03? Even worse.
Then don't let him.
ReplyDeleteI also have to say, this was a treat.
ReplyDeleteI didnt catch all cameos. I was looking at the girls.
That doesn't work on RAW, where everything is micromanaged.
ReplyDeleteIm not saying it was the greatest move, but it was the smartest/best move for business.
RAW is angle heavy, you put your unproven new guy on top against a bunch of guys that are not willing to job to him and can talk circles around him. That's not gonna get him over.
Meanwhile you put him on Smackdown, where its less managed, wrestling-centric to accentuate his stregnths, and post-produced to cover up his weaknesses. And add the fact that there are top guys willing to put him over.
Come on man, think about it for a second. Stop being douchebag cultstatus and think.
Just wanted to add that "We don't like John Cena" killed me. And the montage of HHH and his thugs at the end was brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI personally would have done the Randy Savage storyline for something like this, but I don't fault the effort. This was great.
I know what the reasons are why he was on Smackdown, I'm saying they were stupid and counter-productive.
ReplyDeleteThis guy points out exactly why Vince Sr never let his son become a wrestler. However that need to control everything is a great business asset which is why we are now praising HHH for his NXT work. Vince's problem now is he's out of touch and too old to control the beast he created.
ReplyDeleteWhy were they stupid and counter-productive?
ReplyDeleteHere's Max's full version of John Cena's theme as heard in the video from his YT page. It's hilarious!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI5lrn69rOI
If WCW booked Goldberg like the nWo, cutting 20 minute promos because that's what Nitro was, would you call that stupid and counter-productive?
ReplyDeleteWWE's problem is they keep trying to stick square pegs in round holes.
I know what the reasons are why he was on Smackdown, I'm saying they were stupid and counter-productive.
ReplyDelete>sso you are saying brocks move to smackdown was stupid and counter productive.
I get that.
WWE's problem is they keep trying to stick square pegs in round holes.
>this is what im not following, cuz by your words, your fantasy booking of brock is exactly that.
Am I missing something? Seriously cuz what you are saying doesnt make sense.
Or your fantasy booking is not business minded, given the knowledge you posess.
I think it is pretty clear that I'm saying if show is based around 20 minute live promos and Brock isn't the best for that, you change how the show works instead of turfing your next big star to the B show.
ReplyDeleteYeah but...and I thought that too...before...
ReplyDeleteexplain NXT which is all HHH.
Not really though. He's critiquing the character. Which if you follow the story that he presents and what happens....
ReplyDeleteSee, you are not thinking business-minded.
ReplyDeleteYou don't just change the format on the whim of a new star. Plus with the impending brand extension, you are tailoring your shows to be different.
So you would "scorch earth" basically just placate someone that is not proven as a draw? That doesn't make sense.
I can not even seeing switching the formats around to make RAW the wrestling show and SD the angle heavy show. RAW is still live, and Brock is still green, regardless of how much talent and potential he has.
Nothing in that makes sense. You are killing what works (and even though business went down, it was still higher than pre-Attitude) in order to get one guy over and keep him strong.
To be fair, he was injured before survivors series 98.
ReplyDelete