This was a surreal stage play
filmed and marketed at church services, but never sent into the
mainstream, possibly because of trademark violation
issues. It has its moments and some supernatural items within, but
overall is so sappy it could have made an MST 3000 episode. Face it,
Christianity is as spooky as the horror tales its participants like to
speak out against, and this play had some weird-assed elements, as
we will see. The problem is unless one is a religious zealot, the bulk of
what is seen remains unintentionally laughable.
The play and subsequent
filmed release of the same in very limited form - so limited it becomes
extremely hard to find today except by bootleggers and occasionally on eBay
- could provide many
laughs for those not into Jesus.
The presentation opens with a parade of images, and again this might
be where trademark violations come in, depicting action and stills of a
number of wrestlers dead by drug overdose, suicide or murder. (The list
has expanded greatly since 1996 also, by the way.)
We then have Billy
Graham and Jake 'the Snake' Roberts playing themselves in various degrees of sin for
the audience. Graham’s admitted drug sue and steroid abuse are openly
admitted to, as are the sins of Roberts.
Finally there is the only watchable moment in the entire production
when an actual wrestling match takes place between Jake Roberts and an
obscure wrestler known as Billy Anderson.
Roberts
then wins his match and the supernatural element takes over.
Roberts is tormented by
demons that drop from the ceiling (at least here they do it right, unlike
the WWE, which unceremoniously dropped one of their wrestlers, Owen Hart,
from the roof of a venue with fatal results a few years later) and tempt
Roberts with drugs and booze.
These demon effects are creepy and cool.
Roberts is then seen talking to a pastor (Barnett) where he
receives Christ symbolically and all is right with the world.
An altar call is given and suspiciously to me anyway, Jake’s
opponent also receives Christ at this time. It looks staged.
In retrospect it is what has happened after this production that
makes it something truly comedic.
Jake Roberts was either running a scam on the gullible from the
start or fell fof the wagon big time, as he has since become one of the
most degenerate personalities in wrestling. For an entirely different look
at Roberts aside from this pious preacher type, see Beyond The May
instead. Here we have a coked-up, drugged up, boozed up asshole of a man
who definitely is not thinking of Jesus any longer .
At least Roberts no longer claims to be
a Christian.
Billy Graham still claims to be one of the reborn set, but his
actions have been far from it. I love the way he was calling Vince
McMahon’s promotion everything bad under the sun on varied TBN shows and
is on record doing so, speaking out against the steroids and such,
then turns right around and signs back with the same federation to
become part of their Hall of
Fame.
|