JeffTheAlpaca

They could have interviewed somebody else and show their reaction after Andre died instead of Vince.

Mike86

Kinda surprised that HBO did this rather than WWE themselves. I know they worked with the WWE but I’d have thought they’d have put it on the Network or as a DVD/Blu-ray release.

Either way though a really well put together documentary on the man. It’s too bad that Andre refused medical help as he may have at least lived in more comfort or possibly a little longer. Had to have been a tough life for him because of him being an attraction no matter where he went and rarely being able to escape.

JeffTheAlpaca

I am glad it was on HBO and not some stupid online network or Netflix.

Mike86

I’m just saying because WWE has done a bunch of documentaries in-house. They do a good job generally, though they tend to show you what they want to at times and may not always paint the fullest picture.

whotony

Putting NF in the mix with some stupid online network is shortsighted.

Netflix producing many very high quality docs and programming.

No different paying for Netflix than paying for hbo.

Mike86

I had never seen pictures of Andre from his earlier wrestling days when he was a bit smaller. I didn’t even know he worked that early but knew a bit about him wrestling in the seventies in the various territories. He looked relatively healthy earl on. Too bad he wasn’t diagnosed with his condition earlier so it might have been easier to control.

melasnus

A tragic story if there ever was one...RIP Andre.

Hazel Motes

I love old black and white young Andre picks.

It's hard to believe he ever looked like this:

Noonan

Good doc but it felt rushed. Could just be me but I felt like it was light on real content; actual stories vs just generalizations of things he went through due to his size. Really glad to see Cary and Robin have some screen time regarding Princess Bride filming.

I didn't see WM3 until a few years later when I was a bit older; I think I was 6 when it aired. Sad to hear the way Hogan described how it went down. Sounds like Andre was damn near immobile by then.

Before watching this, I never considered things like using the bathroom on a plane in the 70's. Poor guy went through A LOT and always seemed to be positive thinking.

Original Desmond

I thought this was good but not great. There wasn't much info i didn't already know

I did enjoy the interviews with his family

I would have liked it to have been less Vince and WWF centric, maybe some interviews and stories from other promoters

and also interviews from other wrestlers he faced at the time, not just Hogan

mcnabb

I agree, but most of the Wrestlers from his era and Hogan's era are dead. Guys like Macho Man all died early in life from something regarding the business (drugs, heart attack, suicide). I think even Elizabeth died a mysterious death?

Noonan

If you consider a killing dose of pain killers and vodka mysterious...

mwbmis

Well, we got Flair and Lawler, who was also the Memphis territory promoter. Like has been said, a lot of those guys are unfortunately dead. In addition to some of the older competitors/promoters, it would have been great to have Brain available to be interviewed, but Bobby wasn't really available even before he died last summer.

I just think we have to be happy we have some guys left from that era, and the back half of Andre's career has to be Hogan heavy.

Bluelitespecial

I found the full documentary on youtube, I'm watching it right now before its taken down. Andre the Giant was before my time from when I started watching Wrestling, I always enjoy good sports documentaries.

Mike86

Yeah, that’s kind of what I meant before when I said I was surprised it wasn’t just done by WWE. It felt very much like something they’d have produced in-house. Granted as has been mentioned a lot of the old school promoters, wrestlers, etc. have passed on.

SteveA

I also thought this was good but not great. But I did enjoy hearing about some of the stuff you often wonder about, like how he went to the rest room on an airplane. And I liked the drinking and farting stories. Would have been great to hear a recording of an Andre rip-snorter.

Original Desmond

They spent only 30 seconds on Andre's love life

I wouldn't want Ric Flair level arrogance on the subject, but it would have been nice to hear from a couple of andre's old girlfriends or girls he had porked, talking about this size etc and what kind of lover he was

It could have been done in a tasteful manner

New-AgeOutlaw

He left a hole in me that could never be filled.

Hazel Motes

I thought the most poignant moment in the entire film wasn't even directly about Andre, but was when Vince was asked if he remembers the last time he spoke with Andre and he said not specifically, and then the interviewer asked if Andre's death hurt more than others and Vince said "I have a facility to get rid of negatives very quickly and if something hurts me, I get rid of it". All while fighting back tears. That moment hit me hard. I've never seen Vince like that, being vulnerable like that. It was rough.

New-AgeOutlaw

Maybe heartfelt, maybe not.
Vince really can put on a show and is a master manipulator and businessman in the world of sports entertainment. he would not let himself look bad in the documentary. The Love/Hate relationships he has had with Hogan,Warrior,Savage,Hart,Lex Lugar,Jeff Jarret,Jim Ross,etc has been documented. He loves the guys when they are making money for him but can turn on an instant. Maybe his emotions were real.Maybe Not.

But he did use Andre's final years to put over the WWF/E at the expense of Andre's health and emotional well being which began with Andre's turn. Anyone who watched those years live can look back and see that.

Hogan or Austin once said "McMahon will ride you like a horse until your dead, Then eat the horse.".I think McMahon did end up "eating Andre" because he needed/wanted the success of WM III. of Course, one could say Andre got a second wind with a chance to headline WM III with Hogan (Still the biggest match ever IMO) and good runs with Jake Roberts and the Warrior.

Maybe they both benifitied, but McMahon didn't have to deal with the pain and suffering

Original Desmond

Vince, whilst not directly responsible was definitely indirectly responsible for dozens of wrestlers deaths

He created the culture of working 300 plus days per year or get fired, of wrestlers having to use steroids, painkillers etc in massive doses and getting addicted to them to be able to continue working. Vince did help ruin the minds and bodies of dozens of wrestlers.

look at this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...estling_deaths

d2cheer

tears in my eyes...

We had a morning radio sports show address this and I believe the consensus was he would not have been able to get it in a woman.

dvd-4-life

The WWE has just about ignored Andre the Giant since his death(except for the WrestleMania Battle Royal).

All the WWE Superstars have blu-rays and DVDs concerning their wrestling career's while Andre has one WWE DVD and they half-assed it.

I don't know what they will do in the future but he should be given more credit.

fumanstan

I thought the doc was good, not great or amazing. Wish it covered some more of his early life and went in to more detail about what happened after Wrestlemania III. And i'd always be down for more Princess Bride stuff.

But it was a fun watch. That footage of a "skinny" and young Andre working on wrestling moves is pretty awesome.

Red Hood

I feel the A&E Andre Briography was just as good as the HBO one. That one was done back in 1999 and it has interviews with Frenchie, the guy who took care of his ranch in NC, and some of Andre's friends from France.