UPDATED: ECW Documentary Barbed Wire City to Have Premiere at the Old ECW Arena
Posted by Larry Csonka on 03.18.2013
The official press release inside...
UPDATE: The following was sent out today...
BWC Films is proud to announce the internationally famous ECW Arena as the venue for the world premiere of their documentary film, Barbed Wire City, on Saturday night, April 20th in Philadelphia, PA. "This is the moment I've been waiting for since last summer," John Philapavage, one of the filmmakers behind Barbed Wire City, said. "It took a little longer than I thought, but it feels right for this to be the venue for our premiere screening."
The Arena, which has undergone several renovations and name changes over the last decade-plus, was home to the original Extreme Championship Wrestling from May 1993 until the company's final Philadelphia show in December 2000. Sitting on the corner of Swanson and Ritner Streets in South Philadelphia, the building has been closed since January of 2012. For one night only—April 20th, 2013—the venue (Asylum Arena aka ECW Arena) will open its doors to fans once again for this special screening.
"I didn't grow up a wrestling fan," Kevin Kiernan, the other filmmaker behind Barbed Wire City, commented, "but John (Philapavage) took me to a show at the (ECW) Arena the last year the company was in business. It was actually within the first month of filming, thirteen years ago. So finishing everything up there just feels right. That building is the emotional center of that movement—the company we chronicle in this film—so showing it there just made so much sense."
Tickets for the premiere, as well as video clips, DVD pre-order, news, and other merchandise are available at the fully-launched official film website, www.barbedwirecity.com
"I can remember fantasizing about a premiere there when I was twenty," Philapavage laughs. "I'm thirty-two now. It took some time, but it finally fell together. I can't think of a better place to be in the world on April 20th.
Barbed Wire City is an unauthorized documentary film studying the subculture and story of defunct pro wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling. The promotion rose to prominence from humble beginnings in 1992, had a massive effect on the wrestling boom of the late 90s, and went bankrupt in early 2001.
ORIGINAL:According to Pwinsider.com, The premiere screening of the ECW documentary Barbed Wire City will be held on April 20th in Philadelphia, PA at the old ECW arena. The venue hosted ECW from May 1993 through December 2000, where it became one of the most legendary and intimate wrestling buildings of all time. WWE's version of ECW also held one event there in 2006. John Philapavage spoke about the venue and putting the documentary together, stating the following…
"This is the moment I've been waiting for since last summer It took a little longer than I thought, but it feels right for this to be the venue for our premiere screening.
I can remember fantasizing about a premiere there when I was twenty. I'm thirty-two now. It took some time, but it finally fell together. I can't think of a better place to be in the world on April 20th. "
Barbed Wire City is described as an unauthorized documentary film studying the subculture and story of defunct pro wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling. The promotion rose to prominence from humble beginnings in 1992, had a massive effect on the wrestling boom of the late 90s, and went bankrupt in early 2001.
