It has long been said that the '80s were the cultural pinnacle of our society. That touting is usually quickly rebutted, but the argument stops when you bust out four big unforgettable letters: GLOW.
OK, that's a little tongue-in-cheek, but so was the cultural tour de force that was the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.
For the unaware, GLOW was the first all-female wrestling show on the tube. But it was more than just wrestling. There were Laugh-In style skits and bits, songs, rap, and glittery big hair turned up to 11. It was incredibly popular and continued gaining ratings until it was mysteriously and suddenly cancelled in 1990.
The documentary starts at the beginning, with old footage and lots of interviews with the stars as it tells the crazy story. Basically, a casting call was put out and aspiring models, actresses and athletes were put in a room, 40 were chosen and they were moved to the Riviera Hotel in Vegas where they trained, ate, drank, and slept the show.
The story is kept pretty upbeat but there are plenty of hints about dark politics behind the scenes. The show itself was constantly changing between sport and over-the-top camp, a battle that was personified in the show's two creators (who refused to be interviewed for the documentary). Most notably is Meshulam Riklis, who's rumoured to have killed the show because his then-wife Pia Zadora demanded it.
The star of the show and this documentary is Mt. Fuji, the heart of the league and absolutely adored by all. In the end, this is a very well-done and disappointingly short documentary on an '80s pop culture phenomenon
GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, is currently streaming on Netflix for your immediate viewing enjoy.
