GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling is a documentary that looked to capture the unique tenor that the titular promotion had. The production was on par with the regional federations at its time (GLOW was formed in 1985), while the vignettes and characters seemed to forecast the New Generation era of the WWE. While the wrestlers were a blend of trained and actresses, there was no lack of solid ring work. Filmed in Las Vegas, GLOW seemed to be more of an expansion of the glitz and glamour of Sin City. GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of details the beginning of the organization, its greatest successes and failures, and how the wrestlers and film crew had a lockerroom leader in the massive Mt. Fuji.
While the feature could stand to be expanded to include as more nuanced detail of the promotion and some of the ancillary characters and feuds, GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling is a great introduction into the precursor for woman-focused federations like Shimmer and current independent promotions (Chikara, Ring of Honor). The DVD is further bolstered with a tremendous amount of first-hand footage comprising interviews, vignettes, and even music videos for the federation. An audio commentary provides additional information about GLOW and is helmed by long-time wrestling connoisseur Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins) alongside individuals that were on the ground during the promotion’s time in the spotlight.
Rating: 8.2/10
GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling DVD Review / 2013 Newvideo / 76 Minutes / http://www.newvideo.com
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
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