Blu-ray News and Reviews | High Def Digest
Film & TV All News Blu-Ray Reviews Release Dates News Pre-orders 4K Ultra HD Reviews Release Dates News Pre-orders Gear Reviews News Home Theater 101 Best Gear Film & TV
Blu-Ray : Highly Recommended
Ranking:
Sale Price: $34.98 Last Price: $ Buy now! 3rd Party 34.98 In Stock
Release Date: March 28th, 2023 Movie Release Year: 2012

GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling

Overview -

GLOW The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling is a documentary about the all-female wrestling promotion that was a huge success in the '80s. Netflix even made a show recently about it. The doc reunites the wrestlers present day to discuss a lot of the stories and trying times during those years spent inside the squared circle. With a ton of archival footage, this doc is one wonderful watch. There are a ton of bonus features included here and a very good video and audio presentation. Highly Recommended!

 

GLOW: THE STORY OF THE GORGEOUS LADIES OF WRESTLING is the true story of what happened behind the scenes of one of the most outrageous television shows in history. From 1986-92, the airwaves were ruled by GLOW—a neon and glitter-soaked reimagining of the World Wrestling Federation with an all-female cast . . . only with more skits, chainsaws, and personalized rap songs. This documentary, which inspired the hit Netflix series GLOW, chronicles the rise and fall of the iconic show through the stories of those who lived it. Produced DIY-style by filmmakers Brett Whitcomb and Bradford Thomason (THE ROCK-AFIRE EXPLOSION), GLOW: THE STORY OF THE GORGEOUS LADIES OF WRESTLING pays tribute to the incredible women who made it all possible. AGFA is thrilled to bring GLOW to Blu-ray for the first time, complete with enough extras to fuel three-thousand suplexes.

directed by: Brett Whitcomb
starring: Various
2012 / 77 min / 1.78:1 / English DTS-HD MA 2.0

Additional info:

  • Region Free Blu-ray
  • Preservation from the original digital master
  • Archival commentary track with Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins and GLOW wrestlers Little Egypt, Matilda the Hun, and Hollywood
  • United Film Festival Q&A
  • Outtakes
  • Original Trailer
  • 70 minutes of vintage GLOW matches, skits, and music videos
  • English SDH subtitles

OVERALL:
Highly Recommended
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
Blu-ray Disc
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p AVC/MPEG-4
Length:
77
Aspect Ratio(s):
1.78:1
Audio Formats:
English: DTS-HD MA 2.0
Subtitles/Captions:
English SDH
Release Date:
March 28th, 2023

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

The '80s were huge for the pro-wrestling business. WCW and the new version of WWF were on the precipice of becoming the largest promotions in the world at the time and on the starting line of superstars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and Ric Flair. Before those promotions took over the land, smaller companies took up territories around the country that put on pro-wrestling shows that were usually aired on television once a week in those particular regions. One of those shows was called GLOW, known as the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. Netflix even created a great tv series about this show and its stars where it displayed just how hard these women worked and sacrificed their lives and bodies to entertain their fans.

Director Brett Whitcomb has delivered a 77-minute documentary about GLOW titled GLOW The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling that tells the story of how the show creators were passionate fans of pro-wrestling and wanted to feature an all-women led promotion, which eventually filmed all their shows in front of a live audience in Las Vegas. This documentary reveals all the ins, outs, and what-have-yous of how this small promotion became the small, yet powerful success it was and how it's remembered today. with new interviews with most of the original women coming back to discuss their favorite stories during that time in their life. There are a ton of great and entertaining stories as the women recall some of those off-beat narratives, but there are also a few anecdotes that tug on the heartstrings. It all culminates with a good reunion with the women in person.

Not everyone makes it back for this documentary, but even with its quick pace, GLOW The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling allows for everyone's story to get across that pays tribute to one of the big underdogs of the pro-wrestling world. With its amazing music and the fantastic saga of athleticism, heartache, money, and sadness - this is one documentary not to be missed.

 

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray
GLOW The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling suplexes its way to Blu-ray via AGFA and Vinegar Syndrome. The one disc is housed inside a hard, clear plastic case. There is a newly illustrated piece of artwork featuring all the superstar wrestlers on the cover with the famous '80s color palette. There is no digital download or insert.

Video Review

Ranking:

GLOW The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling comes with a 1080p HD transfer and looks very good within its wheelhouse. The new footage of interviews and the reunion look wonderful with bright colors and wonderful detail that reveals all the aged ladies well. It's the digital format that gives way to all the detail and modern color palette. The vintage and archival footage doesn't look as good, however, all of those amazing '80s color grades come to the forefront. There aren't too many issues other than some banding here and there. Overall, this is a solid-looking video presentation.

 

Audio Review

Ranking:

This release comes with a DTS-HD MA 2.0 audio track that does its job. The new interviews sound great and well-balanced while the archival footage has more of a tin-can sound. The music used in the documentary sounds wonderful and is probably the best part of the mix. Other than that, this is the standard affair of noises for a documentary.

Special Features

Ranking:

There are 131 minutes of bonus material here, all of which are worth watching. There's also a great audio commentary.

  • Audio Commentary - An excellent commentary track from three of the GLOW wrestlers and Billy Corgan (yes, that Billy Corgan) talk about Glow, the doc, and the wrestling business as a whole.
  • Q&A (HD, 13 Mins.) - In 2012, some of the GLOW stars answer questions about their lives.
  • Outtakes (DH, 46 Mins.) - Rather than bloopers, these are the full interviews with some of the interview subjects.
  • Susie Spirit Arm Break Report (HD, 8 Mins.) - The big mistake that led to one of the wrestlers being seriously injured. Yes, this shows the arm break from many angles and it's gnarly.
  • Vintage GLOW Matches (HD, 32 Mins.) - A collection of some of the old matches from the show.
  • Vintage GLOW Skits (HD, 20 Mins.) - A collection of wrestlers cutting promos.
  • Vintage GLOW Music Videos (HD, 10 Mins.) - The wrestler of GLOW display their musical talents.
  • Trailer (HD, 2 Mins.) - Trailer for the documentary.

Final Thoughts

GLOW The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling is a fun documentary that leans into the true, personal stories of the women that sacrificed their limbs and sanity to entertain the masses on a weekly basis in Las Vegas. It's great seeing the women come back and talk about their fond memories with a ton of great archival footage mixed in. With a decent video and audio presentation and some amazing bonus features, this doc is Highly Recommended!