Body Slam

I have seen a majority of Roddy Piper's films and this one I saw long before cable brought tbs and nwa wrestling into my home. I only knew who he was because I had read about him in the wrestling magazines I bought as a kid. Wrestling is like a circus without the animals (at least the real kind lol). I thought the movie was well done for being a low budget film. I was entertained but I have been a Wrestling fan since the days of Bruno Sammartino. I enjoyed the nostalgia of the old school wrestlers and though I am not much of a Dirk Bennedict fan I do remember him from the A Team. The plot made sense and I felt though it was predictable it was still interesting enough to set through more than once. Roddy Piper plays a much more subdued version of his true ring persona and considering he has been wrestling since he was 15 I think he took the bumps well and delivered for his fans. If you hate this film remember a lot of folks grew up watching the pretend sport instead of the drawn out, treat it like a TV show wrestling we see on TV presently. I liked this film much better than the Verne Gagne movie The Wrestler, but it isn't in the same league as the Mickey Rourke film of present day. It examines the wrestlers going after the title much like All The Marbles and leaves you cheering and jeering through out the film.

This is not the greatest film ever mind you, but for what it was I found it a funny film with a lot of interesting elements. Dirk Benedict is the star of this one as a guy who is trying to establish something he calls rock and wrestling which of course combines wrestling and a rock band. Dirk plays a bit of an agent and he is trying to not only to promote a band, but also looking out for two wrestling stars. They run afoul though of another promoter and that is what leads to the clashes in this one. Though in the end you know the film is heading to a great big showdown between Dirk's team and Captain Lou's team. The humor is good though as there is a really nice scene at a country place and the final showdown is funny for the fact the one announcer really annoys Billy Barty's character. I sort of liked wrestling when I saw this and will always prefer the old stuff to today's mainly because now it just seems so wrong watching guys in tights and oiled with big muscles grinding each other, in fact it seems really gay. Back then it was a bit too, but at least they did not quite look as oiled. This one though has some laughs and is a nice time capsule type movie.

My review was written in May 1987 after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening.

"Body Slam" is a pleasant surprise, a genuinely funny film that pokes fun at a scheming record industry manager while utilizing popular wrestlers to capture the spirit of the current pro wrestling renaissance.

Dirk Benedict is terrific as a glad-handing promoter, always one step ahead of the repo man. His music career failing, he lucks into managing a wrestler, Quick Rick Roberts (played by popular pro Rowdy Roddy Piper), and though creating a war with traditional managers quickly achieves success in this new field. Forced to book his rock group set in tandem with the wrestlers, he accidentally creates the rock 'n' wrestling craze.

Simple premise works because there is a load of humorous situations and slapstick, while the emphasis upon wrestling is not overpowering. As a result, pic's entertainment quotient is not limited to wrestling freaks. Conversely, the presence of an ecumenical grouping of wrestlers drawn from the various pro leagues is a treat for enthusiasts.

Besides Benedict, who exudes charm as the unscrupulous guy you can't resist, cast benefits from solid support turns by various comedians. In addition, Piper, who has retired from wrestling to pursue an acting career full time, is very sympathetic in a large role. Virtually parodying his larger-than-life manager persona, Captain Lou Albano is very funny as Piper's irate former mentor. Sam Fatu, who wrestles undr the name Tama, makes a good impression as Piper's tag team partner, while there are numerous other grapplers on display, including cameos by Ric Flair, Bruno Sammartino, the Samoans Afa & Sika, Freddie Blassie and Sheik Adnan Al Kaissy.

As Benedict's rock group, Kick shares the spotlight performing several okay musical numbers. David Wolff, who with Albano and his client Cyndi Lauper launched the rock 'n' wrestling connection three years ago, served as a consultant on the picture.

"Body Slam" marks a solid comeback for director Hal Needham, who gets the comedy timing down right and provides some effective stunts which keep the wrestling footage from merely regurgitating what is shown constantly on tv . Tech credits are pro.

Lots of cool wrestler cameos from the era but the lead is totally unlikeable and the plot a little preposterous. Still, it's fun for what it is and there's enough to hang your hat on to make it worth a watch. Plus you get to see Bruno Sammartino dance!

This is how a wrestling comedy should be. Body Slam was great and I am surprised that more fans didn't like it.

Firstly, whether you enjoy a wrestling comedy depends entirely on whether you like wrestling. If you don't then films like this may not be good for you.

This film doesn't take itself seriously and it features some top wrestling stars of the time such as Lou Albano and Roddy Piper. They are joined by Dirk Benedict who is quite good when it comes to playing comedy.

This film has everything for a wrestling fan-laughs and plenty of action in the ring.