Skip to main content

The Screen Queen Presents: GLOW


by Dana Muwwakkil

Step into the ring with the Women from GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) – the 1980s spandex and big hair world that women like actor Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie) land in when quality acting roles are scarce.

Dreaming of landing a role that consists of more than telling powerful men that their wives are on line one, Ruth stumbles into GLOW and thinks this gig might be her big break. 

The organization is brand new, headed by former B-list director and financed by a rich kid who wants to turn the women into stereotypes. Ruth is a natural front-runner who is passionate about her craft, but struggles to develop a compelling character and find her footing with the physical training.

The show is based on the real women from GLOW, which became the very first television show with all female pro wrestlers in 1986. Netflix also has a documentary showing the real trailblazers some of the characters are loosely based on. These women were incredible enough to take a male-dominated sport and turn it on its ear. 

This Netflix debut series consists of 10, 35-minute episodes making GLOW a cinch to consume during a weekend binge or even in a day. GLOW may go down easy but these ladies don’t. These women are total bad asses in the ring and some are just as over-the-top in their real lives, but the story is still grounded in their real world personas, filled with friendship, heartache and ambition.

To describe GLOW in wrestling terms: It’s a bonafide stunner.

Screen Queen Dana Muwwakkil tackles social trends and movies in her blog and for other publications. She, her husband and their three children live in Ulster County. This review originally appeared in originally appeared in the Jan/ 2018 Issue.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Movers and Shakers: Bettina "Poet Gold" Wilkerson

A rare talent that grabs you by the heart and says RECOGNIZE, poet, author, performer, songwriter, community “artivist” and speaker,  Bettina “Poet Gold” Wilkerson  pushes the boundaries of poetry and the spoken word. A Poet Gold performance is a journey through original prose, navigating all the lively, soul-brightening and thought-provoking feels she takes you through with each and every stanza, phrase and word. She paints pictures with her words about things like her grandmother’s cookware, the color blue or her coif that makes people sigh, smile, laugh and feel.  Named 2017 and 2018 Dutchess County Poet Laureate, she is a 2014 NYSCA Individual Artist Tier Grant Awardee for the Mid-Hudson region and a 2016 Athena honoree. She has worked with world-renowned organizations and authors to craft and convey their story in poetic form. She has opened for MC Lyte and Lauryn Hill for “A Tribute to the ladies of Hip-Hop” as well as with “The Voice” Season II...
Post a Comment
Read more

The View From Here: Coming Into My Own

by Courtney Allen My journey started 36 years ago when I took my first breath outside of the womb. This journey, much like others, would take me through the ups, downs, heartaches, pains, wins, loses, and everything that no one can seem to get around in life. ​ Courtney Allen Every year marked a new journey for me, but there was something about part #35 (35 years old). By this time in my life, I had already had my heart broken to no end, graduated college, had my first child, lost my grandmother and a week later lost my mom to an all too aggressive stomach cancer. But 35? Oh - 35 was full of proud moments.  It started off extremely scary for me. I had major anxiety about turning 35 and felt that life had come so fast. I thought I was going through a mid-life crisis (funny right?). I needed a change, so I decided to dye my hair - but that wasn’t enough for me. I tried new dating apps, because I had been single for what seemed like forever (when...
Post a Comment
Read more