[.ca] Lipstick & Dynamite - DVD

From Amazon.com:
If you recognize names like the Great Mae Young, Gladys "Killem" Gillem, and the Fabulous Moolah, then you long ago discovered the simple pleasure of watching women beat the heck out of each other. If not, then let Lipstick & Dynamite introduce you to some of the saltiest personalities ever to grace the wrestling ring, including the outspoken Ella Waldek, a former farmgirl turned roller derby jammer turned wrestling queen, who declares, "Whatever the referee didn't see was legal." This documentary mixes interviews, photos and film footage of actual bouts, and clips from shows like To Tell the Truth and cheesy movies like Racket Girls. There's some social commentary about the changing roles of women and society, but the real engine of this movie are the girls themselves, holding forth on angels and heels, sleazy producers (like the legendary "promoter of flesh" Billy Wolfe), fixed matches, the loneliness of the road, and much, much more. "Being tough didn't mean a damn thing," comments Gillem, who went on to wrestle lions and alligators after leaving the ring behind. Maybe not, but these tough old ladies are delightful company. Featuring a great soundtrack with songs by Neko Case and others. --Bret Fetzer

It's a knock out!:
Ruth Leitman's Lipstick and Dynamite, Piss and Vinegar, is an entertaining and fascinating documentary about the trail-blazing first ladies of professional wrestling. Leitman cleverly side-steps the "is it real or fake" debate that tends to pre-occupy wrestling, and instead offers a rare insight to the lives and stories of women who's lives are, in some cases, all too real. The most fascinating and well-known of these icons is The Fabulous Moolah. With a career that now spans close to 60 years, its not surprising that Leitman gives Moolah so much air time. While Moolah and her friend,The "Great" Johnny Mae Young provide the color and humor of Lipstick and Dynamite, other icons such as Gladys "Killem" Gillem and Ida May Martinez provide a more sombre and human aspect and discuss the hardships that they faced as professional wrestlers. It's not always a happy or pretty story that Lietman tells, but it's a compelling story about true feminist pioneers -- though don't tell Moolah that -- she'll drop kick you. Adding to the film are fantastic vintage television and newspaper clips and a great soundtrack by Neko Case.