Body Slam (1986) User Reviews

Cheesy, but fun

[jonandshellie · 6/10 · 12 July 2010]

Although this movie is quite dated (as is evidenced by Dirk Benedicts awesome 80's-style pleated leather pants at the beginning of the film) it is still a good representation of how the old wrestling territories/promoters used to operate before the WWF/NWA/WCW took over and essentially eliminated the need for them.

The movie is a nice time capsule if you were into wrestling in that era, and that is all. If you weren't a fan of wrestling, then you will find nothing of this movie that would appeal to you whatsoever (outside of the still smoking hot Tanya Roberts who looks AMAZING in this movie). It is about 1980's wrestling and 1980's wrestling promotion - period.

Still, despite the obvious cheesiness that the movie exudes and its ultra-adherence to 1980's fashion/fads, it is still fun for the particular demographic of movie fan that would appreciate it. I remember watching this movie on a rainy, boring Saturday afternoon as a kid on a local independent station back in 1987/1988 and instantly loved the movie. I could only recommend it for the true wrestling fans out there, but not for anyone else.

A funny look into wrestling back in the 80's.

[Aaron1375 · 6/10 · 5 September 2010]

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.

Roddy Piper is a better pro wrestler than an actor but his comedic ability shines!!!!

[oolatech2 · 5/10 · 21 August 2010]

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.

VERY FUNNY

[Big Movie Fan · 7 May 2002]

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.

Hmmm yeah

[funkyfry · 5/10 · 4 June 2015]

I missed the first couple minutes of this movie, so if there was ever an explanation of why a little girl (Kellie Martin, who's exactly a week older than me) is allowed to accompany a group of pro wrestlers and rock stars on an RV tour of America, well I missed it. Presumably she was present to make the movie more appealing to little girls.... doubt that worked out super well, but she's the oddly cynical and realistic member of this motley 80s crew.

The movie's plot seems to concern a sleazy manager (TV star Dirk Benedict) in his efforts to help a pair of wrestlers (Roddy Piper and Sam Fatu) win a championship and to win the heart of an intelligent rich girl (Tanya Roberts). Benedict plays it so broad, there's little room for whatever appeal is supposed to develop.

But the film is a blast, at least for those who grew up in the 80s and enjoyed pro wrestling, or perhaps for people keen to see some really cheezy stuff from the period. Benedict's character, a sociopathic loser, strikes gold by combining his clients out of sheer desperation, organizing a rock 'n rasslin' tour that sells out gymnasiums across the country. The sequences showing local talent (and announcers) taking on Piper and Fatu are hilariously banal, if such a thing is possible.

"Captain" Lou Albano (who, besides making this movie, also briefly managed Cyndi Lauper in the 80s and appeared on the legendary "Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" as Mario) is the villainous manager out to ruin Piper's career and put little Kellie Martin in the orphanage. At the film's climax, Piper and Fatu must battle Albano's fearsome "Cannibal Brothers", while Albano tosses Dirk Benedict (and, kid you not, Billy Barty) around at ringside for good measure. A gallery of fading but beloved faces emerges to see the title bout, including Ric Flair, Bruno Sammartino and "Classy" Fred Blassie (who, true to form, roots for the Cannibals).

The music, provided by a group called "Kicks" who later change their name to "Kick", is so poor that it's hard to believe somebody (perhaps stuntman turned director Hal Needham) wasn't having a joke with it. Still, I can remember a time in the 80s when this type of thing was marginally acceptable, if not cool. There's a great scene where Benedict's character is supposed to be talking to a reporter from Rolling Stone, and he says he changed their name to "Kick" because, "Who ever heard of the Whos?" To which the reporter responds, "how about the Beatles?" Now, I wanted to single this scene out because, first of all it's the only intentionally funny scene in the film. Secondly, it gives a good capsule description of this movie's universe. The reporter is an ostensibly "real" person, much like the little girl. Everyone else, the wrestlers and rock stars and particularly Benedict, are running around as if they are in some kind of psychotic delusion; or, perhaps more accurately, they are playing a 10 year old boy's version of adults. Which is to say, psychopaths. Come on, you gotta love this movie!

A document of 1986 wrestling

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 16 June 2021]

This movie nearly didn't come out. Dirk Benedict, who stars in Body Slam, has said that he and director Hal Needham (Megaforce, Rad) fought with the film's writer/producer team of Steve Burkow and Shel Lytton. Burkow didn't have any other writing credits, but Lytton wrote a series of teen books titled Mustang and a few episodes of Death Valley Days. However, they were lawyers, and between the verbal and physical fights, lawsuits kept the movie out of theaters for an entire summer. It ended up going straight to video.

Also, and this is my favorite part of this movie, Benedict needed smartened up to the wrestling business. He plays M. Harry Smilac in this, a music promoter who only has one band left, Kick*. After falling for Candace (Tanya Roberts), Smilac tries to hire Rick Roberts (Roddy Piper in his second acting role after playing Leatherneck Joe Grady in The One and Only; his nickname is "Quick Rick," which is ironic as Piper feuded with "Quick Draw" Rick McGraw in WWF before that man's untimely death) to be a performer before learning that he's a wrestler. So he ends up managing Rick and his tag partner Tonga Tom (Sam Fatu, the Tonga Kid who was wrestling Madison Square Garden at the age of 18, ironically feuding with Piper; you can also see him teaming with Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell to battle The Fabulous Freebirds in Highlander; he's considered a relative of The Rock) and they have a pretty good run until they start dealing with politics.

Let me tell you, as someone who has spent way too many years in independent wrestling, I get it, M. Harry.

Captain Lou Murano (Captain Lou Albano, who had appeared in Below the Belt and Wise Guys before this) and his men, The Cannibals (Sione "The Barbarian" Vailahi and Tom "T. Joe Khan" Cassett) hurt all three of our leads and get them blacklisted, so they start booking themselves on outlaw rock and wrestling shows, getting back to the big time just in time to get a world tag title match.

This movie, beyond wrestling, has lots of 70s stars in it, such as John Astin, Charles Nelson Reilly and Billy Barty. And if you look carefully enough during the main event, you can spot Ric Flair, Freddie Blassie, Adnan Al-Kaissie, Bruno Sammartino and Alexis Smirnoff during the match.

Speaking of that main event, the crowd turned on the match as they could see that the moves were being redone for filming. At this time, there was no such thing as sports entertainment. As fans began to say the f word - fake - all of the wrestlers started brawling for real, even throwing Needham out of the ring. It took a ton of people to break up the fight, leading to chaos amongst the crowd, cast and even the crew. When they all got backstage, Piper finally smartened Dirk Benedict up as to why they had to make everyone believe that it was real.

*Kick is made up of drummer Jack D'Amore (Rock Rose), Kelley Dillard, David Hallowren and Bruce Wallenstein, who composed the soundtracks to Twisted Nightmare and Demon Wind.

This is so terrible it is brilliant

[Sean68 · 5/10 · 4 February 2005]

I am big wrestling fan and a big rock music fan so i think this film only made it into my collection for those two reasons. saying that it is so bad that it is great. with Cameo's from some really great wrestlers and a most unusual cast this film is a must see even if you only watch it once. Dirk Benedict was a regular in two of the most cheesy TV Series of all time (Battlestar Galactica and the A team) so it is no wonder that he will never be a major movie star. Roddy Piper has made some good and some truly awful films but you have to admire his perseverance. he is still one of the best wrestlers never to be world champion. Tanya Roberts was a huge fantasy of mine in my teens so it was nice to see her do a film that didn't involve her taking her clothes off. from a Wrestling Fan point of view it was fun to see Rikishi in his early days as a wrestler as well.

Revenge of the 80's: Roddy Piper, actor & pro wrestler.

[Captain_Couth · 2/10 · 6 August 2005]

Body Slam (1987) is a flat out terrible movie. The low budget reeks, the direction is pedestrian (at best) and the writing and acting is lame. But if you're into old school wrestling (circa 1970's through the mid-80') then you'll be more entertained than the average viewer. I have to warn you, this movie stinks on ice. I gave it a two because I felt like being generous. This turkey was "directed" by stunt master Hal Needham. The stars are Roddy Piper, The Tonga Kid and a bunch of scrub wrestlers and c-list actors (Dirk Benedict).

The synopsis of this "movie" is about a promoter who wants to combine "hair rock" and wrestling. But their are others that don't want him to succeed. There's more but I don't want to SPOIL it for you. If you can stomach the bad acting and inane storyline, there's a few surprises near the end for die-hard wrestling fans.

I wouldn't recommend this to my worse enemy (and I mean it).

Some cool cameos

[jellopuke · 5/10 · 25 February 2022]

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!

Funny Wrestling Movie

[jefftranhuang · 10/10 · 25 July 2004]

This movie is very funny. It has a great cast of famous Wrestlers from the 70s and 80s. Bruno Samartino, Rick Flair, Freddie Blassie, The Sheik, Capt. Lou Ablano, The Samonans, The Towers Of Pain, Roddy Pipper, and a few more. Overall the plot isn't that interesting, and some parts are kind of dumb, but it is all worth it for the ending. At the end the legendary Chick Hern gets to announce tag team championship title match. Chick did an amazing job announcing that wrestling match. That just proves how Chick Hern is the best announcer of all time. No other sports announcer can call a professional wrestling match that good. I would even watch snails race if Chick Hern was the announcer. Plus also the famous baseball announcer Harry Carry was in it too. This movie is a must see for all fans of 80s Wrestling or for fans of the Lakers.

Weak 80s comedy that doesn't hold up.

[rochfordsimon · 5/10 · 10 May 2020]

One of the weaker wrestling movies. It's ok. But a bit too cheesy. Funny in parts.

The best movie that Dirk Benedict ever did with Capt. Lou Albano

[bobbyknightmare · 15 May 2002]

This was a pretty funny movie, especially if you're a fan of pro wrestling and recognize the characters involved. Benedict plays a variation of his Face Man character, only no Mr. T to get him out of trouble (surprisingly). Throw in Charles Nelson Reilly, Billy Barty and a dancing Bruno Sammartino, you have to get some laughs, even accidentally.

Well worth the two hours.

"Sounds like we're talking grudge match here."

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 18 April 2017]

The film, coming out in 1986, was obviously attempting to capitalize on the success of the very first Wrestlemania from the year prior. In fact, it was Cyndi Lauper's boyfriend at the time, Dave Wolff, who engineered the rock n' roll and wrestling connection to help make that event a surprise smash. But for you girls out there who just want to have fun, this is not the movie you have to see. Though it features some of the big names from the era like Rowdy Roddy Piper, Captain Lou Albano and Samoans Afa and Sika, most of the picture is a let down in terms of both story line and mat action. I could understand casting a couple guys as Road Warrior impersonators Axe and Hammer, but they didn't add much to the film's excitement as tag team champs. My biggest kick was catching Bruno Sammartino, Classy Freddie Blassie and Ric Flair attending the matches at ringside. Why they agreed to appear in this though is beyond my ability to comprehend. It was probably the only time in their respective careers they didn't mind taking a quick count.

Ok movie

[ab-2 · 8/10 · 28 May 2000]

This movie was funny but some parts were cheesy. This movie also got me to get to know the old wrestlers a little bit more. The only reason why I don't reconmend this movie for kids is because this was movie was made when the old wrestlers were in WWF and kids may not know who they are. But overall I give it an 8/10

This movie is great.

[rvd420-4 · 28 July 1999]

Anyone who is cynical about this movie obviously does not know anything about excellent movies. This movie had it all, highlighted by an excellent performance by midget Billy Barty in what was surely the best job that he's done out of his 67 roles, superb acting jobs by Roddy Piper, Lou Albano, and Sam Fatu, and of course the excellent music of Kicks. Plus, the guy from the A-Team is just a tremendous leading man. The world was waiting for a movie such as this one, and when it arrived, the world was overwhelmed, so it didn't get as much credit as it should have. Still, like fine wine, the movie has gotten better with age, as we can now look back at it with a historical perspective and enjoy it that much more. If every movie were like Bodyslam, the world would be a much better place. I highly suggest this movie. If you miss it, I dare to say that you haven't truly lived.

Classic wrestling movie directed by Hal Needam

[dworldeater · 8/10 · 19 March 2024]

If you grew up in the 80's, you probably saw Body Slam on HBO or otherwise on television or cable. If not, you are missing out on a rock n'wrestling classic. Roddy Piper and Fatu are a babyface tag team that left their manager Captain Lou Albano for Face from The A Team. They are at odds with Captain Lou 's stable of heel wrestlers( most notably The Cannibals). One of The Cannibals is Barbarian from The Powers Of Pain. It showed him lifting 500 lbs like it was nothing and from what I heard that was the norm for Barb. Face is primarily in the music industry and manages a cheesy 80's rock band too. Before his accidental foray into pro wrestling he was not so successful. The Wild Samoans show up as bill collectors and destroy his car. Some all time wrestling champions Ric Flair and Bruno Sammartino show up for cameos also. Body Slam is a lot of fun and if you are a wrestling fan, consider this mandatory viewing. Hulk Hogan was great in Rocky 3, but there is no way he could have made this. Roddy Piper is fantastic here and is even better a year later in They Live. (Which is untouchable and the best movie starring a pro wrestler EVER!)

A world of fun

[SpiderPants · 29 September 2001]

Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or the fact that I was in a really great mood, but there was something about Body Slam that made me laugh almost non-stop. Of course, to say I laughed at any of the deliberate jokes in the film, would be a complete lie. I would not pretend that readers of this are complete idiots and such a farce would be believable to any of them. Whomever wrote this film is in dire need of some intelligence. But that utter lack of brains, that total undeniable inability to comprehend anything filled with wit or satire, made for one of the most laughable films I have ever witnessed in my life. I have gone on to be one of Dirk Benedict's biggest fans. He was perfect for this role. Anyone who thinks someone else should have played Harry is a complete fool, because only Mr. Benedict could get down the necessary nuances to be so implausibly stupid that we, as viewers, wonder if we're not becoming stupider as we watch the film.

Classic 80s Movie

[catchascatchcan2004 · 10/10 · 31 July 2009]

I first saw this movie when I was 12 years old, and I absolutely loved it then, and I still love it to this day.

This is a movie about pro wrestling that does not take itself seriously at all. Dirk Benedict plays the slimy manager type to the hilt, but with a hint of sincerity and humor that make you alternately want to see him succeed and get his ass kicked.

Piper and Fatu are golden as the naive wrestlers who buy Benedict's spiel about taking them to the top.

Captain Lou Albano makes an appearance as the even slimier ex-manager of Piper, and when he finds out that Piper has left him for Benedict's character, he employs the likes of Teijo Khan and the Barbarian to exact revenge on Piper and Tonga.

Tanya Roberts is smokin' hot as Benedict's love interest, and there are hilarious cameos by Charles Nelson Reilly, Billy Barty, and a host of legendary wrestlers.

Yeah, it's cheesy, yeah, it's dorky, but Body Slam is everything an 80s comedy should be - funny, silly, and over the top.

Are You Kidding Me?

[Coxer99 · 4 March 1999]

If you're going to do a comedy about professional wrestling, at least make it funny. The real thing is hilarious, why can't the movies be just as funny. Well, Hal Needham has made a film about wrestling here and it's not funny, not silly, not even about wrestling. It's about a sleezy little windbag of a character named Smylak, played to sleazeball perfection by Dirk Benedict. (A-Tea,) He's egotistical, untrusting and looking for any way to make a quick buck. Where was Burt Reynolds? Needham assembled a cast of wrestlers for the film including Rowdy Roddy Piper, Captain Lou Albano and a cameo by the Nature Boy Ric Flair. A film made for kicks, not bucks. It doesn't even deliver in the kicks department. A waste of time and money, but hey, it got Charles Nelson Reilly a job.

Let me slam this movie

[Wizard-8 · 6 October 2012]

"Body Slam" was originally intended to be a major theatrical release by its distributor (De Laurentiis Entertainment Group), but legal troubles resulted in the movie being barely released to theaters. That was probably a good thing, because I can't picture this movie getting a good reception even with a major release behind it. The script is pretty awful for one thing. Quite often it seems that the movie is making things up as it goes along. And the kind of humor on display here would even make rednecks feel that their intelligence is being insulted. Hal Needham's direction makes the movie feel like it was made for television instead of theaters, and Dirk Benedict's character is extremely annoying. Is there anything of merit here? Actually, real-life wrestler Roddy Piper actually shows some charisma and likability, so it's no surprise he managed to make a number of movies despite the otherwise wretched quality of this debut for him.

Displays an era of Rock N Wrestling

[NineBall1986 · 14 February 2004]

Bodyslam was one of the first films I can ever recall as youngster that made love the sport of wrestling. It's a good little comedy about a guy named Smeliack, a down on his luck music manager, he see's an oppurtunity in professional wrestling with Quick Rick Robbins (Roddy Piper) & Tonga Tom (The Tonga Kid). This film really ushered in the era of Rock N Wrestling back in the mid 80's, it was an awesome time to be a wrestling fan and the film couldn't have come out at a better time. Look for special cameos of Ric Flair, Bruno Samartino, and the late Classy Freddy Blassie.

Top-notch wrestling (plus rock 'n roll) comedy

[lor_ · 20 April 2023]

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.