Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin' (2011)

Absolutely the worst movie.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Memphis, TN... Out of the culture that created Rock n' Roll and great BBQ also came its distinctive brand of wrasslin'. It's where Andy Kaufman battled all comers (of the female persuasion), became "Intergender Champion of the World" until he was piledriven by his nemesis, Jerry "The King" Lawler. Well, even before that, before there was Facebook and the internet, The Coliseum was the place to be Monday night, often packing in over 10,000 spectators!! This film covers it all from Sputnik Monroe forward. A must see for wrestling fans, Memphis-philes, and fans of the curious and strange. Made with real love and appreciation.

As Jim Carry said in Man on the Moon "Memphis is the Wrestling capitol of the world."Well maybe not anymore but man on man it sure used to be. If you're an old school wrestling fan or someone who grew up in Memphis, like me and feel a little nostalgic do yourself a favor and get this video.If you're a child of the 70's or earlier then there are certainly some "real treats in store for you" such as the real back story of how things got started in Memphis with the Nick Gulas split and even going back to the carnival days for some of the original greats.I'm a kid of the 80's though and the blend of the old footage with the new commentary from Dundee, Handsome Jimmy and of course the King really brought back those feelings of excitement, that I had when I was kid at the Coliseum on Monday nights. I love this video and I'm really glad I bought it.

Memphis Heat is the new king of professional wrestling movies. It's that damn good to steal a catchphrase. Mixing vintage pictures, archival footage, interviews with several of the key players over a rock and roll soundtrack this film manages to convey the emotion, excitement and intensity of one of the top territories in the country. The DVD adds several stellar extras including some great anecdotes that did not make the movie, several key moments from Memphis TV and the Coliseum. This is a must have for any wrestling library. B Memphis Heat which was based on the superb photo book Sputnik, Masked Men and Midgets this documentary covers the Memphis grappling scene from the 60s until the mid 80s. Jerry "the King" Lawler , "Superstar" Bill Dundee , Jerry Jarrett , Sputnik Monroe and many others share some personal memories about several key moments in the territory. Excellently paced and always engaging this should be the blueprint not just for wrestling films but documentaries in general. Check out the extras for stories about segregation, assault, bad payoffs and more. A+++ Review by Jobber Joe columnist for Wrestle Hustle and author of Wrestling With Sports and Entertainment