Below the Belt (1980)

Below the Belt: Directed by Robert Fowler. With Regina Baff, John C. Becher, Mildred Burke, James Gammon. A New York City waitress decides to become a professional wrestler.

“I picked this movie up mainly because I love female wrestling. From that perspective, I have to report that I was somewhat disappointed: although it shows some great moves here and there, u0026quot;Below The Beltu0026quot; does not contain nearly as much wrestling action as I expected. Even the final showdown is more of a ring brawl than a wrestling match. Most of the time the film is focused on painting a particularly unglamorous portrait of the u0026quot;life on the roadu0026quot; of an independent pro-wrestling troupe, and although a lot of it feels real, there are a few too many songs on the soundtrack and a few too many traveling shots. Fortunately, our female lead Regina Baff is able to carry the movie with a winning performance; she is also VERY attractive in an everywoman sort of way (a woman does not need to have Playboy-model looks to be attractive), and seems to have done all of her wrestling stunts herself. u0026quot;Below The Beltu0026quot; is worth a look for anyone interested in the subject, but u0026quot;All The Marblesu0026quot; is still the king of this limited sub-genre. (**1/2)”