DVD Review: American Gladiators (The Original Series): The Battle Begins: Zap, Nitro, Gemini, Lace, Bob Levy: Movies & TV

Jul16

DVD Review: American Gladiators (The Original Series): The Battle Begins: Zap, Nitro, Gemini, Lace, Bob Levy: Movies & TV

Posted by admin | on 16 July, 04:19 AM

Product Description
The 80s cult classic American Gladiators was a forerunner of the reality show: a physical competition series in which two male and two female contestants pitted their strength, speed and skill against highly trained pro athletes Gemini, Zap, Nitro, Lace, Malibu
and Sunny, aka the American Gladiators. American Gladiators first premiered in January of 1989 and was hosted by Mike Adamle and Joe Theismann. In Season One, events included The Joust, The Assault, Powerball, The Human Cannonball, Breakthrough and Conquer, and the Eliminator. This 3 DVD set covers Season One, including the mid-season wrap-up episode and the subsequent 13 episodes leading up to the finals.

Bonus Features:

* Brand-new interviews.

* Original show promos.

Let the Games Begin!,

By S. R. “supes” (USA) -

Premiering in 1989, this precursor to today’s reality show phenomenon pitted athletic contestants against the muscle-bound, spandex-clad American Gladiators in games for cash and prizes culminating in a tournament at the season’s end. Boasting a heroic theme music by Rocky composer Bill Conti, this was more than just a spectator sport, this was a show that challenged couch potatoes to prove themselves. While the series was initially an enigma to everyone involved, including the Gladiators themselves, the competitive events and mass appeal of the Gladiators saved it from a premature demise. Hosted by former NFL stars Joe Thiesmann (who was eventually replaced by Todd Christensen) and perennial host Mike Adamle, the first season (as with most shows) had its fair share of growing pains. The games and props were not well designed, the Romanesque arena was dimly lit (perhaps to conceal the lack of audience members), the awarding of points was excessive, comical-looking hooded figures initially officiated the games, and the Gladiators were too often forced to stay in character (as opposed to the individual natural charisma exuded in subsequent seasons). Although the show changed drastically throughout the first season, expect to see trademark events such as Breakthrough & Conquer, Joust, and Powerball. The six original Gladiators who ushered in this inaugural season included;

Raye “Zap” Hollitt- This buxom, blonde beauty (who was unceremoniously cropped from the DVD cover image) packed femininity and brawn into a relatively small frame. Hollitt was the only Gladiator to have a fan following prior to the show, having come off the John Ritter comedy film Skin Deep.

Michael “Gemini” Horton- The oldest Gladiator and considered by many as the father figure of the group, Gemini more than compensated for a lack of speed and flexibility with his unmatched intensity and brute strength.

Marisa “Lace” Pare- Although lacking the strength and muscularity of the other female Gladiators, the curly-haired Lace was nevertheless willing to test her mettle against any contestant willing to challenge her deceptively delicate looks.

Deron “Malibu” McBee- Seemingly perfectly cast as the chiseled, long-haired surfer type, Malibu failed to prove he had the athletic prowess necessary to be a true Gladiator and was gone from the show midway through the season.

Cheryl “Sunny” Barldinger- This statuesque stunner used her impressive size and agility to dominate contestants with relative ease while remaining true to her all-American appeal. Unfortunately, an injury in one of the first season events sidelined her career after several episodes.

Dan “Nitro” Clark- Arguably the most popular Gladiator, Nitro was the tough talking braggart who always backed up his words while making the contestants earn his respect. Clark recently wrote about his experiences on the series and his battles with personal demons in the autobiography entitled Gladiator.

While the first season had 26 episodes total, this 3-disc set is comprised of episodes 13 (the mid-season highlights show) through episode 26 (the Grand Championships) for a total of 14 episodes. Shout Factory apparently wanted to keep costs down to attract a larger consumer base, thus the decision to omit the first 12 episodes. Fortunately, the recap episode will suitably bring fans up to speed on the outcomes from the first half of the season. Bonus features include commentaries on 4 episodes and an interview with actor and former contestant, Billy Wirth. Hopefully, this set sells well enough to warrant further season releases featuring fan-favorite Gladiators such as Turbo, Diamond, Sabre, Tower, Ice, Hawk, and many more. Fans who have been clamoring for DVDs of this innovative show have finally gotten their wish. The only thing left to do now is let the games begin!

This should be FREAKIN’ great!!!!,

By Dan Nitro Clark “yinyangfil” (Sherman Oaks, Ca. USA) -

This is “Dan Clark” aka NITRO. I want to let all know that this DVD pack will contain COMMENTARY on a few episodes!!! LASER, ZAP and MYSELF went into the studio and talked about the show for HOURS!!!! It was a blast and I hope it something that the loyal fans of the show will like and appreciate!!!! Again — we had a freakin’ good time doing and Zap is still hot and Laser is still built like a brick wall. Hope you enjoy. Also check out my memoir! GLADIATOR A TRUE STORY OF ‘ROIDS, RAGE AND REDEMPTION and hit me up on my website DanNitroClark.com. I answer all my own email and love to hear from peeps!!!

Be well,
Dan

Finally!!!,

By M. Deckard “Turbo_Outlaw” (Illinois) -

The battle begins! I am so excited that they have finally released “American Gladiators” season one on DVD. The quality of this DVD is great and the sound is awesome. It was so awesome to put in the DVD and see my favorite show from the 90’s back in action. The DVD lacks some cool special features, but the action makes up for it. Even the booklet that comes with the DVDs is well written and informative. Great work Shout! and I hope that you will release season 2 really, REALLY soon!
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