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Film Review: Night of the Juggler (Fantasia 2025)
Night of the Juggler (1980) is a vintage thriller that never lets up, and it is the recipient of a beautiful new 4K restoration from Kino Lorber. Director Robert Butler, who replaced original director Sidney J. Furie a few weeks into production, captures a grimy New York City that can only be seen in rare films like this. Read More.
Hulk Hogan, Pro Wrestling Legend, Dead at Age 71
Terry Gene Bollea—better known as Hulk Hogan—was born on August 11, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia. He began his pro wrestling journey in 1977 and shot to fame in the mid‑1980s after joining the WWF (now WWE) in late 1983. With his patriotic persona and unmistakable look—muscular physique, blond horseshoe moustache, and bandana—Hogan helped usher in a new era of wrestling popularity. He headlined eight of the first nine WrestleMania events, including the record‑breaking WrestleMania III match against André the Giant. Read More.
Check out our free podcast about the death of pro wrestling icon Hulk Hogan:
Film Review: Suzzanna the Queen of Black Magic (2024)
Official Shudder synopsis: She starred in 42 classic movies, was hailed as “The Queen of Indonesian Horror” and crowned “Asia's Most Popular Actress.” But who was Suzanna Martha Frederika van Osch, long-beloved by the Asian world as Suzzanna yet virtually unknown outside it? Through exclusive interviews with family, colleagues, filmmakers, and historians, as well as clips from her classic films, this documentary unearths the legacy of the Scream Queen who has begun to emerge as one of the most compelling icons in cinema history. Read More.
Superman (2025) Movie is not a Woke Nightmare: It is a Wild, Crazy, and Largely Very Good Comic Book Superhero Movie
Let’s just rip the band-aid off right now—I’ve never been shy about my disdain for the Zack Snyder era of DC movies. His so-called “Snyder-verse” was a cinematic emo mixtape: grim, gray, and grimy. It was like watching a Justice League that hadn’t smiled since Y2K. Everyone looked like they needed a hug... or at least a sunny day. Read More.
The latest DragonKingKarl Classic Wrestling Podcast is also available on our YouTube channel! Watch Here.
Tonya’s Diner Presents: Garlic Steak and Cheese Tortellini Skillet!
Steak Garlic Tortellini: This meal is a fantastic mixture of delicious steak and cheese filled pasta. This recipe has a great garlic taste, and the steak mixed with pasta is fantastic! Straight from Tonya’s Diner at When It Was Cool this is a yummy meal! Get the recipe.
Free First Chapter from DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus Book: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling
I have been researching the pioneer era of professional wrestling for a long time. While the bulk of my wrestling research (and fandom) is tied to the 1980’s, my favorite time period to read about and research is the pioneer era. I define the pioneer era as roughly everything pre-Frank Gotch or roughly pre-1900. Read More.
Marvel Comics 1992 WCW Comic Book Series Review
In 1992 pro wrestling was in a very difficult situation. After several years of previously unprecedented popularity during the mid to late 1980s, pro wrestling went on a slide. Several reasons played into this dip in popularity. The biggest pro wrestling star of the 1980s, Hulk Hogan, had begun to see his popularity decline and the entire WWF (WWE) was embroiled in multiple scandals including an underage ring boy sex scandal and rampant accusations of large-scale steroid use and abuse. Read More.
Film Reviews: Andy Kaufman Is Me and Billy Idol Should Be Dead (Tribeca 2025)
This year’s Tribeca festival featured two documentaries that should be of great interest to When It Was Cool readers. No matter what you have seen, read, or heard about Andy Kaufman and Billy Idol before, these films provide plenty of new insight into the two celebrities. Read More.
Film Review: Vampire Hunter D 1985
Official synopsis: In the year 12,090 A.D. technology and the supernatural have overtaken the world, leaving the land desolate and despotic. The remnants of humanity are scattered into small communities and live in fear of vampires who compose the ruling Nobility. When Count Magnus Lee tastes the blood of Doris Lang, she is forcibly chosen to be his next wife. In an effort to escape her ill-gotten fate she hires a mysterious vampire hunter known only as D, who comes from a peculiar lineage. Read More.
When It Was Cool’s Karl Stern as guest on Hannibal TV discussing pioneer era pro wrestling, early 1990s WCW, Wrestling Observer and WWE Hall of Fame, and much more!
Hell on Earth: When It Was Not Cool: The Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys Video
Join Karl and Tonya on this video we shot last year of the horrible Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys. Many of you who follow our When It Was Cool Podcast know that Tonya’s father was placed here when he was a child. It was later determined that the State of Florida beat, tortured, and killed numerous children there and hid their bodies in a graveyard deep in the woods almost a mile away. Check out our educational video on this little publicized injustice. Watch Here.
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DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Book. What’s to Know and Why Does it Matter?
I am very excited to release my new book, DragonKingKarl’s Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Pro Wrestling. I have put years of work into this project which, I believe, is the most in-depth and detailed exploration of pre-1900 professional wrestling ever undertaken. The Pioneer Era Pro Wrestling Omnibus: The Bible of the Pioneer Era of Wrestling is sourced from hundreds of pro wrestling researchers, newsletters, books, magazines, newspapers, and years of firsthand research, and I have documented every major event in pro wrestling before the year 1900. Read More.
201 Greatest Pro Wrestlers of All Time List: Who Are the Greatest Pro Wrestlers of All Time
Compiled By: Karl Stern Sourcing Data from over 30 Historians, Vetted Greatest Wrestler of All Time Lists, Major Media Rankings, Cumulative Lists, and Major Vetted Halls of Fame. This list is not my opinion. The only input I had into ranking this list was doing the math and averaging the results and putting it together in a readable format. This, according to multiple respected pro wrestling historians, major media rankings, published books, and vetted rankings are the 201 greatest pro wrestlers of all time, with bonus points given for major vetted Halls of Fame and Wrestler of the Year Awards. Read More.
