Bigger, Stronger, Faster*
| Bigger, Stronger, Faster* | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Christopher Bell |
| Produced by | Alexander Buono Jim Czarnecki Kurt Engfehr Tamsin Rawady |
| Written by | Christopher Bell Alexander Buono Tamsin Rawady |
| Music by | Dave Porter |
| Cinematography | Alexander Buono |
| Editing by | Brian Singbiel |
| Distributed by | Madman Films |
| Running time | 105 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Bigger, Stronger, Faster* is a 2008 documentary film directed by Christopher Bell about the use of anabolic steroids as performance-enhancing drugs in the United States and how this practice relates to the American Dream. The film had its world premiere[1] on January 19, 2008 at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.[2] The film was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2008, and opened in limited release in the United States on May 30, 2008.[3]
On December 14, 2008, Mike Bell, brother of director Chris Bell, who was prominently featured in the film, died at 37. Christian Boeving who appeared in the film admitting steroid use, was later fired by his sponsor, MuscleTech.[4] Christian was later interviewed on a small cable television show 'The Gregory Mantell Show', where he talked about the repercussions.
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[edit] Title
The * in the title refers to how athletes who are implicated in using performance-enhancing drugs have their records postfixed by an asterisk (*). The title itself refers to the Olympic motto: "Faster, higher, stronger". The tagline also evokes the lines of the opening sequence of The Six Million Dollar Man, "Better, Stronger, Faster" implying that those who take steroids are artificially enhanced, like the bionic protagonist of the 1970's television series.
[edit] Synopsis
The documentary examines the steroid use of director Christopher Bell's two brothers, Smelly and Mad Dog,[5] who all grew up idolizing Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hulk Hogan, and Sylvester Stallone, and also features professional athletes, medical experts, fitness center members, and US Congressmen talking about the issue of anabolic steroids.[6]
Beyond the basic issue of anabolic steroid use, Bigger, Stronger, Faster* examines the lack of consistency in how America views drugs, cheating, and the lengths people go to achieve success. The film looks beyond the steroid issue to such topics as Tiger Woods' laser eye correction to 20/15 vision, professional musicians use of blood pressure reducing drugs, or athletes' dependence on cortisone shots, which are a legal steroid. It takes a skeptical view of the health risks of steroids and is critical of the legal health supplement industry.
[edit] Reception
The film received highly positive reviews from critics. As of July 20, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 96% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 75 reviews. The film also received three out of four stars in People magazine and was marked as a 'Critic's Choice' pick. (63/65 Fresh.)[7] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 80 out of 100, based on 17 reviews.[6]
[edit] DVD release
The DVD version of the film was released on September 30, 2008.
[edit] References
- ^ "2008 Sundance Film Festival Announces Films in Competition" (PDF). 2007-11-28. http://www.sundance.org/festival/press_industry/releases/pdf/2008_SFF_Announces_Films_In_Competition.pdf. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- ^ "Bigger, Stronger, Faster* Sundance 2008 profile". sundance.org. http://www.sundance.org/festival/film_events/details1.asp?filmid=08F0020. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
- ^ "Bigger, Stronger, Faster* (2008) - Release dates". Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1151309/releaseinfo. Retrieved 2008-05-30.
- ^ http://www.mesomorphosis.com/blog/2008/04/27/muscletech-fires-christian-boeving-for-talking-about-anabolic-steroids/
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1151309/
- ^ a b "Bigger, Stronger, Faster* (2008): Reviews". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/biggerstrongerfaster. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ "Bigger, Stronger, Faster* Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bigger_stronger_faster_asterisk/. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Bigger, Stronger, Faster* at the Internet Movie Database
- Bigger, Stronger, Faster* at Rotten Tomatoes
- Bigger, Stronger, Faster* at Metacritic
- Bigger, Stronger, Faster* at Box Office Mojo
- Bigger, Stronger, Faster* at sundance.org
- Review in Variety
