Bigger, Stronger, Faster

8.56
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Ratings: 8.56/10 from 71 users.

Bigger, Stronger, FasterPop culture junkies tend to think of Hulk Hogan, Sylvester Stallone, and Arnold Schwarzenegger as entertainment figures. In Poughkeepsie, NY, back in the 1980s, filmmaker Christopher Bell and his brothers viewed them as heroes and became bodybuilders. Like the Hulkster, Mike and Mark Bell even turned to professional wrestling. Chris, a former staffer at Venice's famous Gold's Gym, doesn't use anabolic steroids--he did try them once--but his heroes have and his brothers do, leading him to look deeper at this increasingly common practice.

While Bell explores the health costs of juicing, he's mostly concerned with the moral consequences involved in the use of performance-enhancing substances. Though he refrains from judgment, he stopped taking steroids because it felt dishonest. Naturally, his burly brothers feel otherwise. Aside from his family, Bell speaks with doctors, lawyers, congressmen, gym rats, and professional athletes, like Olympic sprinters Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis and Tour de France cyclist Floyd Landis.

He also includes footage of José Canseco, Barry Bonds, and Mark McGwire testifying during the federal grand jury and congressional hearings on steroid use in the major leagues (prompted by the publication of Canseco's Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant 'Roids, Smash Hits, and How Baseball Got Big). For the most part, Bell doesn't leave any stone unturned and the personal nature of his entertaining and enlightening inquiry elevates Bigger, Stronger, Faster, i.e. The Side Effects of Being American, above your average exposé. Recommended to athletes, sports fans, health nuts, and of course, pop culture junkies

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39 Comments / User Reviews

  1. Gonzo

    I really liked this. I thought it was a balanced and honest look at steroids, there, use, abuse and the hype vs reality in terms of danger.

    The lines are always blurred, and yet time after time you have the vocal minority dictating policy without heed to real science and evidence, other than anecdotal. The politicians and the media ought to be ashamed at how they pander to this minority, foist it on the rest of us, and create scary news where often there is none, or it is at least greatly exaggerated.

    But, it sells and it helps keep people scared, angry at phantoms, and ultimately compliant.

    Definitely worth watching. I give it a 9/10

  2. blah

    what temptations does he experience in his life that could help him achieve his ideal body image and personal fitness goals?

  3. Jack Wagon

    It's hard to listen to Carl Lewis blast Ben Johnson when he's just as guilty. It was like watching Lance Armstrong attack everyone before he got caught. I really didn't give a shit about Lance doing steroids, but the way he slammed everyone who talked about it was disgusting.

    1. Mario

      carl is a huge a**hole with small penis syndrom.

  4. Jack Wagon

    These guys are really pathetic.

  5. Jank Bass

    I absolutely love this documentary. I'd even put this in my rope 5 favorite movies. Thank you Chris.

  6. Antonio Navarro

    wow & thats not a game!!! thank you mark bell

  7. katy

    Very interesting! Thank you for the time, effort and passion you have put into educating and objectively informing us, thoroughly enjoyed that!

  8. Michael Reust

    This is really revealing about the American mentality.

  9. Michael Reust

    Really thought provoking!

  10. nadja bradic

    Thank you, very good documentary, objective and interesting!

  11. jimmyfunk

    Thank you Chris for such an insightful documentary on the use of performance enhancing drugs in the USA.

  12. Mike Mcshea

    it is running this month on HBO, Showtime, or something. I watched it over this past weekend

  13. sima1

    Hi , I want to watch this documentary, but it has been removed!
    How can I find it? is it possible that you upload it again in the website?

  14. X. Esselle Tine

    This is a very interesting yet insightful and objective view of the whole phenomenon that relates to performance enhancing drugs in the USA. It's very apt title absolutely says it all! I can see how non-Americans might not really get a sense of what the big deal is... Only real inaccuracy I noticed (just because I've followed the story so closely) - which does not substantially affect the overall message is: "victor Conte named names...including Barry Bonds." Conte outed some elite Athletes, most notably Marian Jones, but he has never named Bonds. If he had, the recent perjury trial would not have depended so much on Greg Anderson's testimony.

  15. Tim Lawson

    there is one muscle you can't "work out".... so shouldn't you want to get tiny so that it looks large by comparison? :

    "He isn't much to look at, but WOW, WHAT A MAN!"

    1. Ross Boylan

      lol, if ur refering to the penis, its not actually a muscle.

  16. pamela

    I watched this because my husband wants to try "steroids" I completely disapprove and totally told him exactly what his mom told him "God created you just the way he wanted you to be.."kinda thing..I do believe everything and anything we take in have side effects,it differs on how bad it is.Thank you for the insight,and I am still anti-steroids.

    1. Tom Swainson

      Glad your not my wife. But hey, each to there own. You have been brainwashed

    2. Mark Austin Mayfield

      I think you have been brainwashed lol

  17. d goodwin

    "this game aint over, the sun is still shinin'.... and it aint over"

  18. john doe

    Big guys with small p****s.

    1. flavourcountry

      It's not that sm*ll.

    2. Tom Swainson

      Shows how thick you are as the use has no effect of the size of one's penis.

  19. ok

    that depressing cow is just destroying this documentary with her depressing attitude

  20. nhk

    Great doc, thanks.

  21. Frank

    Very good.

  22. Zeal

    Where is Hulk Hogan for the fat kids now?

  23. tony

    Everything looks fine

  24. fk

    acctualy you need to wait 50 minutes then you can continue to watch the documentary...chickenbrain

  25. Jared C

    I like how at the end it begins to show how they are addicts.

  26. Jason K

    "Game aint over, Sun is still shinin"

  27. Jason K

    What up with the "you have watched 72 minutes" stuff, F that man I want pure minutes fo lyfe unrestricted yall!!!! Oh well youtube / metacafe up dawgs!!!!!!!!! Wigger out!!!!!

  28. Santana Escobar

    This is an excellent documentary. Hey Vlatko, what country are you from? I am from Chicago, IL and am also very interested in documentaries.

  29. Imre Kelényi

    I liked this. It gives you quite an insight into the whole steroid phenomena, and remains relatively objective, as far as I can tell, throughout the film.

  30. Vlatko

    Everything looks fine to me. There is no need for registration.

  31. Der Oberst

    Very entertaining but largely superficial. ***Stars

  32. Mayu

    Who stands up 3.30 for eating and this only to be stronger?? DAH I don't understand it??

    1. X. Esselle Tine

      ( who GETS up*)Thats just it, people you are into working out for high level conditioning DO understand it - even if some might think that a little extreme.