THERE’S been a glut of pointless first- person documentaries lately – Morgan Spurlock comes immediately to mind – but newcomer Christopher Bell has a legitimate personal take in his film about Americans who use anabolic steroids.
Bell’s two brothers – one a former pro wrestler, the other a bodybuilder – both used steroids to bulk up, and the filmmaker admits to being seriously tempted since the 1980s, when the use of growth-enhancing drugs became popular in their native upstate Schenectady.
While Bell doesn’t shy from examining the possible dangers of steroid use, he does question whether the government overreacted in banning their use based on very skimpy research.
There is much footage of professional athletes accused of steroid use – including some mighty incriminating scenes of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger during his days as a competitive bodybuilder.
While Bell makes the point that pros account for about 85 percent of total usage, he is more interested in why others – including a guy with the world’s biggest biceps, who admits they repulse women – are so driven to be “Bigger, Stronger, Faster*.”
Running time: 85 minutes. Rated PG-13 (drugs, profanity, disturbing images). At the Empire and the Sunshine.