''Bigger, Stronger, Faster*'' is a 2008 documentary film directed by Chris Bell about the use of

anabolic steroid Anabolic steroids, also known more properly as anabolic–androgenic steroids (AAS), are steroidal androgens that include natural androgens like testosterone (medication), testosterone as well as synthetic androgens that are structurally related ...

s as performance-enhancing drugs in the United States and how this practice relates to the American Dream. The film had its world premiere on January 19, 2008 at the

2008 Sundance Film Festival The 2008 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 17, 2008 to January 27 in Park City, Utah. It was the 24th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival. The opening night film was ''In Bruges'' and the closing night film was '' CSNY Déjà Vu''. Films ...

. The film was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2008, and opened in

limited release __FORCETOC__ Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few theaters across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...

in the United States on May 30, 2008.

Title

The

asterisk The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...

in the title refers to the asterisk attached to the records of athletes who are implicated in using performance-enhancing drugs. The title itself refers to the

Olympic motto The International Olympic Committee (IOC) uses icons, flags and symbols to elevate the Olympic Games. These symbols include those commonly used during Olympic competition—such as the flame, fanfare and theme—as well as those used throughout ...

: "Faster, higher, stronger", also a play on WWE's WrestleMania III theme "Bigger, Better, Badder". The tagline also evokes the lines of the opening sequence of The Six Million Dollar Man, "Better, Stronger, Faster."

Synopsis

The documentary examines the steroid use of director Christopher Bell's two brothers, Mark "Smelly" Bell and Mike "Mad Dog" Bell, who grew up idolizing

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...

Hulk Hogan Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...

, and

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Enzio Stallone (; born Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone, ) is an American actor and filmmaker. After his beginnings as a struggling actor for a number of years upon arriving to New York City in 1969 and later Hollywood in 1974, h ...

(who all confessed to using steroids or growth hormones to achieve their physiques), and also features professional athletes, medical experts, fitness center members, and US Congressmen talking about the issue of

s. Beyond the basic issue of anabolic steroid use, ''Bigger, Stronger, Faster*'' examines the lack of consistency in how the US 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 A dietary supplement is a manufactured product intended to supplement one's diet by taking a pill, capsule, tablet, powder, or liquid. A supplement can provide nutrients either extracted from food sources or that are synthetic in order ...

. Christopher Bell on steroid regulation: "If you look at all the laws in our country, and at how and why things get banned, they don’t actually fit into that category: They’re not addictive, they don’t actually kill people. I don’t condone the stuff, but after three years of researching this, it seems like we should take another look."

Reception

The film received highly positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes surveyed and, categorizing the reviews as positive or negative, assessed 73 as positive and 3 as negative for a 96% rating. Among the reviews, it determined an average rating of 7.70 out of 10. The critics consensus reads "''Bigger, Stronger, Faster*'' is a fascinating, informative, entertaining and especially introspective account of the American 'enhancement' culture." Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 80 out of 100, based on 20 reviews. Stephen Holden of The New York Times released a positive review shortly before the film's release, noting that it takes a look at steroid use from numerous perspectives and that " though the movie doesn't defend steroid use, neither does it go on the attack." Holden said that the film "left imconvinced that the steroid scandals will abate as the drugs are reluctantly accepted as inevitable products of a continuing revolution in biotechnology. Replaceable body parts, plastic surgery, anti-depressants, Viagra and steroids are just a few of the technological advancements in a never-ending drive to make the species superhuman."

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

gave the film 3.5/4 stars, saying that it is "remarkable in that it seems to be interested only in facts."

Aftermath

On December 14, 2008, Mike Bell, brother of the director Chris Bell, who was prominently featured in the film, died at 37. Christian Boeving, whose appearance in the film included the admission of steroid use, was later fired by his sponsor, MuscleTech.

DVD release

The DVD version of the film was released on September 30, 2008.

References

External links

Official website
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in ''Variety'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Bigger, Stronger, Faster 2008 films American sports documentary films Documentary films about drugs Documentary films about bodybuilding Documentary films about female bodybuilding 2008 documentary films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films