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 |
| Edited by | Brian Singbiel |
| Distributed by | Madman Films |
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Running time
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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 on January 19, 2008 at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. 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.
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", also a play on WWE's wrestlemania theme "Bigger, Better, Badder". The tagline also evokes the lines of the opening sequence of The Six Million Dollar Man, "Better, Stronger, Faster."
The documentary examines the steroid use of director Christopher Bell's two brothers, Smelly and Mad Dog, 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.
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.
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