Nice effects though.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

I am no scientist nor doctor, so I have no idea how accurate this film is. I would sure love to hear from a real and impartial expert what they think of this provocative film. When the film begins, the filmmaker talks about his childhood and that of his two brothers. The three went from doughy kids to macho via football, pro wrestling as well as weightlifting. Two of the brothers did this with the help of steroids, the filmmaker didn't...and is the smallest of the three. The movie purports to be anti-steroids initially. It talks about the various negative consequences of the drugs as well as their ubiquity in sports. However, through the course of the film, the dialog changes and the film ends for there becoming legal because, at least according to the filmmaker, there are no long-term studies and there seem to be benefits only for its use. Is this true? I dunno but the film is provocative and well constructed.

I read through some reviews before watching this film and throughout the film I couldn't help think that the reviewers were wrong. The crux of the point was more about spectators and the heroes that make them feel something amazing... to spite the fact that its sports. It's not some awe-inspiring feed the world campaign, its just a game. And the 'irrational' excitement from onlookers is so glaringly obvious by the use of a simple freeze frame - The moment his brother lifted the weight and his family jumped in excitement. The film wasn't intended as either a pro or anti steroid film. It merely presents some information about steroids and the world it plays out in all the while showcasing the fact that we, as a spectator, actually want to see something amazing and when we see that amazing thing, at that moment, it doesn't matter how it was achieved, at that very moment. And what can be taken away from the documentary: blaming the athlete for cheating is no different from blaming the spectator for being too excited. This steroid culture is fed by the spectator culture.

What I love about this movie is that its shows both side of the story about the use of steroids to boost muscle mass. There is the negative side of it by which the film explains in depth using the very public news stories such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hulk Hogan, Barry Bonds, and other celebs that used anabolic steroids when cheating to boost their career or in the sport they are in. Director Chris Bell also talks to the family to a teenager named Taylor Hooten who committed suicide due to steroid abuse. The movie also explains the dangers of having life stock being dope on steroids to product more meat. The movie also talks to a number of lawyers and doctors about the dangers of the drug. Then the movie talks about the positive side of it by which the film explains in depth using news stories such as the man who has AIDs and who used steroids to reclaim his life. He talks how jet pilots use a similar drug call go-pills which are amphetamines to stay awake during war time hours. Director Chris Bell talks about the history of steroids, and how it might have help the United States win the Cold War against the USSR. Some people think the movie went too far to advocating using steroids and I agree it hurts the film. Was the director advocating steroids? Probably not, but he made a point to show how safe they are when used properly. And also how vital they can be for people with atrophying bodies. Yes at certain points it seems like it is defending steroids, but it isn't, it's simply asking why are steroids demonized when the entire country is OK with similar drugs. Alcohol is far worst. Although the movie doesn't defend steroid use, neither does it go on the attack. One of the major themes of the movie are looking up to Heroes and how our heroes cheat the way to power. The movie explains how people all over insist that steroid use is cheating, because it puts the user ahead. But, if steroid use is considered cheating, why isn't it considered cheating for swimmers to remove all of their bodily hair or long distance runners/cyclists to sleep in altitude chambers? It makes these points using how Golfers to have Lasik eye surgery and porn stars to use injectable Viagra. Not only that, but how Musicians to use beta blockers and students to use Adderall. Simple: It's all part of the competition. These are all advantages and nothing more. So, what makes anabolic steroids any different from them? While Bell explores the health costs of juicing, he's mostly concerned with the moral consequences involved in the use of performance-enhancing substances to the point that the movie isn't about steroids, it's about morality. Though he refrains from judgment, he stopped taking steroids himself because it felt dishonest. Naturally, his burly body builder brothers Mike Bell and Mark Bell feel otherwise. The documentary takes a turn from a documentary about steroids to morality play, pit against what's right for him, and what's seem right for his brothers. All three of them seek fame and fortune. While Chris Bell's movie might portray himself as an angel, the fact eludes them throughout the film is the fact that all three are boys in grown men's bodies. Chris Bell felt to make his family's private life public just to make him look better than them. I mean no disrespect to the brother with a learning disability but the other two were pathetic. Another theme of the film is how America or being American is to blame rather than taking personal responsibility. By saying that everyone is fundamentally a victim due to the side effects of being American because how American culture's increased obsession with winning. While, I tend to agree somewhat with that. I think more to the fact that people make poor decisions. I don't think America or its culture is at fault since steroids abuse is universal around the world. Yes, America had a cultural ideal of what a body is supposed to look like, but to say it's the main fault of steroid abuse is not correct. The movie is great to watch and discussion. So give it try. It's very informative.

Great Video. I wonder how many Female Muscle BodyBuilder models use steroids? Does it even really matter if they do cept for their own personal life health risks? When I look at a free adult site like BareDivas that has only female muscle bodybuilders I wonder how many of them took steroids to get that big? It's interesting cause in the adult website world, the girls with the biggest muscles get the most money for videos and galleries like the ones that show up on BareDivas, but is it really in their best interest for their health? I wonder too if it's just worth it for them to use steroids to get big enough to make the big dollars as an adult model for BareDivas and then just quit the steroids and keep the muscle so they now have a high paying career as an adult female muscle bodybuilder.