Bigger Stronger Faster* (DVD)

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There's also a simpler point to be made that Bell glosses over. Steroids are banned in most professional sports, thus the use of them is, by definition, against the rules. He's not challenging this, but rather the moral outrage that steroid-use in sports seems to provoke. It's a violation of the rules, but does it really "challenge the integrity of the game" as so many pundits claim? And on a much sounder point, Bell is willing to concede that perhaps steroids should be banned in professional sports, but wonders why in the hell everyday Joes and Janes just trying to get "bigger, stronger, and faster" should be considered criminals for using supplements like steroids to improve their physique.

We live in an age of "better living through chemicals" but our standards for determining which ones are socially acceptable are arbitrary, at best. Tobacco good. Marijuana bad. Anti-depressants good. Anabolic steroids bad. Chris Bell's intelligent, low-key documentary may not change American society, but it will make most viewers re-evaluate their opinions about steroids and other drugs. "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" is one of the best films of 2008.

Video:
"Bigger Stronger Faster" flexes its biceps with a decent anamorphic widescreen 1.78:1 aspect ratio. It's really hard to judge films like this in terms of picture quality since they usually combine a blend of recently filmed interviews with a smattering of older news and sport footage—and Bell's documentary is no different.

Audio:
The disc contains Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 tracks with optional Spanish subtitles. Even though there is very little action contributed by the rear speakers, the 5.1 track is still crisper and cleaner and obviously the better of the two.

Extras:
The main selling point of the bonus features for Magnolia's DVD release is an additional forty minutes of footage not seen in theaters. They are separated into the following chapters: "Steroids for HIV" (1:38), "More Porn Stars" (1:24), "Bodybuilders/Gym Rats" (3:28), "Side Effects" (1:13), "David Callahan" (2:22), "Olympic Drug Testing" (3:31), "Floyd Landis, Hometown Hero" (1:02), "More Pilots" (1:26), "More Musicians" (3:23),"Eating the Belgian Blue" (1:09), "Bell Brothers' Heart Scans" (2:05), "Chris and Smelly" (1:41), "Roid Rage" (4:03), "Mad Dog's Wrestling Match" (3:47), "More Valentino" (4:16), and "Anti-Aging" (2:36).

"Behind-The-Scenes" (3:06) is basically a short tribute to the producers, editors, and other crew that made the documentary possible.

Finally there are trailers that autoplay on startup for: "What Just Happened," "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson," "Finding Amanda," "Man on Wire," "Bachelorman," and "HDNet."

The Final Cut:
Two years in the making and spanning one hundred shooting days across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Chris Bell's "Bigger Stronger Faster" leaves no ´roid uncovered and lays it all out on the line for everyone to come to their own conclusions. Good or bad, one thing is certain: America is considered to be the land of opportunity, but when it comes to steroids--Bell clearly demonstrates it's the land of confusion.

"Is it still cheating if everybody's doing it?"

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