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E
escher
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Christmas came and went, and left me with a copy of the much-anticipated sequel to the 1975 cult classic, “Pumping Iron.” I have many good things to say about the new film, as well as a few bones to pick at.
The film itself was great. It showcased many of the great names in bodybuilding (most of them still from the Golden Era), debatably even more than the previous film, but this time with emphasis on Tom Platz and Frank Zane specifically, and of course—Arnold. Reg Park, Roy Callendar Franco Columbo, Boyer Coe, Mike Mentzer, Roger Walker, Chris Dikerson, and several other great names all had brief appearances in the film. Most of it revolved around Arnold, Platz, and Zane.
The music to the film is the first thing you notice—right as the credits fade in for the intro. It has more pep; more rock; more beat; unlike the loathsome twang and bop of the 1975 soundtrack to The Comeback’s faithful predecessor. I find this to be a great relief.
The overall feel of the movie was VERY different from Pumping Iron, no doubt because it was done by a completely different director: Kit Laughlin. You may recall that it was George Butler and Robert Fiore who did the first film, and their work speaks for itself. One of the major differences here with The Comeback (one that cannot simply be ignored) is the manner in which emphasis is put on the competition itself, rather than the events leading up to the show. For this reason there is FAR LESS suspense and drama building up. Kind of sucks.
Also, Pumping Iron had some FANTASTIC training shots of nearly ALL the great names of the era (except Draper). Lots of lifting, breathing, sweating, and clanging of plates against plates as the competitors blew themselves up for the camera. Not so in The Comeback. I timed just under ten minutes of actual pre-contest, in-the-gym training. Disappointment of this nature is enough to make any Arnold-fan lose their hard-on in the amount of time it takes most of us to jab a needle.
Here’s another bone I wish to pick with Kit Laughlin personally (if I could). Why the f**k is a film of these proportions only 46 minutes long? That’s just over HALF the running time of Pumping Iron. How about showing some respect to the sport and to the potential consumers who are considering buying this thing and putting more into it? You rat bastard…
I’m bitter because this DVD is only available at a few websites—all of them bodybuilding and/or AAS affiliated. I got mine off of “Meso” (http://www.mesomorphosis.com/store/videos/arnold-schwarzenegger-the-comeback.html), for $39.95 plus shipping. All totaled, that’s 1$ per minute of footage. Yes it’s worth it, but it’s still a rip off over what it could be. Pumping Iron SE 25th Anniversary Edition DVD is all of $15 at Amazon or Overstock—are you beginning to see my point?
I hope this review has been helpful. The short duration of the DVD greatly bothers me, but on the plus side, I can watch it in the same amount of time I would be watching a sitcom on TV for 45 minutes. Guess there’s always a bright side.
Happy holidays to all the bros on this board, and PLEASE be safe Friday night (New Year’s). Here’s to another year of food, sleep, gear and bodybuilding!
-e
The film itself was great. It showcased many of the great names in bodybuilding (most of them still from the Golden Era), debatably even more than the previous film, but this time with emphasis on Tom Platz and Frank Zane specifically, and of course—Arnold. Reg Park, Roy Callendar Franco Columbo, Boyer Coe, Mike Mentzer, Roger Walker, Chris Dikerson, and several other great names all had brief appearances in the film. Most of it revolved around Arnold, Platz, and Zane.
The music to the film is the first thing you notice—right as the credits fade in for the intro. It has more pep; more rock; more beat; unlike the loathsome twang and bop of the 1975 soundtrack to The Comeback’s faithful predecessor. I find this to be a great relief.
The overall feel of the movie was VERY different from Pumping Iron, no doubt because it was done by a completely different director: Kit Laughlin. You may recall that it was George Butler and Robert Fiore who did the first film, and their work speaks for itself. One of the major differences here with The Comeback (one that cannot simply be ignored) is the manner in which emphasis is put on the competition itself, rather than the events leading up to the show. For this reason there is FAR LESS suspense and drama building up. Kind of sucks.
Also, Pumping Iron had some FANTASTIC training shots of nearly ALL the great names of the era (except Draper). Lots of lifting, breathing, sweating, and clanging of plates against plates as the competitors blew themselves up for the camera. Not so in The Comeback. I timed just under ten minutes of actual pre-contest, in-the-gym training. Disappointment of this nature is enough to make any Arnold-fan lose their hard-on in the amount of time it takes most of us to jab a needle.
Here’s another bone I wish to pick with Kit Laughlin personally (if I could). Why the f**k is a film of these proportions only 46 minutes long? That’s just over HALF the running time of Pumping Iron. How about showing some respect to the sport and to the potential consumers who are considering buying this thing and putting more into it? You rat bastard…
I’m bitter because this DVD is only available at a few websites—all of them bodybuilding and/or AAS affiliated. I got mine off of “Meso” (http://www.mesomorphosis.com/store/videos/arnold-schwarzenegger-the-comeback.html), for $39.95 plus shipping. All totaled, that’s 1$ per minute of footage. Yes it’s worth it, but it’s still a rip off over what it could be. Pumping Iron SE 25th Anniversary Edition DVD is all of $15 at Amazon or Overstock—are you beginning to see my point?
I hope this review has been helpful. The short duration of the DVD greatly bothers me, but on the plus side, I can watch it in the same amount of time I would be watching a sitcom on TV for 45 minutes. Guess there’s always a bright side.
Happy holidays to all the bros on this board, and PLEASE be safe Friday night (New Year’s). Here’s to another year of food, sleep, gear and bodybuilding!
-e
