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Pumping Iron - The 25th Anniversary Special Edition Customer Reviews (34 - 35 of 35 Reviews)

A Slice of History from the Golden Age of Bodybuilding
Pumping Iron essentially follows four bodybuilders, two professional (Arnold Schwarzenegger & Lou Ferigno) and two amatuers (Mike Katz & Ken Waller)as they train and compete for their sport's top prize, Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe, respectively. The setting is 1975 and the contests take place in Pretoria, South Africa.

There are also several vignettes describing the backgrounds of the competitors listed above as well as Franco Columbo. In addition to the background of the main competitors, we get to see a side of them that is unknown to the audience (at that time) - such as Arnold's use of psychology against opponents and his unsatisfied thirst for victory.

Visually, the training at Gold's Gym in Venice,CA and the posedown at the contests, are stunning.

Overall, this is an excellent DVD to own. If you are a bodybuilding fan, this will undoubtedly provide you with motivation and insight. If you are not a fan, this may be what makes you one.

Docudrama at its Best
This is a docudrama. That means not everything is true. What makes this DVD stand out from the earlier VHS version is the story behind the making of Pumping Iron. This special feature alone is worth the purchase of this DVD. For years the muscle media has said that some of this film was staged, but there were many rumors about what was and wasn't true. Butler and cast lay to rest various myths and add some interesting tidbits to the whole package. Successful bodybuilders know that it takes more than muscles to become famous, and for a short time, we are given a glimpse of what that is all about. Louie Ferrigno, Mike Katz, Schwarzenegger all talk about what went on behind the scenes. This is not to say that everything is fictional, because it isn't. But some of it is. The beauty of this film is that in the end, we don't really care. We have seen our heroes and we have been entertained.

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