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Just Watched It, And Happy That I Did


The film ends by saying “For Joe and Ben [Wieder]. Like the film itself, it could not be more perfect. If you have any interest or curiosity about modern fitness, even if you do not exercise at all, this remarkable film will answer all your questions. Joe Wieder, for all his flaws, which he had because he was human as are we all, saw the future which has become the present. Tyler Hoechlin is a revelation in this movie, showing Joe Wieder to be the victim of an abusive and emotionally withholding mother, the experience of whom pushed him to find perfection—in his case, in the human musculature, which can also be used to fight off the bullies who victimized little boys and Jews and who are less than scum, to be clear, I mean the bullies, not the overwhelmed little boys and Jews.

You want to see where the Mr./Ms Olympia contest, that blew the Mr./Miss Universe contests out of the water? Watch this. You want to see an inspiring story of a man with a vision for the health not just of people but also of nations? Watch this. You want to audit the story of a boy who had nothing who became more than self-made rich but who also transformed the world’s approach to health care? Watch this.

I hope you watch this. Not for nothing, the casting, performances, directing and editing tell me that the crew loved this project.

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Weider, not Wieder.

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Doh!

So, you got me. It’s Weirder, , not Wieder? Though, in German, Joe’s the second vowel is sounded and not the first. Sorry, iisten. I don’t read much.

Tell me about your workouts. Today I did 125 pounds 5 sets 😁time 5 sets with 100 seconds max text tim

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Why don't you edit your post and correct the name? I'll delete mine.

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Because, in German, the second vowel is sounded first, so his name would would be pronounced Wider. Like many other Americans, his family chose to make their family name sound Anglican. My family made the same choice. I rejected it.

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Victim of an abusive and emotionally withholding mother indeed

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I'm surprised you are enthusiastic as you are.

I've been interested in bodybuilding and its history for years, big fan of Arnold, and liked the trailer, but I really found the film itself to be rather dull. While the film looks good and the performances are all fine, I just didn't think there was much thrust to the narrative or energy in the directing.

The trailer also made it seem like a lot more attention was going to be paid to the Arnold years, when in reality that is very little of the movie. It felt a bit like bait-and-switch.

Overall, it was okay. I don't regret watching it and think that on a technical level it was well-made, but I found my mind wandering a little too much.

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Yeah, it kind of swept the cutthroat business practices of the protagonists under the rug.

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While it glossed over a lot of the real-life controversies surrounding the Weiders and felt kind of "by the numbers," I enjoyed the movie for what it was.
I love it when physical fitness is put in the spotlight. We need more motivation in this area, so we don't all waste away sitting on the couch all day playing video games and watching football.

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Disagree. During my teen years, I deep into weightlifting/bodybuilding and read every issue of Muscle and Fitness. I was interested in this movie because Joe Weider was a big part of my youth and I was glad to find a movie about such a niche character in history.. I don't know where to begin. Perhaps the one bright spot was Calum von Moger who was pretty convincing in his small role as the Austrian Oak, but none of the other characters were compelling, not even Joe Weider. The real life story of Joe Weider seems fascinating, but the movie failed to capture it. Given this will almost certainly be the only movie or show about the man, this is a bit of a disappointment.

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