Stay Hungry

Stay Hungry (1976)

Runtime: 102 minutes

Directed by: Bob Rafelson

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Sally Field, Arnold Schwarzenegger, R.G. Armstrong, Robert Englund

From: MGM

Here's another review that's copied from my review on Letterboxd, with some info added.

I have known about Stay Hungry for awhile. When you see a clip online of Jeff Bridges going up to the second floor of a small gym then you see Roger E. Mosley and Robert Englund among a small crowd huddled around Arnold Schwarzenegger (who I later found out was named Joe Santo) working out... while wearing a costume that includes a mask as if he was Zorro and a cape... you'll never forget such a thing and you'll get the desire to see the movie in full. Finally, on MGM HD last night I was able to check this out.

This is definitely a 70's film; it's about a young rich asshat (Bridges) whose parents recently died and he has to convince the owner of a small gym in Birmingham, Alabama to sell to the shady company he works for so the place could be torn down, except he digs the quirky characters there, including a young lady (Sally Field).

Besides the actors I mentioned already, the film also has Joe Spinell (as Jabo), R.G. Armstrong (as Thor), Ed Begley, Jr., Joanna Cassidy, and Scatman Crothers. To me, that sort of cast catches my attention.

Overall, the movie's certainly leisurely paced and has a threadbare plot where scenes sometimes appear to be irrelevant to the plot, but overall I enjoyed it. There's wackiness throughout; it's not just Arnold dressing up in a costume. He also plays the fiddle with a backwoods country band! There's some tremendous 70's clothing, and other things I dare not spoil, except that I was quite surprised by a few moments as it really came out of nowhere. It certainly has a memorable final act filled with oddball bits and situations.

Perhaps this movie's most important contribution is showing that Arnold is more than just some heavily-accented bodybuilder dude and he could actually be a famous actor.

I'll return tomorrow night.