Sadly Over-hyped

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Short and simple, "Stay Hungry" kept my attention - that is, until the hokey, silly and very disappointing ending. But up to that point, I was a pure movie fan: watching a young, hot- looking Jeff Bridges as country-club son, looking for his way after losing his parents, I was fascinated as I compared him to the 2010 Oscar Winner for "Crazy Heart." Catching Sally Field in one of her earliest film roles as an emotionally labile gym employee, I was impressed and even blushed a little during a brief nude scene, as I thought of the matriarch currently staring in ABC's "Brothers and Sisters." Roger E. Mosley (T.C. from "Magnum, P.I.") was funny in a supporting role; A young Robert Englund reminded me that he was an actor before he was Freddy Kruger; and a host of other actors that I only know from old TV shows (Fannie Flagg, Ed Begley, Jr. and Joanna Cassidy) put me in trivia heaven. But it was Ah-nold...Arnold Schwarzenegger who truly surprised me, playing an attractive, low-key, approachable role as an aspiring body builder. There was nothing over-the-top or kitchy about his performance, and I enjoyed every scene he was in. If you can forgive the hokey ending (which made me think of a cheesy Gay Pride parade, although I'm sure that was unintentional), then you can really enjoy this movie.If you don't enjoy catching actors from the 80's in their early years, might I suggest you be very bored, busy with other household activities and catching it on cable first - or else you'll just hate yourself afterward and wish for that time back.

**SPOILERS*** Strange movie that gives young 28 year old champion body builder Arnold Schwarzegger his first real staring role, if you discount his role as Hercules in the 1970 belly laugher "Hercules in New York", in a major motion picture as what else champion body builder and former Mister Austria Joe Santo.With both his parents killed in a plane crash Birmingham blue-blood Craig Blake, Jeff Bridges,has reluctantly taken over the family business but is just content to hang out at the Blake Mansion shooting the breeze and partying with the local rich and political connected exclusive country club folks.The movie revolves around a health & body building spa, The Olympic Spa,in downtown Birmingham owned by the somewhat at first off-the-wall Thor Erickson, R.G Armstrong, who really cracks up at the end of the movie. It turns out that Craig is given the task to buy out the spa for this group of mob-connoted businessmen headed by Jabo, Joe Spineli. Jabo is so determined to get the spa, in order to demolish and build a high-rise office building over it, that he goes so far as hiring a number of local sh*t-kickers, who end up getting the sh*t beaten out of them by the spa workers, to terrorize and have the management give up it's lease on the place to him.Mary Tate, Sally Field, the receptionist at the spa had been Big Joe Santo's girlfriend for some time but starts to get very friendly with Craig who shows up at the place to buy it out. Craig get's so hung up on the spa and those in it that he decides to become a vital part of it even going so far as paying for the damage inflicted on the spa by Jabo's ineffective and bumbling thugs.Joe who you would think in having Craig steal his girl Mary Tate, who actually throws herself on him, would drive him to break Craig in two reacts very strangely to having his girlfriend taken away from him. As we soon see Joe is actually forcing a confused Mary Tate on Craig to have sex with him! Craig thinks that Joe is either a pimp or some kind of sex freak who likes to see his girl get it on with other men in order for him to get turned on! It's later that Craig begin to realize that Big Joe's somewhat cuckoo-bird actions has to do with his unorthodox training methods that he invented to get himself into tip top shape. Joe trains himself in refraining from all earthly pleasures like sex and, as he puts it, stays hungry for the upcoming Mr. Universe, or is it World, competition.The movie starts to get really nuts when Thor is taken into the confidence of Jabo in order to get him to sell his place. The Jabo mobsters give Thor an unlimited amount of drugs, that he snorts, and two hookers for non-stop action in order to soften him up. As Thor is under the influence of drugs and hookers the big Mr. Universe, or is it World, competition takes place. It's there that Thor's "Main Man" Big Joe Santo easily blows away the competition with his muscle man act on the stage to the music of the movie "Exodus". Mary Tate, who just broke up with Craig, unexpectedly shows up at the spa and is attacked by the now wild crazy and totally drugged out Thor who's then confronted by Craig! This leads to one of the most exciting and incredible free for all slug-fasts ever put on film!With all this insanity going on at the Olympic Spa it's rumored among the muscle man from one of them being on the scene of the Thor/Craig free for all that Thor had taken off with the cash! It's then that all the body builders take off together with the winner of the contest Joe Santo to stop Thor from taking off with the prize money and thus leaving them high and dry. The outraged, in feeling that they were stiffed by Thor, muscle men run with nothing but their skimpy and macroscopic body trunks on in the streets of Birmingham, stopping traffic, headed for the Olympic Spa in order to keep Thor from checking out of town. It's the local police who get to the spa first and take a whacked out on drugs and bloodied, from his dumbbell throwing fight with Craig, Thor into custody and the local hospital for emergency treatment.The ending has Craig take control of the Olympic Spa and thus keep it out of the hands of the Jabo Mob who were going to put it out of business. Mary Tate Joe Santo and everyone else involved with muscle man building in the movie now know that they have a friend in the city of Birmingham, Craig Blake, who'll see to it that they have a place to work out and build up their muscles.Worth watching for the oddity of seeing the future Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger acting, but not at all looking, as meek as a kitten where he doesn't as much as raise his voice, much less his fists, in all the violence that swirls around him! Schwarzenegger actually comes across acting like a peace-loving and non-violent Buddhist Monk in his trying to stop the violence.

A rich young man by the name of Craig Blake (Jeff Bridges), who feels like a guest in his own life and his home after the loss of his parents. He's surrounded by wealthy bores and seductive socialites. Craig decides to do something different in his future, a business deal with some low-life real estate developers. But when he's asked to buy a small Olympic Spa Gym as a part of the deal. Craig finds himself in a world, which he thought it never existed. Craig meets a perky gymnast (Oscar-Winner:Sally Field) and a fiddle-playing, philosophizing Mr. Universe hopeful (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Craig meets these new people that become a part of his life. Craig's new life will be never the way as he expected with his new found friends.Directed by Bob Rafelson (Black Widow, Blood and Wine, Five Easy Pieces) made an dramatic comedy with happy performances by Bridges, Field and Schwarzenegger make it worthwhile. The film's has good supporting cast like R.G. Armstrong, Robert Englund, Scatman Crothers, Joanna Cassidy and more. This is an extremely underrated comedy. This film has a eccentric mixture of comedy and drama. This film has many fine scenes. This film is based on a novel by Charles Gaines, which he co-wrote the screenplay with the director. If you are a fan of the filmmakers or the stars of this film. You will find this film certainly enjoyable. This is a quirky, funny and a breath of fresh air. Don't miss this 1970's classic. (****/*****).

I am fortunate enough to have a VHS copy and was also fortunate enough to have been an extra when it was filmed in and around Birmingham, AL. (I worked several days and nights in the Country Club scene). This film needs to be on DVD so more people can see and enjoy the early talents of Sally Field, Jeff Bridges, Arnold Schwarzenegger and others. UPDATE: "Stay Hungry" has finally been released on DVD! I purchased one copy for 9.96 and later on, another for 5.50 (I like having multiple copies since I was in it.) Other than buildings appearing where they are not actually located plus a photo kiosk that never was on Birmingham streets, I still enjoy looking at the locales. Of course, if you've never lived or been to Birmingham, you probably won't be that interested.