808

808 is streaming on Amazon Prime. It's a documentary on the Roland 808. I realize it's a pretty niche interest, but I was stoked to see it. The movie didn't disappoint. It's a very well done dive into the origins and the worldwide influence of the 808. There are a lot of A-listers interviewed and the enthusiasm for the 808 is infectious.

Probably the only drum machine documentary you'll ever see. ;)

Stretch and Bobbito: Radio that Changed Lives

I'd never heard of Stretch Armstrong or Bobbito before I came across this doc. But any time a music doc pops up on Netflix I'll look into it. I'm glad I clicked on this one. It was killer.

Stretch and Bobbito hosted a hugely influential independent hip-hop radio show in the 90's in NY. The list of talent that they had come on and freestyle is nothing short of royalty. And the super cool thing is that almost all of these future legends appeared on their show before they were signed. We're talking Jay-Z, Nas, Wu-Tang, Biggie, Eminem, etc. The biggest of the big.

Anyhow, this show was on from 1am til 5am on Thursdays. People in the know at the time would record the show on their boomboxes. It was gospel. It was dope.

Bobbito actually put this doc together. It's a great nostalgic trip even though I wasn't even aware of the show before I hit play on the doc. But it makes you feel like you were there. Like you had these memories, too. It's really cool like that.

The music is amazing. It's all classic 90's shit. But freestyles you haven't heard before. Very cool.

Eddie Strongman

I just watched another strongman documentary on Netflix. This one was called EDDIE STRONGMAN and follows the life of Eddie Hall in 2015. Wow, this was good. There's a certain moment at the end that even brought a tear to my eye. The power of the deadlift compels thee.

Eddie is a really likable character and makes for an entertaining watch. Nice family, too. This is a good doc regardless of whether you've ever squatted or deadlifted in your life.

Born Strong

I started the year off right and made up for the crappy last lifting film of 2017. The Perfect Physique sucked, but Born Strong was pretty kick ass.

This was another one that appeared on Netflix recently. It's a doc about the Arnold Classic Strongman competition. Obviously I'm more interested and aware of the bodybuilding aspect of the Arnold Classic, but this strongman component was really cool to watch. These are dudes in excess of 400lbs! Some of them are only 6'2" and weigh that much. It's gnarly. But there are guys like 'The Mountain' who are something like 6'9". They lift obscene weight. Absolutely insane feats of strength.

Anyhow, this is a legit doc that follows the top four contenders from around the world. There are interviews with their spouses and their friends. They show their eating/lifting routines etc. It's all very different and very interesting.

The thing that struck me most about these strongmen was the fact that they're all so likable as individuals. There's certainly bravado that goes along with being a strongman, but it's nothing like the peacocking of bodybuilders. They can get rather douchey. Let's be honest. But Eddie Hall (I believe it was) really hits it on the head...with a strongman competition it is black and white. You either lifted the most weight or you didn't. It's not subjective. You can't influence a judge. Lift the most. That's it. But with bodybuilding it's all in the hands of the judges. It's a 100% subjective sport. So there's a lot more showmanship, peacocking, bullshit machismo and mind games that come into play.

I'm getting off topic. Born Strong is a good doc. Well worth watching if you've ever been to a gym. Good way to open 2018.