Pumping Iron is the film that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a star and made gym culture mainstream, cutting his swaggering mind games against Lou Ferrigno's quiet underdog like a boxing movie. Metrograph is screening it on a 16mm print from the New York Public Library, with editor Geof Bartz explaining how the story was built in the cutting room. If you like documentaries or just love Arnold, this is a funny, surprisingly shrewd afternoon.
What to expect
The 86-minute documentary plays from 16mm, so expect the grain and warmth of a real film print. After the screening, Bartz talks editing with Jeffrey Wolf as part of Metrograph's Filmcraft: American Cinema Editors program. The audience tends to mix film buffs with lifting fans.
Good to know
- The print is on loan from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
- Metrograph is on Ludlow Street near Canal; take the F to East Broadway or the B/D to Grand St.
- Members save on tickets at Metrograph.
- Arrive a little early to browse the Metrograph bookstore in the lobby.
- Good pick for anyone curious about how documentaries shape real people into characters.
Going? Keep it.
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Common questions
Is Pumping Iron screened digitally?
No. Metrograph lists it on 16mm, from a print in the New York Public Library's collection.
Who is doing the Q&A?
Editor Geof Bartz, ACE, in conversation with Jeffrey Wolf, ACE, as part of the American Cinema Editors series.
How long is it?
The film runs 86 minutes, plus the conversation.
