Hands on a Hard Body (1998)
Hands on a Hard Body (1998)
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Critic Reviews for Hands on a Hard Body
All Critics (19) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (16) | Rotten (3)
On the one hand, the Hands on a Hard Body contest seems a horrible exploitation of needy people as a publicity stunt to promote a car dealership; on the other, the film reveals an endearing piece of Americana.
These may not be people whom moviegoers think they want to spend time with, but this is accomplished documentary making, finding universal lessons in determination, struggle, planning, persistence and the relationship of mind and body.
It's engaging as a non-drama of people doing nothing, but suffering a lot.
Scrappy, likable, and immensely absorbing.
Bindler's attitude is absolutely right. He doesn't satirize: he observes, and leaves the satirical view as an option for us.
Tales of Texas don't get any weirder than true-tales of Texas, and Hands on a Hard Body joins the ranks of well-done, weird documentaries.
Audience Reviews for Hands on a Hard Body
Having watched this and Hard Gun within a couple weeks people may think, "Man, that Chris sure has gotten into hardcore gay pornography". Well, they're wrong. How do you like them apples? This is a great doc about a contest in Texas where the contestants need to remain standing with their hands on a Nissan truck until everyone else gives up or goes crazy. The filmmakers introduce you to this group of contestants individually and then follows them through the contest. What struck me most is the goodwill they had towards their competition while trying to outlast them. In today's world of reality TV it is almost expected that when you compete against someone you badmouth them, try and psych them out or just regard them as the enemy. This doc is certainly refreshing after all the crap competitions we see played before us on TV daily, and the people are a lot more relatable. Also, the way the filmmakers use the contest as a metaphor for life in general is great. An excellent documentary. Now I got to get back to my gay porn.
Super Reviewer
Oh, man. Where do I begin with this one? Just watch the trailer for a peek at S.R. Bindler's real life look at a group of Texans trying to win a truck by standing up for days with their hands on it. One 5-minute break is permitted every hour, and one 15-minute break every 6 hours for nearly 78 hours. A very entertaining and interesting social study on American materialism.
Most people who will admit they watch Fox Reality TV for the instant thrill of watching people suffer may find this is even more addictive, because the people slowly deteriorate while descending into delirium and madness. As you're comfortably sitting in your domicile watching these poor exhausted souls struggling to sleep on their feet without falling over for a truck, you might find yourself asking, "How long would I last?"
Super Reviewer
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