Gravitas Ventures/Netflix
โThereโs not a powerlifter on the planet that doesnโt know Westside Barbell.โ
โThey were like the craziesโa collection of lunatics with some fucking crazy strength, world record holder after world record holder.โ
โIโve seen a lot of guys come in; Iโve seen a lot of guys go out.โ
โPeople donโt understand what a hardcore attitude you need to have in that gym.โ
โIt was go-time every time you walked through that door.โ
โWestside was a cult.โ
โIt was literally hell with weights.โ
If the preceding collage of quotes, which comes near the beginning of Westside vs. the World, doesnโt make you want to hear and see more, then this documentary isnโt for you, because it dives deep into the five decades of drama and all around badassery of world-class powerlifters in the legendary Columbus, Ohio gym, Westside Barbell. Members are taught, tormented, and sometimes, in their opinion, betrayed by Westsideโs owner, the Yoda of power, Louie Simmons.
A lot of drama also preceded the release of this film. Its original co-director and cameraman, out on bail last March after a drug-dealing arrest, emptied the production bank account. The movieโs greater creative force, Michael Fahey, successfully sued his former collaborator for full ownership but couldnโt recover the stolen money. All of this fostered delays and more fundraising. Many believed Westside vs. the World, previously much-hyped (โThe Pumping Iron of powerliftingโ) and supported by Kickstarter funders, was cursed to never materialize.
So, itโs a testament to co-producer/director/editor Fahey that not only is it now screening on Netflix, but itโs a terrific movie, especially for powerlifting fans.
Update: Westside vs. the World is no longer on Netflix, but can be rented on Amazon, etc. Louie Simmons passed away in 2022 at 74.
WESTSIDE VS. THE WORLD: WEAKNESSES
โข The biggest criticism of Westside vs. the World is that it spends too much time deep inside Westsideโthe disputes, bruised egos, and machinationsโand not enough time on the Worldโhow Louie Simmonsโ techniques (chains, bands, the conjugate method, etc.) transformed strength training. It dips into the latter too briefly near the end when we see Simmons working with MMA fighters and other non-powerlifters, and throughout we hear from football coaches who sought out Simmons the sage. But what criticism have the methods faced? How exactly have the techniques been incorporated by programs and lifters outside Columbus? This was never meant to be a how-to lesson, but everything included about the Westside way is fascinating, and it left this viewer wanting more of the big picture and a bit less of the โreality TVโ ego clashes.
โข As great as it is to see any footage from the ’80s and ’90s, the quality of deteriorating VHS tapes makes some of it look like it was shot underwater. Also, you may sometimes strain to hear Simmons, whose twangy mumbles can be difficult to make out.
WESTSIDE VS. THE WORLD: STRENGTHS
โข Thereโs a wealth of material here. Fahey should be commended for doing his due diligence, interviewing the famous and the forgotten, in and outside the Westside โgang,โ including Ed Coan (who tears up in a surprising scene), Dave Hoff, Dave Tate, Laura Phelps, and Mark Bell. Interviewees talk candidly (and often fuckinโ profanely), telling stories never chronicled before, as if theyโd been waiting to spill the beans. The rapid rise and fall of the late Matt Dimel is a tragic highlight. And there are delicious quotes throughout, like this one from Tony Ramos: โWeโre fucking thoroughbred horses. If we break our leg, take us out back and fucking shoot us. Thatโs how it works.โ
โข The editing, music, and judicial use of animation are all first-rate. The film is especially well-paced. And it benefits from the baritone narration of actor Ron Perlman, of Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy fame.
โข Then thereโs all the badassery: the fuckinโ strutting, the fuckinโ cursing, the fuckinโ punches, the fuckinโ world record lifts. Even in small doses, this may be the ultimate pre-workout (or pre-set) psych-up to keep on your phone. Itโs sort of the inverse of Pumping Iron, the cheery 1977 documentary that introduced bodybuilding and charismatic Arnold Schwarzenegger to the general public, and therefore Westside vs. the World won’t have a similar impact. Powerlifting ainโt bodybuilding, so this is a much darker tale. Whereas sunny P.I. seduces with joy and comradery on and near California beaches, gray WvW smacks you with pain and conflict in a windowless pit in the Rust Belt. Buckle-up and get under a bending bar, now!
โข In two words: Louie Simmons. What a character! Every moment heโs onscreen is captivating, and heโs onscreen a lot, dispensing wisdom, celebrating what was and lamenting what couldโve been, and baring his tortured soul. “What else have I got?” he asks the camera near the end, going all Moby-Dick about his need to lift heavy things. “Iโm hooked onto that white whale. I got nowhere else to go. What else am I going to do? Iโm gonna go down with that white whale. Heโs gonna drag me to the bottom eventually. And I donโt care; thatโs what I want.”
