The show big report: random acts of muscle in celebrity-land

Flex, Jan, 2004 by Greg Merritt

Twisted Tribute

Among the oddest elements of Arnold Schwarzenegger's sometimes surreal gubernatorial campaign was the connection between the Terminator and the cross-dressing heavy-metal band Twisted Sister. Arnold used the one-hit wonder's one hit, "We're Not Gonna Take It," as his unofficial theme song, blasting it at campaign rallies. In turn, Twisted Sister's frontman, Dee Snider, told E! Entertainment that every song on the band's 1984 album Stay Hungry was inspired by Arnold and, indeed, the title was lifted from Arnold's 1976 bodybuilding-themed film Stay Hungry. Snider, who sent Arnold a platinum record in the eighties when Stay Hungry sold more than one million copies, told E!, "We're willing to play [Arnold's] inaugural ball. We're comfortable with or without makeup."

The Year Ahead

Is the superhero craze running out of super gas? Will Troy be the next Gladiator? Is every film coming out next year a remake, a sequel or a spinoff? Those and other questions loom as we preview 2004's muscular movies. Tentative release months are noted.

* Around the World in 80 Days (January). Jackie Chan headlines in this Jules Verne comedic adventure. Along the way, Chan meets Arnold Schwarzenegger as Prince Hapi, a Turkish leader suffering a very bad hair day.

* The Punisher (April). Based on the antihero comic book, Thomas Jane is the vigilante title character and John Travolta is his archenemy.

* Walking Tall (April). We had a hard time envisioning Samoan/ African-American Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Tennessee good-old-boy sheriff Buford T. Pusser. Thankfully, the Rock's crime-fighting character is a nonredneck named Chris Vaughn in this modernization of the 1973 drive-in classic.

* Troy (May). No, it's not the biopic of Mr. Alves. Instead, it's an epic retelling of the Trojan War, with Brad Pitt, Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom among those donning swords and sandals.

* The Chronicles of Riddick (June). Vin Diesel headlines in this sci-fi/ action sequel to 2000's Pitch Black.

* Spider-Man II (July). Tobey Maguire returns in another potential blockbuster that will surely feature more computer effects than real muscle.

* Blade: Trinity (August). Once again, Wesley Snipes is the superhero vampire hunter, joined by new addition Jessica Biel.

* Catwoman (August). Three-time FLEXY nominee Halle Berry purrs it on in this Batman spinoff. Sharon Stone is her archenemy.

* Dreadnaught (September). For those who just can't get enough of Vin Diesel's monosyllabic delivery, the ex-bouncer makes his second star turn of the year in this high-seas action flick.

Video Store Shelf

Raye Hollitt is best known for her years as Zap on TV's American Gladiators. Before she posed without a posing suit in Playboy and while still a competitive bodybuilder, Hollitt gave a clothes-free view to the late John Ritter in the Blake Edwards comedy Skin Deep (1989).

Cook's Discovery

A new series titled The Eye of the Beholder premieres in January on the Travel Channel and Discovery HD Theater, as well as through Discovery Networks International. The show's mission is to scour the globe to examine and expand definitions of beauty. One of the initial four episodes, "The Hardcore Physique," surveys bodybuilding worldwide and features Chris Cook and Alley Miesch-Nie as they prepare for the 2003 NPC USA Championships. Cook won the men's super-heavyweight class, but Miesch-Nie was a disappointing eighth in the women's heavyweight division after finishing second at both the 2002 USA and Nationals.

The Eye of rite Beholder beheld Chris Cook off and on for weeks, from his workouts to his meal preparation to backstage and onstage at the USA. "I think it was pretty cool," Cook says. "My objective with the whole thing was to try to give the public the competitive sports side of bodybuilding to counteract the weird aspects that the press often focuses on. I think it was a good opportunity to show something positive about bodybuilding to the world." Just how positive the presentation is will be in the eye of the beholder.