Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Body Girls Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 23, 2023

The world of bodybuilding, or at least a tiny corner of it, is the focus of 1983’s “Body Girls,” with director Bob Chinn trying to bring out a sillier side to gym tensions and competition nerves with a wackier adult film that doesn’t deviate from its intended tone. Star Hyapatia Lee co-scripts with husband Bud Lee, presenting herself with a starring role in a tale of business rivals and stress-relieving activities, offering plenty of sexual encounters, but also an enormous amount of slapstick, making the viewing experience similar to a “Police Academy” sequel at times.

Jackie La Lay (Hyapatia Lee) is the owner of a popular gym, prepping her best customers for an upcoming Women’s Bodybuilding Championship. Looking to ruin Jackie’s big moment are the goons at Westside Iron Pump, with idiots Ed (Gary Eberhart) and Tony (Rick Ryder) trying to sabotage equipment and threaten the competitors. Joining the gang is Arnold Ferrigno (Francois Papillon), a celebrity judge caught up in all the excitement.

“Body Girls” is simple, exploring Jackie’s response to the devious ways of Westside Iron Pump, including a lengthy sequence where Ed and Tony elect to break into her gym to tamper with equipment, exposing their buffoonery. The writing keeps things basic, but there’s a bit of a dark side to the feature, as Ed and Tony’s punishment for such a crime involves sexual assault, but Chinn doesn’t pursue ugliness, preferring to stick with the essentials of adult entertainment. Seductions are more important to the picture, examining Jackie’s particular way of rewarding gym effort, resulting in a lengthy orgy sequence that basically ignores anything about the competition to showcase the cast and their specific physical abilities. One shouldn’t come to “Body Girls” expecting a deeper understanding of character.

Body Girls Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a 2K scan of the 35mm original negative. Color is alert in "Body Girls," exploring the bright interiors of the gym and workout gear on the characters, which favor bold primaries and period hues. Competition lighting is also vivid. Skin tones are ample and natural. Detail is excellent, capturing skin particulars and fine hairs. Clothing choices are fibrous, and rooms are open for inspection. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is heavy and film-like. Some wear and tear is detected, along with brief chemical damage.

Body Girls Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 1.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers a basic understanding of dialogue exchanges, with voices and more heated couplings maintaining clarity throughout the listening experience. Musical elements are also appreciable, with soundtrack cuts offering a bit more aural power.

Body Girls Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Getting Physical with Bob" (23:38, HD) is an interview with director Bob Chinn, who previously worked with star Hyapatia Lee on her first two features, turning her into a star. Another two movies were created, with "Body Girls" and "Let's Get Physical" used to help Lee and her husband, Bud Lee, understand the basics of production. Chinn details his time with the Lees, finding Hyapatia confident and professional, and he explores his relationships with other cast and crew members. The interviewee examines his headspace in the 1980s, growing weary of the industry, often tasked with making two movies for the price of one, also dealing with a move away from film-based productions. Creative demands are recalled, as Lee battled against low budgets, and there's candor, with the helmer referring to "Body Talk" and "Let's Get Physical" as two pictures he "didn't really care all that much for," unable to bring much to his oeuvre.

• A Trailer isn't included on this release.

Body Girls Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Body Girls" works its way to a competition showdown, and one that involves guns and sexual favors as the pose-off begins. Again, potential ugliness is avoided, with Chinn going more for ridiculousness, and it works for this type of endeavor. What's meant to be emphasized in adult filmmaking generally is, while the rest is just goofiness, giving viewers some stretches of broad mischief between scenes of sexual heat. And let's all hope everyone remembered to wipe down the machines after.