Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (2005)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Directors:

Sam Dunn
Scot McFadyen

Writers:

Sam Dunn (writer)
Scot McFadyen (writer)

Release Date:

21 June 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Plot:

Sam Dunn is a 30-year old anthropologist who wrote his graduate thesis on the plight of Guatemalan refugees...

Plot Keywords:

Metal | Heavy Metal | Censorship | Conservative Morals | Rock Festival

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Chris Adler	...	Himself
Tom Araya	...	Himself
Gavin Baddeley	...	Himself
Blasphemer	...	Himself
Randy Blythe	...	Himself
Alice Cooper	...	Himself
Pamela Des Barres	...	Herself
Bruce Dickinson	...	Himself
Ronnie James Dio	...	Himself
Malcolm Dome	...	Himself
Sam Dunn	...	Himself
Robert Ezrin	...	Himself
George Fisher	...	Himself
Gaahl	...	Himself
Donna Gaines	...	Herself
Al Gore	...	Himself (archive footage)
Tipper Gore	...	Herself (archive footage)
Angela Gossow	...	Herself
Ernest F. Hollings	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ihsahn	...	Himself
Tony Iommi	...	Himself
Joey Jordison	...	Himself
John Kay	...	Himself
Kerry King	...	Himself
Chuck Klosterman	...	Himself
Mercedes Lander	...	Herself
Morgan Lander	...	Herself
Geddy Lee	...	Himself
Lemmy	...	Himself
Tom Morello	...	Himself
Necrobutcher	...	Himself
Vince Neil	...	Himself
Doro Pesch	...	Herself
Samoth	...	Himself
James 'Munky' Shaffer	...	Himself
Brian Slagel	...	Himself
Dee Snider	...	Himself
Corey Taylor	...	Himself
Eddie Trunk	...	Himself
Robert Walser	...	Himself
Alex Webster	...	Himself
Rob Zombie	...	Himself

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violent images, some nudity and sexual content.

Runtime:

USA:96 min | Canada:96 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Canada:96 min | Australia:98 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:18A | Australia:M | USA:R | Finland:K-11 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:M18 | Brazil:14

Filming Locations:

Canada

Company:

Banger Productions

Trivia:

Varg Vikernes was released from prison the week of May 13 2009 after serving nearly 16 years.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie Sam says that Varg Vikernes received a life sentence for his crimes. In Norway, however, there is no life sentence. He got the maximum 21 years.

Quotes:

Dee Snider: Braveheart wasn't even out yet.

Movie Connections:

References This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Soundtrack:

Faust Overture

An insightful and respectful tour of metal's wide landscape

I saw this film on September 22 at the Atlantic Film Festival. I was with some people who had never heard anything heavier than KISS and wouldn't know Black Sabbath from the Black Label Society. It's a mark of this film's excellence that they really enjoyed it and felt they had gained an understanding of the metal scene.

This is no gushing fan-tribute. Well, it is in part, but I couldn't stay objective either were I given the chance to sit down with Bruce Dickinson at the Hammersmith Odeon. Seriously, it rises far above the fulfillment of a metal fan's dreams to explore many different elements of what makes metal both an enduring artform and one that remains on the fringes.

The structure of the film follows distinct topics - Gender, Censorship, Death & Violence, and more. Each area is thoughtfully explored with comments from many musicians and some outside observers. From the calm commentary of Rob Zombie to the wry humour of Dio to the laughable minimalist interviews with Norwegian black-metal players, there's a broad range of experiences and opinions.

This is an excellent documentary in every way.

I knew it was going to be great when I got my first glimpse of the big chart of metal bands that correctly put KISS far away from the actual musicians. Ronnie James Dio further obliged with a running commentary on Gene Simmon's preference for money over music.

You'll get to see and hear a lot of great bands, from the standard warhorses like Maiden, Metallica, Motorhead and Slayer to the less-mainstream stuff like Voivod.