Worth: $13.00
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Cast:
John Carpenter, Tom Savini, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, GWAR, Michael Berryman, Scott Ian, Marky Ramone and many more
Intro:
… a nice reminder about why you love the things you love.
Boiled down to their basic elements, there are essentially two types of documentaries. First, there’s the investigative kind, the ones that expose hidden truths, or forbidden knowledge. Bringing concealed facts to the surface, these docs are the ones that win awards, plaudits and general renown in popular culture. The other kind of documentary is the deep dive variety, where an often niche or trivial subject is discussed, and no real overarching conclusions drawn. This latter type of doc isn’t trying to open anyone’s eyes per se, and just kind of wants to hang out and have a chat about something that it reckons is pretty cool. The History of Metal and Horror 100% belongs to this second category and is an amiable enough time, although distinctly lacking in revelatory material.
The History of Metal and Horror begins with a framing device set in an unexplained apocalypse. A young man scavenges for scrap in a desolate cityscape and eventually comes across some inexplicably functioning AV equipment on which a creepy host (played by the always welcome Michael Berryman) delivers a lecture about the intersection of horror movies and heavy metal music. This rather-too-long, but creative, introduction gives way to a documentary that somewhat belies its quirky opening by delivering 100 minutes or so of talking heads banging on about the movies and music they love. Now, don’t get us wrong, these heads belong to the likes of John Carpenter, Tom Savini, Doug Bradley, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie and GWAR (plus oodles more), but while what they’re saying is entertaining and engaging, it’s not particularly new for anyone with even a casual interest in genre films or heavy metal music.
There are interesting tidbits, mind you. The fact that the band Black Sabbath – who essentially formalised the heavy metal genre – is itself named after director Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath (1963) is pretty cool. Watching some of the metalheads bang on about the films that messed them up as children is consistently engaging, and Rob Zombie is always a passionate and articulate presence. However, after about 45 minutes it begins to get a little repetitive. Sort of like being at a party full of cheerful, but completely baked, friends who begin to loop and say the same thing over and over.
Meandering and not terribly profound, The History of Metal and Horror doesn’t have much to say beyond “a lot of metal dudes sure love horror movies, hey.” However, if you’re the type of person who lives at the intersection of these two mediums and genres, this is a pleasant enough time hanging out with affable, articulate enthusiasts. It won’t change your life, but it’s a nice reminder about why you love the things you love.