Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Quick Review: "Metallica...Some Kind Of Monster"

Saw "Some Kind Of Monster" last night....the Metallica doc. I am not big Metallica fan, but the doc is completely engrossing and fascinating. Truly, PT Barnum would love this film...it's like going to a heavy metal zoo and watching one of the biggest American bands of the last 20 years in a cage for two hours. The film encapsulates two years of the band dealing with family, losing their bassist, rehab, and egos while trying to record a studio album.

There are many funny moments mostly supplied by the fact that the band hires a psychiatrist to be with them night and day at $40,000 a month. To see the band sit around at a session trying to talk about their feelings is truly priceless. Most interesting is watching the dynamic between the members and their egos while they record....the stereotypical strangle-hold control of the frontman, the drummer's constant challenging of that control and lead guitarist's zen-like, almost stupefying indifference to that conflict.

Consequently, I kept asking myself what I would do if I were in their situations analogizing to my own life...which tells me the filmmakers did their job. The film is candid, not worshipful...a rare insight, yet ultimately, you walk away with total respect for the subject.