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Metallica - Some Kind of Monster Actors: James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett Directors: Bruce Sinofsky, Joe Berlinger Number of Items: 2 Format: Color Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Studio: Paramount Home Video Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2005-01-25 Buy from Amazon |
 "heavy metal and comedy make a great combination"Metallica's Some Kind of a Monster is a great documentary and a funny one too. Since Metallica hadn't made an album or gone on tour for several years, when the filmakers makers heard they were recording a new album they just had to make a film about it. Through the tough and hard process of making the record, the film makers also show the rough pass of Metallica through the loss of Cliff and Jason leaving the group. A great dvd with over 5 hours of Metallica footage. Though I was quiet disappointed by this film. I thought it was a film about like when Metallica started and how they got so big. I wish someone would have told me that it is a documentary about the new album. This film sounds like an MTV special. But it was still a great film and it got 5 stars because of the film and the features.  "Some Kind of Egocentric Cry Babies"This was like watching a 3 year old cry and complain about his little sister taking his toys. My view of the tough guys of Metallica quickly vanished as I watched three selfish and self-centered men complain about how they weren't "feeling" right about this and that. Towards the end, they film a video at San Quentin Prison. I kept thinking that if those gang members had seen the previous footage of the documentary, they wouldn't be rocking, they'd be ... At the end, they're reminiscing about "what they've come through" and the look on Trujillo's face (the new bassist who wasn't involved up till then) is classic: "What did I get myself into?" "Metallicats!"This is a really cool flick! The documentary is honest to the bone and it gives you a look behind the scenes. The bonus features are quite interesting and the movie really shows why "st.anger" actually sounds what it sounds like! I think it is very courageous to produce such a movie and it is worth every single buck! "FANTASTIC documentary on the Led Zeppelin of our generation!"I was blown away with how goodthis movie was in the theater. In fact, I remember saying to myself, "I am definitely getting this when it comes out on dvd!" Well, it's even BETTER the second time around and, to top it off, there are alot of amazing extras on this 2-disc extravaganza. Like alot of Metallica fans, I was stoked when I saw the band on MTV "Icons", excited about the reports that the new cd was going to be a return to the pre-Load days, then mystified by the new cd itself, "St. Anger": too punk rock, no guitar solos, too angry, not enough variety, etc. (that said, the bonus dvd included with the cd is way better, but I digress). Well, when you put the bonus rehearsal dvd together with this fantastic movie, "St. Anger" the cd MAKES SENSE and is alot better than my initial impresions (THAT being said, here's hoping they return to diversity with their latest cd, due out in 2005-2006 lol). Raw, exposed, vulnerable, funny, tragic, emotional, sad, reflective...you will feels all these emotions and more---with the band members themselves---when you see this great documentary (along with "Fahrenheit 911", this is the best documentary I have seen in a theater). It is so HONEST; you really feel like a fly on the wall when viewing major parts of this film. There is a touching moment---extended on dvd---with former member Dave Mustaine, great clips with Cliff Burton, and a 'statement' by Jason Newsted. The 2-dvd set is just loaded with great stuff for the fan. Highly recommended. Buy it asap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  "A Fascinating Study of the Human Ego"See this movie even if you aren't a Metallica Fan. If you are a Metallica fan, you probably have seen it already. First you see them in state. Tens of thousands gathered in a stadium, eager for the chance to have James Hetfield to spit beer on them. Then the camera zooms in to an intimate setting with the band and shows what those 20 years of being metal gods have done to their emotional development. The best word I can think of for their egos is "unwieldy". The documentary catches them at the moment of realization that their egos are getting in the way of their music and their lives. I give them credit for even starting to look at that stuff and on top of that agreeing to have it all captured on film. I spent the first half of the movie convinced it was all a put-on. The usual psycho-babble applied to their work as creators of speed metal was too much of a contrast, especially when former band member Dave Mustaine was whining about how much he hurts. Everywhere he goes, people are shouting, "Metallica Rules!" I busted a gut. By the end I was sure it was real. It was too underplayed and under-produced to be a put-on. James Hetfield comes back from rehab with a post-treatment attitude of emotional maturity and a whole new retro, indie band image for himself. Underneath that image, you can see this guy who just doesn't know who the hell he is, trying on a mask to see if it works, terrified, looking for approval from his bandmates. A telling moment is when they were forced to do an advertisement for a company that owns a million radio stations and are basically told by their manager that they won't get airplay for their new album if they didn't do the ad. I couldn't believe they didn't have more power in the marketplace than that. This goes a long way in explaining why I am always disappointed when I turn on 93X. I remember this Beavis and Butthead episode. They are watching a music video of some forgotten metal band and Beavis says of the drummer, "Lars could kick that guy's ass" I know what they mean. He's the toughie of the group. After watching Some Kind of Monster, Lars is the one member of Metallica who remains unknown. He is truly a tough businessman, tough drummer-guy, tough personality who doesn't really show his cards in the movie except to say that he didn't expect the thrashing his image got with the whole Napster thing. There is a plot, their problems come to a head and are largely resolved, James Hetfield seems to get more comfortable with himself and they actually made the record with a few songs I'd like to hear again. |
