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Metallica
I was never a Metallica fan, and yet I spent five nights watching the various bits of this DVD, completely fascinated by most of it. It’s an incredibly personal look at the individual personalities within a band that most fans think of as idols and/or unreachable. Now, I feel as if I almost know them. The movie itself is revealing, and the extra bits enrich the experience exponentially. There’s so much great extra stuff here, which is why it took me five nights watching all of it, then listening to the band or the filmmaker’s commentary while re-watching the film.
Watching the movie with the band commentary is like watching an episode of “Mystery Science Theater 3000”. It’s wry, but not particularly insightful to the film. What’s most telling is their silence during the moments that must have been excruciatingly uncomfortable at the time, especially with a camera trained on their faces. Even better is the filmmaker’s commentary. I’d even go so far as to say that the commentary is essential for anyone intrigued by the movie. It’s fascinating to learn that the band made NO mandates regarding the final cut; Despite their reputation for controlling every nuance of their career, they granted the filmmakers full access and made no demand other than that they keep it honest and real. There are lots of cool stories that arise, too. For instance, you learn that after not playing for months, the band warmed up by playing Ramones tunes. Or, that the band gave the filmmakers free licensing in an earlier documentary, which is what led to this film being made in the first place.
In the process, over 1600 hours of footage were filmed. 1600! They whittled this down to two hours, which is what makes the extra footage so valuable. One scene shows the band reacting to the news of Dee Dee Ramone’s death, just as they were trying to decide on a song that they were going to contribute to a Ramones tribute album. Another scene shows drummer Lars Ulrich revisiting his childhood home in Copenhagen, which is now a fertility clinic (!). Another features a fairly bizarre but entertaining recording session with Swizz Beatz and Ja Rule. Another scene shows the band performing for tailgaters at an Oakland Raiders playoff game. There are over forty extricated scenes available here, and there’s a lot of fascinating stuff that didn’t make final edit. Ultimately, the commentary tracks and additional scenes are just as intriguing as the movie itself, which is what makes this DVD so vital, especially to fans of the film.
If you saw “Some Kind of Monster” in the theater and liked it, then you will definitely want this DVD. If you didn’t see the movie, don’t let yourself be put off, thinking that it’s a ‘heavy metal’ movie. This is a riveting documentary that completely humanizes the band. Their portrayal is three-dimensional, and the extra footage only helps to make the experience more fascinating, while keeping every last bit real. I might have spent five nights of my life watching Metallica struggle, but I feel as though it was worth every minute.
DVD Grade: A-
Thomas Ryan
 
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