Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (2006)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Excellent but underrated film

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

I have to warn people to take everything here with a pinch of salt. These guys call Opeth a doom or Gothic metal band, they can't make their mind up on that, either way that's wrong. They lump arch enemy in with old-school Swedish death metal bands like entombed. They even went and said cradle of filth are a Norwegian black metal band. Now i know there are some who still call them black metal but they certainly were never Norwegian. This movie fails to point out the progressive offshoots from the various subgenres and instead refers to progressive metal as one distinct group. No progressive death metal, post-black metal, avant-garde metal. They actually call Marilyn Manson and nine inch nails industrial metal bands. I just don't understand how they get away with this.

Metal is a personal journey of filmmaker Sam Dunn to the roots of heavy metal. While this adds a personal touch, I think it's what makes Metal a less effective documentary.The film consists of interviews of major heavy metal people, although none of them reveal anything that a metal fan wouldn't already know. Also, I think you already have to know these people to get off of the fact Tom Araya or Dio is being interviewed. Not to mention the people more obscure to the mainstream. Also, I found it a bit funny how the film tries to find maturity in heavy metal, while probably the lengthiest fan interview is of a 14-year-old girl in a studded choker.Another flaw is that few things are explored in depth. The film is constantly skimming on the subject. The anecdotes from the metal giants reveal more about the essence of heavy metal than the actual processed information. A lot of is skipped, such as the connection between Norwegian black metal and Neo-Nazism - even though an interviewee states the black metalists' view themselves as a selected few and that think certain groups must be eliminated (where have I heard that before?).Also, since the film tries to educate the viewer, Dunn should have had taken a bit more educational angle. For example, the tritone is mentioned but the viewer probably would get more of it if there actually was an explicit comparison of the demonic notes and the less demonic notes. Now it is just stated that heavy metal traditionally uses a blues scale and Satan's really horrible notes.It is not to say Metal is entirely without any credit. It gives some general insight to the genre and has the correct people talking about it. The only real mistakes are that it tries to take a too big bite and that it's trying to sell freezers to Inuits.

A thought provoking and interesting documentary about one of the most popular- and controversial- genres of music around today. Discussing topics like religion and sexuality in the world of metal, this features some fascinating interviews with pretty much everyone from Geddy Lee to George Fisher. for those unfamiliar with the genre, or those who consider it "pointless noise", this should hopefully open a few eyes. The director, Sam Dunn, a self confessed headbanger himself, has clearly researched his topic greatly, and whilst the "geneology chart" may need a few tweaks (last time I checked, Cradle of Filth were English, not Norwegian), the footage and interviews provided more than compensate. It addresses the musics critics head on, whilst also providing us with some very funny stories from the lives of its subjects. The interview with Dee Snider about the PMRC is particularly hilarious. And best of all, it has a killer soundtrack.

When you come to hear a great idea about a movie you usually build a lot of pressure if the outcome is not what you wanted it to be. Metal. The headbangers jorney delivers in every aspect you can look for in a documentary, especially if its about metal music and the people behind it.Mainly what makes it so good is the simple fact that it was made by a fan, that nows the music inside out. Hearing about the darker times of the genre you start to really think how much Slayer, Metallica, Dio, Children of Bodom, Möntley Crue and which ever was the band you liked meant for you when you where a kid.For a film to have so much influence on you that i can feel proud of being a Headbanger, Metal kid or whatever its always a great thing. Im not saying that i don't feel proud of who i am. This film just underlines the fact that you are a bit different, but so are the thousand kids behind you screaming as they all reach for the stage devil horns up in the sky. This movie is great for every metal fan, and if you don't even like the music its still entertaining and builds up you understanding about Metal, Headbanging, and why Norwegian Blac metal stinks. Metal saves lives it doesn't take them.