Wednesday 3 August 2011

Metallica - Some Kind Of Monster

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Highlights for me in this two hour Metallica documentary were a post-Napster-lawsuit Lars Ulrich celebrating the auction of his modern art painting collection (as above) including a Basquiat that flipped for five million dollars. The sports psychologist hired to coach them through an impending breakup starts believing he's a member of the band thus stepping over the line so they 'let him go' after two years of advice at 40 000 dollars a month.

Original guitarist Dave Mustaine is visited and sheds a Megadeath tear over years of missing out on the spotlight, and so despite the notable absence of humour between the band members this documentary unquestionably goes the extra mile in rockumentary honesty and prozac inducing hand wringing.

Most satisfyingly is lead singer James Hetfield who makes it through six months of rehab and comes out changed for the better. But not before flying to Russia for 'hunting' and shooting a magnificent bear just out of winter hibernation after lunch over a bottle of vodka. 

It's the only time a world outside the U.S. even gets a mention.

All in all Some Kind of Monster is an excellent documentary for observing the devil sign junk fed masses through the lens of money and cliche buddhist lyrics interspersed with obscenities.