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Directed by: Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky Starring: Metallica I just got a chance to see this tonight at a local cinema. First off, let me begin by stating that I am a BIG Metallica fan. I have an appreciation for all of their music (even though I do enjoy the older material best). Thus, I suppose some parts of my review may seem biased and/or different from how you see the movie. Essentially YMMV, depending on how you approach the movie and how you feel about the band as a whole. To begin, I must say I was impressed with the "acting" (if you call it that). There were many heart-felt and intimate moments that did not seem scripted at all or forced. At times I really felt like I was sitting in the room listening to the discussions going on. The directors did a great job of making the film immersive in this regard. The movie begins by showing the band start writing the material for St. Anger. Apparently, the initial idea for the film was to chronicle how Metallica records an album. They had no idea that a huge poo poo storm was just on he horizon and that the filmmakers would capture it all. It chronicles the departure of Jason Newsted (including interviews with him and scenes of his initial performance with Echobrain). It then has Hetfield's departure to rehab and the ensuing chaos that follows. Finally the film continues with Hetfield's return and the efforts to write the album. Describing every scene would be tedious and pointless. However, a few key moments are of mention. It was great to see the Dave Mustaine sit-down with Lars and the therapist. I have always enjoyed Metallica more than Megadeth, but I really could empathize with Dave as he talked with Lars. It was also particularly cool to see some of the short clips from the bass auditions the band held. People like Twiggy Ramirez, Pepper Keenan, Danny Lohner, and a few others (ranging from the guy from the Cure to Alanis Morisette's bass player). The entire film is not drama, however. There are some interesting scenes depicting the writing process for the songs. I honestly wish a little more time had been devoted to this area, but I suppose there were some time constraints. The film was just a little over two hours long. There were also quite a few humorous scenes as well. Kirk Hammett played mediator in most of the "battles" and it was usually funny to watch his reactions. For example one argument went like this: James:  I'm having a bad day and feel like poo poo.Lars:  Yeah , well your guitar riff sounds like stock.James:  Are you just trying to piss me off!Lars:  I'm just saying your guitar part sounds like stock, so I tried to liven things up with a different drum beat.Kirk: <smacks hand on head and sighs> There were honestly some parts that did drag. While it was interesting to see Lars's interactions with his father (and to see where some of his obsessiveness/angst might come from) it dragged a bit too much. Also, watching the scenes about Lars's painting and how one sold for $5 million was also too long and not needed. Theres also some weird chronological things done. They show Trujillo auditioning and then his induction into the group. Thirty minutes later there is a section where they talk about the rush to find a bass player and revisit the whole "who are we going to get?" premise. It just was repetitive, because I found myself saying, "Wait, you already showed Rob hired. Why are we going back in time to show this again?" Other than that, I found the film quite enjoyable and would strongly recommend it to any Metallica fan. I took away .5 for the pacing and .5 for the weird chronology and gave it a four. If you aren't a Metallica fan it would probably rate as a two. I could see people uninterested and uninformed with the band not enjoying the film as much. However, I don't think that detracts from the film. After all, it isn't supposed to be a primer or introduction to Metallica. Thus, Metallica Fans/Followers: 4 Metallica Neophytes: 2 Also, I have to say I  when they showed the flash video made by Camp Chaos (you know, BEER GOOD, NAPSTER BAD) in the film.RATING: 4.0 PROS: Very intimate look at Metallica and their journey through the album St. Anger CONS: Some occasional drag and a few confusing/distracting chronological mix-ups ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387412/
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Jul 28, 2004 09:19
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 02:14 |
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Just saw this today with my mom and little brother. (I'm on a lot of drugs thanks to my wisdom tooth removeal, so mother won't allow me to drive far.) We all enjoyed it, and my mom has a new found respect for the band, especially Kirk for putting up with all the bullshit.  Like Mr. Douche, I am a huge Metallica fan. Been a member of the fan club for years, and I appreciate all of their music. This very much includes St. Anger. For even a big fan like myself, there is plenty in this movie I have never heard or seen. It was very interesting to get to hear some of the music that did not make it onto their new album. I remember the one song, titled 'Temptation', I sure wish had made it. And although I followed the album creation process through the band's daily update of their 'Jump in the Studio' website last year, there was still plenty to learn, like how some songs were molded into what they became. I'm sure the drawing point for many metal fans who look to see this is the confrontation between Ulrich and Mustaine. Without spoiling anything, I must say, it wasn't the total dramabomb that some of you were making it out to be. Yeah, it was strong, but you guys had me expecting Mustaine to be sobbing like a baby.  If you're a fan of Metallica's and their humor, you'll have plenty to laugh about here, inbetween the career-threatening dramas. There's something about a little Danish man screaming the word "FFFFUUUUUCCCCKKKK!" in a guy's face that just puts a big smile on my face. If you're NOT a fan of Metallica's, if you're agnsty against their 'selling out', or the war against Napster, see this movie anyways. Perhaps you can begin to find an understanding that these guys aren't the money hungry assholes some of you make them out to be. But being a fan will definatly help in enjoying this film, but hey, every review I've seen (including Time magazine) is raving about it. Any complaints here? Yeah, Douche is right, there's a little chronological sillyness. I dunno about the part with Rob, but it's definatly there. I'm ranking it a 5.
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Aug 1, 2004 02:07
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Managed to see it as well (Boston goons, it's playing at the Museum of Fine Arts). I am a diehard Metallica fan as well, got into them around 83 and stopped listening to them after the black album, but I did get St Anger. But on topic: The guys above described it pretty well, it's a documentary following the band around. I knew James went into rehab but I didnt realize it was right in the middle of the creation process of an album. It shows a lot of angst in between the members, and at times it almost makes the viewer uncomfortable too. I'll approach it from a different angle: the bit with Mustaine, and Lars/Kirk wondering if Metallica was over, really brought back a lot of memories of my own first band's breakup. Very eerie, and I imagine it's the same for any close group of folks who just can't seem to agree anymore. Lots of bad blood between people who used to have such good times together, and you wonder where it all went astray. I also really wanted to see more on Jason; I remember catching something on MTV that featured a lot on him seperating, and there were some real emotional speeches from both him and the band. It only touches a little bit on the subject matter in this film. Lars' father is downright funky, like a king fu master complete with the beard stroke. I wonder how long he's been advising them? The only thing that grated me slightly was the touchy feely psychotherapy stuff. I realize that it had to be there, but my reaction was basically the same as Jason's: that's the lamest thing for a band to do. What it seemed to bring home to me was that James was the only one who needed therapy; the other guys seemed to be able to keep it together. Again, you can't get to B without going through A, so it's necessary to include. For people who love Metallica, it's a must see. For people who are ambivalent about Metallica, but like to know what goes on behind the scenes, and see how an album is created, it's also quite good. For people who don't care about either one of those, I'm not sure I can recommend, they might find boring and too therapy-dramatic.
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Aug 1, 2004 23:59
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I saw it this weekend and loved it. My girlfriend, a casual Metallica fan also loved it. I agree with the general consensus on most points. The reviews made it sound like a whole lot more conflict between James and Lars than there really was. The Mustaine thing was iluminating, but he didn't break down. Another point about Mustaine; he says he wishes the band would have told him to go to AA instead of kicking him out of the band. Like that would have made any difference. The 20-something Dave Mustaine would have been really receptive to AA! I love St. Anger and I loved seeing how the Paradiso jams turned into the song Some Kind Of Monster. I could watch 2 more hours about that evolution although I understand it would bore most anyone else to tears. I was also very surprised that the band went into the Paradiso with no demos at all. Based on what I've read, I assumed the "group collaboration" came only after James' return from rehab. As for the lameness of the therapy sessions, I think more than just James needed it although I think it did seem to concentrate on the rest of the band dealing with James. And I think it really showed at the later meetings where Lars and James were really listening to each other even if they didn't neccessary agree (like the naming of the album). On one hand, I can understand Jason leaving because James was stifling him musically, but on the other hand, I think Jason is a real sellout for quitting when he did. So he didn't need the therapy, but the rest of the band certainly did (or felt they did). If he really cared that much about the band, it seems like he would have stuck it out a few months or something to see how it went. Instead, it comes off as James/Lars/Kirk agreeing to the therapy and Jason running off in a hissy fit. Overall, this is a must-see for a Metallica fan. For someone who isn't as familar with the band, I'm not sure how much they'll get out of it.
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Aug 2, 2004 06:26
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As a huge Metallica fan, my only gripe with the film was its length. I feel as though a good portion of it (especially some parts with the therapist) could have been edited out and the movie wouldn't have lost anything significant. It definitely felt as though it dragged on at some points. For a fan of Metallica it is definitely a must see, but I feel as though someone who isn't really into the band too much will become bored fairly quickly with the film. rating: 3.5
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Aug 3, 2004 21:00
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quote:Cheesus came out of the closet to say: I think you and I may be the only two on the forums who like this album.
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Aug 5, 2004 00:31
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An interesting look at self-delusion. 4.0/5.5 Judakel fucked around with this message at 02:56 on Dec 4, 2013 |
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Aug 5, 2004 11:59
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For the record, I love St. Anger. It's like they finally remembered why they play metal in the first place. I saw SKOM opening night in San Francisco, and I went with a group of people who had various reasons for seeing the film. Some were there because of their passion for documentaries, others because spouses dragged them along and of course the main group was pecause of our passion for the band. Generally the result of our informal poll generated an average of 8/10 (or 4 stars out of five). I was impressed with the level of access that the filmmakers had to the band. There's some stuff shown that's pretty darned personal, like the meeting between Dave Mustaine and Lars, and I'm now sure that I could have the balls to have that aired like so much reality TV drama-fuel. Although I did read an interview that Lars was grateful to have the cameras there, because he said that it kept things honest. Talking about a guy behind his back while there's a camera filming you is probably not a good idea. Great flick. I'll be seeing this again probably this weekend, and I'll own it when it comes out on DVD.
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Aug 9, 2004 20:16
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Geez...from reading the reviews and seeing a 2.7 score doesn't make much sense...if people are voting the movie with 1s and 2s they should at least write a review explaining why... Sheesh. Anyways, I will preface this by saying that I feel the only two Metallica albums worth owning are Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets...Kill 'Em All was just cheesy thrash, ...And Justice For All bored me, the black album is watered down, Load and Reload are boring rock, St. Anger sounds hilariously thrown together and hackneyed(which doesn't surprise giving how the recording sessions are portrayed in the movie), and anyone who says S&M was innovative needs a copy of the far superior Theli, by the band Therion, to shut them up. So, I definitely don't consider myself a fan...and frankly, I hate Metallica's music except for the Lighning and Master...so this is the first review here from a non fan, and I can say objectively, that it's an excellent and powerful documentary. Actually, I have to give Metallica some credit to the fact that they have some REAL balls for releasing this documentary as it really makes the people in the band look like complete and utter assholes. It made me feel a lot of sympathy for Jason Newstead, and you definitely get the "no wonder he friggin' left" impression from viewing it. The movie is no holds barred and the movie holds no mercy towards the band in the sense that they don't shy away from any of the negativity surrounding the band. It also shows us a very interesting look into the recording process. For some, like me, there were a lot of unintentional laughs in the film...like Lars screaming FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKKK into Hetfield's face...Hetfield talking about feelings...Hetfield having childlike temper tantrums...just about all the material involving the therapist Phil(like when he tries to convince the band that they still need him so he can keep his 40,000 dollar a month salary)...Mustaine's whining to Lars was also quite an amusing moment for me...  MY BAND WASN'T AS SUCCESSFULL AS YOURS EVEN THOUGH I STILL SOLD OVER 15 MILLION ALBUMS THROUGHOUT MY CAREER ...I didn't know music was supposed to be a competition...that was rather insightful Dave...Unfortunately, this brings me to the one fatal flaw of this film: and that is the editing is piss poor. The movie is, brace yourself now, a whopping 2 hours and 20 minutes...that kind of length is fine for a gripping drama or epic fantasy...but for a rock documentary? There's a lot of great material there, but there is point where everything gets quite repitious and you will find yourself looking at your watch quite often..as thing thing tends to drag as it beats you over the head with therapy sessions and lots of discussions about the same thing so much that you feel that you are almost watching the same scene again and again and again. They could have easily cut a half hour out of this doc and made it a more acceptable length...This really is a major problem as the movie DRAGS BIG TIME in certain places. This takes what would have been a great documentary that would be excellent for fans and non-fans alike..into a work that's merely good documentary for the non-Metallica fans and great for the fans. I'd really recommend this doc to Metallica fans and haters...and with hesitation recommend it to people who have a keen interest in music in general...anyone else should probably avoid as they will probably be put to sleep. 3.5/5 (would have been 4.5/5 if it was edited with some sense.)
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Aug 11, 2004 23:32
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If you're really into the band, Some Kind of Monster might appeal to you. I own five of their albums, and I have a copy of their demos, but I guess I'm not really much of a fan because this movie bored the poo poo out of me. From the reviews, I was expecting some sort of kitchsy good time--a real life Spinal Tap where these spoiled prima donnas bitch about meat trays. Well, they bitched all right, but it was bitching in the reality TV vein, when boring people talk behind closed doors about how they want some CK model out of the big brother house. Boring. A fight erupts because Lars calls James' guitar riff "stock". Wow, that's really cutting to the bone. For fucks sake, phone his wife and tell her about the syphilis he contracted from the Russian whore. Something, anything. The absolute worst is when they dig Dave Mustaine out from the crypt. His delusions should be funny, but they aren't, because he and Lars are such ceaselessly self-imporant gasbags. Dave, with the countless millions worth of black tar heroin he's accumulated over the years, still bitches that he wasn't given another chance by the band, that Kurt Hammett was a better guitarist, that his career was a failure, on and on. I'd like to think karma will assure that long after Metallica calls it quits, Mustaine will be some embarrassing sixty-year old fart playing "Almost Honest" at a county fair. Two.
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Aug 12, 2004 00:03
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^^^^^^^^^^^^ thank you for actually specifying the reasons behind your low score. Wish others weren't so lazy.
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Aug 12, 2004 02:08
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I saw this with my big sister on Sunday (yes, I am a straight male in a sorority). It definitely gave some interesting insight into the creation of St. Anger, as well as just a background look into what it "means" to be Metallica. It was definitely interesting to see the process of refining the proto-songs into a finished product. Oh, and add a third person who likes St. Anger. I've been listening to it on my commute this week.
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Aug 13, 2004 05:32
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I just bought this on DVD, and I really enjoyed it. It's very interesting to see the interaction between the band - the bickering between James and Lars, and Kirk's failed attempts at being the moderator. The therapist "character" is a great one, and you can't help but cringe at almost everything he says throughout the movie. My only complaint is the length of some of the unimportant scenes. The scene with Lars selling his artwork was alright, but it was about 10 minutes too long. I would have also liked to see more about the recording of the album, but a lot of that stuff is in the deleted scenes on the DVD. 4.5
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Feb 8, 2005 22:43
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 02:14 |
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THe redeeming aspect of this movie, and its kind of sad, is Roberts utter enthusiasm and the stark contrast it draws to the old guard. 4
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Feb 16, 2005 06:02
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