Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5372 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-01-31
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Formats: Box set, Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 140 minutes

Synopsis
Directed by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, SOME KIND OF MONSTER takes a shockingly in-depth look at Metallica, one of the world's most popular heavy metal bands. The documentary begins in 2001, just after longtime bassist Jason Newsted leaves the hugely popular group. Surprised by this sudden departure, the remaining band members, particularly singer/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, struggle to record an album without a permanent bass player, a situation that reopens many old wounds, including the loss of Newsted's predecessor, Cliff Burton, who died in a 1986 bus accident. The group even decides to hire a therapist, leading to a series of incredibly emotional confrontations and revelations. Berlinger and Sinosky's movie is unquestionably one of the most revealing rock documentaries ever made. Given almost unlimited access to tape the band during a crisis period of nearly three years, the filmmakers capture the members of Metallica both together and individually in remarkably intimate detail. Although the film features Metallica's music and includes vintage footage of the band's early days, it primarily focuses on the difficulties involved with recording the 2003 album ST. ANGER. The end result is not so much a film about Metallica, but a dramatic (and occasionally funny) portrait of a long-running band attempting to understand itself.

Customer Reviews

The rise and fall & getting up again with a few cuts and bruises, of "Metllica"
Starting out as a simple "fly on the wall" behind the scenes on the new album, based around the interesting position the band found themselves in, starting anew without a bassist. However, when James Hetfield takes a stint in rehab and finds a new found love for his family - replacing vodka and bear hunting with playing with his son, his dog and some headphones, and taking his daughter to ballet.

The film is a compelling balance; incredibly funny, insightful and deceptively moving all rolled into one. Whether it has an almost satirical look into the musical world (see the scene where Lars is found stewing in his anger - not that that narrows it down - as they then jot down lyrics for Frantic) or a somewhat moving inspection of life after drug - of all forms and formats - abuse.

Despite a running length of two-and-a-half hours, when first introduced to the film, courtesy of a friend at college, i found myself instantly flickign through all of the deleted scenes, and band commentary track, just to quench my thirst for more!
I have now seen the film several times since then, and the film STILL holds up in all the right places and never once feels its full run-length. The film has since broke into my top ten films of all time; alongside Death Becomes Her, Dogma, Moulin Rouge, Sixth Sense, and others.

Spinal Tap, you know, was meant to be funny. This is funny, but for all the wrong reasons.
Perhaps it's intentional, but watching three cosseted multi-millionaires riding bikes, going to their daughters ballet classes, selling off their art collections, (Ulrich toasts himself as one of them sells for $5,000,000), riding horses on ranches, and talking about themselves in Group Therapy, you can't help but feel ridiculed. Here these three stupendously wealthy morons chow down on cheeseburgers, try to intellectualise their actions, talking about re-connecting with each other, and indulge in the kind of group therapy sessions that simply have the rational part of the viewer muttering at the screen.

Every movie must have it's bad guy, and Phil Towne, the band's Group performance Coach (shrink, to you & me), is their silver tongued Rasputin, charming the group with distressingly vague statements such as "I appreciate your anger" and "What do you mean by that statement?", getting them to take apart everything and reassemble it in a wasteland of self-indulgent psychobabble. As he parades around in his collection of increasingly atrocious jumpers, the balding spin-doctor offers the group his dreadful lyrical ideas, ackonwledges his sacking with "I appreciate your statements, but don't you think we need to explore your feelings?", and worst of all writes a Metallica Mission Statement ...

"We have experienced and understood - now we must share...." It starts. The rest of it I could barely make out in a sea of astounded guffaws at the absurdity of it all.

In the meantime, "Some Kind Of Monster" lifts the lid and exposes the psyche of self-obssessed millionaires, so far removed from the business of being alive that they have lost their plot amongst navel-gazing self-analysis, ignorant intellectual groping, and occasionally an attempt to forge some music. As a rock film, there is no comapre :it's a brave and intriguing expose of the kind of irrelvant, cushioned world that millionaire rock stars live in that is simultaneously ridiculous and compelling.

The music is easily the most intruiging thing about the film. The band are seen grappling with writing new songs for the first time in seven years, as they lambast each other for bringing forth dull riffs. At one point Lars ends up going crazy and screaming "Do I have to write it down for you?" as Jaymz pulls forth another mediocre chord progression. Kirk meanwhile, sits in the middle and says nothing. He barely utter a word throughout the whole movie. The band are seen grappling with multiple versions of a song called "Temptation" that is the sound of museless millionaires fumbling in the dark, and the coupe de grace sees Lars father, a grizzled old Viking, listening to the new material - a shadowy, wordless, tuneless rumble of drums and echoey vocals - and tearing it to shreds. "It sounds like a bunch of kids who just found an echo machine" he says, as Lars looks suicidal. Like the advert : it's priceless.

Having quit the group for eight months, James finally returns in a rigourous, post rehab world of four hour days, and regimented creativity. The rest of the band rage against the fact that if it's after 4pm they can't listen to the song they're working on, and Lars is seen running around shouting obscenities in a moment of priceless frustration. By the end of the film, as the recording process crawls towards day 720, and numerous bassists are auditioned in a series of hopeless trials, the overall impression is relatively simple. Metallica are brave enough to show their heads above the parapet and expose their weakness. "Some Kind Of Monster" is the greatest rock movie ever made : no puffpiece like `Rattle And Hum', it mercilessly shows a bunch of multimillionaires far removed from reality trying to work out why they do what they do, driving stupid cars, and showing them for the indulged idiots that they often are. You don't even have to be a fan to know that this is absolutely essential viewing. Here's hoping for Puff Daddy : The Movie.

Very good documentary of metallica
I got this for my birthday this year and tis interesting to watch. How the band cope during the recording of st. anger(which was awesome). Lars's meeting with mustaine in particulary was interesting as i am a fan of both bands. Overall a great documentary of metallica show the bad poins of metallica and the great points. Though people who keep saying this isnt just for metallica it's for fans of rock music i totally disagree, i'd only recommend this for metallica or people who have a general interest in metallica or who have the album st. anger. So overall good buy for metallica fans. Cant wait to see 'em live and for their new album.