THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION PART II
THE METAL YEARS
A Film Review by Manavendra K. Thakur
Copyright 1988 by Manavendra K. Thakur and The Tech.
Reproduced with permission.
1988 90 mins. United States English Rated R Ultra Stereo Color 35mm/1.85
Cast: Joe Perry, Steven Tyler (AEROSMITH); Alice Cooper; Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley (KISS); Ian "Lemmy" Kilminster (MOTORHEAD); Ozzy Osbourne; C. C. DeVille, Bobby Dall, Bret Michaels, Rikki Rockett (POISON); Bill Gazzarri; Chris Holmes (W.A.S.P.); Tawn Mastrey; Darlyne Pettinicchio; Lizzy Borden, Gene Allen, Mychal Davis, J. Holmes, Joey Scott (LIZZY BORDEN); Taime Down, Mark Michals, Brent Muscat, Eric Stacy, Greg Steele (FASTER PUSSYCAT); Mark Burns, Chuck Andrews, David Black (SEDUCE); Randy O., Jeff Duncan, Shawn Duncan, Aaron Samson (ODIN); Nadir D'Priest, Lizzie Grey, Frankie Jones, Brian West, Shea Darek (LONDON); Dave Mustaine, Dave Ellefson, Jeff Young, Chuck Beehler (MEGADETH).
Credits: Directed by Penelope Spheeris. Produced by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Executive Producers: Miles Copeland III and Paul Colichman. Editor: Earl Ghaffari. Location Sound by Mark Hanes. Director of Photography: Jeff Zimmerman. Additional Photography: Julio Macat. Music Supervisor: Seth Kaplan for O.S.S. Additional Music Score: Simon Steele.
Production Company: I.R.S. World Media
Distributor: New Line Cinema Corporation
575 Eighth Avenue
New York, NY 10018
(212) 239-8880
In a film industry notorious for mindless and idiotic sequels to equally moronic films, it is welcome -- and surprising -- news that this particular sequel is cohesive, intelligently constructed, and eye-opening. Penelope Spheeris has directed fictional films before, but she is best remembered for her 1981 documentary on the Los Angeles punk music scene at the time. Her fascination with music and documentary filmmaking pays off as she devotes her talents this time around to exploring the world that heavy metal rockers and their fans have created in current LA nightclubs.
In this film, Spheeris mixes MTV-style concert footage with minimally rehearsed interviews that take place against thoroughly planned backdrops. One member of KISS, for instance, is interviewed in a lingerie store, while the other is photographed from above as he lies in a bed with three young women. This technique provides more than enough realism during the interviews and also avoids the monotony typical of most concert footage. While this film is a serious snapshot of the current LA metal scene -- it was shot between August 1987 and February 1988 -- the film is also reasonably entertaining to watch due to the outrageous remarks made by many of the rockers. Hard core metal addicts will find it revealing to see how their idols look and behave offstage, while appalled parents will undoubtedly find plenty more to be appalled at, what with all the antics and attitudes on display. Spheeris has certainly given a new twist to the notion of a "family film."
That the film is able to simultaneously support numerous points of view is one of its best strengths. This multifaceted approach of letting actions speak for themselves is at the heart of cinema verite filmmaking, and it therefore comes as no surprise that Spheeris cites as her primary cinematic influences the giants of cinema verite: Frederick Wiseman, D. A. Pennebaker, and Ricky Leacock (who created and headed the film department at MIT for many years). Spheeris has even included some 16mm footage, which is, of course, the staple of documentary filmmakers.
But while the film is formally a documentary, it differs from cinema verite in significant ways. First and foremost, Spheeris and cinematographer Jeff Zimmerman have shot much of their concert footage in a decidedly MTV-style, complete with gyrating bodies and guitars, flashy camera movement, unusual camera angles, and rapid editing. Spheeris and editor Earl Ghaffari do not let the film unfold as a surrogate MTV show, however. They edit the music video segments together (and the whole film) with an intelligence usually alien to the form.
The shooting and editing make clear that Spheeris is equally comfortable making documentaries or handling music videos. But that leads to the second difference between cinema verite and this film, which could have been a serious flaw but fortunately isn't. Spheeris includes performances of Megadeth, a band for whom she's previously made a video. In addition, one of the bands in the film, Seduce, was recently signed on by I.R.S. Records, which is a part of I.R.S. World Media, the production company for the film. In strict cinema verite, even the appearance of a conflict of interest would be unthinkable and unacceptable. Happily, there is no evidence whatsoever that Spheeris has compromised or otherwise adversely influenced the integrity and truthfulness of what is shown onscreen, and consequently the film's relaxation of the harsh discipline demanded by cinema verite can be forgiven easily. This is especially true considering that Spheeris quit her music video production company because she became dissatisfied with "making commercials" and that most film reviewers (this one included) would have had no idea of Spheeris' prior involvement with the bands if the press materials had not mentioned it.
The third and most notable difference between the film and a typical verite documentary is that DECLINE II is, in Spheeris' own words, "funny and entertaining, without being too frivolous." Thus, the young rockers who haven't made it yet offer some pretty outrageous comments about females, success, sex, sexism, drugs, and the size of their penis. One guitar player has the words "Fuck the PMRC" written on his guitar. And a middle-aged woman from the only parents' group interviewed in the film (not the Parents Music Resource Center) makes a fool of herself when an off-camera Spheeris asks her whether Ozzy Osbourne really speaks for the devil. Spheeris lays that ghost to rest by immediately cutting to a shot of a plain and harmless-looking Osbourne cooking breakfast in his own home where he opens his eyes wide and with an a sarcastically evil grin answers "Yes!" to the same question. Of course, Osbourne doesn't get off scot-free. The years of jumping around on stage show their toll when Osbourne cooks for himself what seems to be a pound of bacon and can't pour orange juice into a glass without spilling much of it.
Even so, Osbourne and the other veteran rockers in the film (such as Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, and KISS) are much more clear headed and articulate than the relative unknowns. Whereas the younger set is wholly infatuated with the image and perks of stardom and is thoroughly convinced that he or she was meant to be a rock star, the older rockers have been there already and have outgrown some of their more outlandish antics while still remaining hard core metal rockers. But just when one gets used to this dichotomy, the film takes its most serious turn when Spheeris films a thoroughly intoxicated Chris Holmes (guitarist for W.A.S.P.). He's happily rotting his brain cells and life away as he guzzles vodka while lying in a swimming pool -- while his mother steadfastly looks on from the side, not saying a word. Spheeris, to her immense credit, refuses to sensationalize or moralize. She just continues asking questions from off camera, probing and pressing, letting the scene speak for itself. It's a moment worthy of the genius of Frederick Wiseman, and it is much of the reason why THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION PART II THE METAL YEARS is as successful as it is.
Directorial Filmography of Penelope Spheeris:
[`FD' indicates feature documentary. Alternate titles listed after a slash.]
THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION 1981 FD 100 mins.
SUBURBIA / THE WILD SIDE 1982 99 mins.
THE BOYS NEXT DOOR 1984
DUDES [Released only in Europe] 1987
THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION PART II
THE METAL YEARS 1988 FD 90 mins.
A cousin of filmmaker Costa-Gavras, Penelope Spheeris grew up in the suburbs of Orange County, California. She worked for an educational film company after graduating in 1973 from UCLA with a degree in Theatre Arts. She then set up her own music video company, Rock 'n' Reel, and directed videos for four years. She found herself working as West Coast producer for the "Saturday Night Live" television show, including a series of short films by comedian Albert Brooks. In 1977, Brooks gave Spheeris her chance to produce her first feature film, REAL LIFE. Not satisfied with producing, she soon returned to directing.
Manavendra K. Thakur
thakur@eddie.mit.edu
thakur@cfa200.harvard.edu
{rutgers,decvax!genrad,uunet}!mit-eddie!thakur
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