The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years

Obviously with a screen name like "MetalGeek," I was bound to get around to reviewing this movie sooner or later. :)THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION II: THE METAL YEARS (1988) is an fascinating, occasionally hilarious study of the "Glam Metal" scene that was raging in Los Angeles during the late 1980s. If you lived through this period (like I did) and loved the music, then you will find much to enjoy here, from the live performances by L.A. staples Lizzy Borden and young (at the time) hopefuls Odin and Seduce, to the words of wisdom from hard rock royalty like Gene (Kiss) Simmons, Lemmy of Motorhead, and Ozzy Osbourne. The scenes of bikini contests at L.A.'s infamous Gazzari's night club will also provide necessary eye candy. :) The reason I call this an "incomplete" documentary is that for the most part it mainly focuses on the "hair metal" scene and many of the participants are unknown rockers who (righfully) remained unknown after this movie was released. There is no exploration of the history of the genre, nor is there any talk about some of the other trends in metal (thrash, crossover, death metal) that were also making noise in the scene around this same period of time. In addition, many of the younger band members interviewed here come off as delusional, chortling, sex-crazed dorks who are sure that HUGE success is right around the corner for them. Looking at this movie nearly 20 years later you wonder how many of them wound up asking "Would you like fries with that, sir?" when the grunge movement came along in the early '90s and wiped hair metal off of the musical map. In addition to the unintentionally hilarious interviews with the many band members and assorted hangers-on, the film is worth seeing for two things: the absolutely harrowing scene featuring Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P., who floats in his swimming pool, drunk as a skunk, telling the world "I drink because I'm not happy," and the scenes featuring Megadeth in the studio working on the song "In My Darkest Hour." In their interview scenes, Megadeth seem to be the most "together" and lucid band in the entire film, which is kind of ironic now because that short-lived Megadeth lineup eventually dissolved due to massive drug use. In short, headbangers and hair metallers will love the trip down memory lane that this movie provides, but those looking for a documentary about metal that looks beyond the hairspray may be disappointed. I don't believe the film has been released on DVD (probably too many hassles with music publishing rights) but if you can find it on VHS in an out of the way video store it's well worth your while.

Great documentary of the heavy metal scene of the late 1980s. Unlike the first "Decline..." this movie concentrates more on interviews than concert footage. There are just fascinating talks with old time performers (Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne) and newcomers (Odin, WASP, Poison). The contrasts and their views on music, drugs and sex are very interesting and illuminating. The movie makes no judgments on the performers or their music...they leave that up to the audience. The whole feeling of the film is actually uplifting and very funny. The bands come across as very upbeat and accessible. The interviews with fans of the music are just as fun. Interesting to see Ozzy Osbourne years before that reality show he did for MTV.

The only depressing footage is an interview with Chris Holmes of WASP. He's drunk out of his mind and makes it quite clear that he hates life, is an alcoholic, had a heavily dysfunctional childhood and will be dead soon. Very scary to watch and sad.

That aside, this is a great, accurate documentary of heavy metal. A must-see.

I have read the comment of my fellow viewer and apparent Heavy Metal Connisseur, who says this film falls short of completely covering the Heavy Metal scene at the time.

But I really don't think that that's what Spheeris was trying to do. This film is so much more. Like any truly great documentary, it somehow manages to capture life, raw and unfiltered.

The characters are funny, loveable, sad, pitiful, admirable, inspiring, bewildering, all at the same time. A very odd, strangely fascinating and mystifying mix of moods and emotions and realness that is stranger than fiction.

Like Paul Thomas Anderson and other great filmmakers, Spheeris has this talent of having compassion for her subjects, rather than judging them in some way. It is what it is. She gets out of the way and lets an utterly fascinating and at times "un-real" segment of life tell its own story. A timeless piece of rock documentary.

This is possibly the most entertaining sequel in film history. The first "Decline" film presented the punk rock scene of the late seventies/early eighties and captured the rebellion and dissatisfaction found in that movement. This film focuses on the much more entertaining glam-metal scene of the late eighties. We witness such awesome sights as W.A.S.P.'s Chris Holmes getting loaded in his pool while his mom sits pool-side contemplating a very late abortion. Our old pal Ozzy's juice-pouring methods are something to behold and my new favorite band Odin sits in a hot tub with a bunch of metal-sluts and tells us how they want to be bigger than Zepplin and the Stones. This is intercut with their live performance where the lead singer expresses less range than Mark Slaughter and has no ass in his pants! We hear about struggling metal-heads who use women for their money and their food (they of course plan to pay them back with furs and cars when they get big.) And the always entertaining Poison treats us to a healthy dose of rock n' roll stupidity. This film contains some of the stupidest people I have ever witnessed. Why it won no Oscars is beyond me. I think it is one of the truly great films of the decade.

As a former metal groupie (the horror!), when I saw this depiction of the lonely lives and substance-riddled minds of my heroes, it actually inspired me to go to college! It is a poignant, wistful, sad, and insightful look at a genre of music that instilled fear in the hearts of parents(well, at least in mine), and a venue for teens to unleash their anger toward a misunderstanding world.

The best kind of musical documentary is always done best through the eyes of a true fan, and Penelope Spheeris is no exception. While to the casual viewer the film may seem shallow and all fluff (which is how the LA metal was widely portrayed), if one looks past the hair, excess, bravado, t & a, and flowing alcohol,it is easy to uncover the painfully lonely, opportunistic, naiveté' of the struggling bands, and even some of those who "made it." The scene with Chris Holmes guzzling vodka in his pool was simply heartbreaking...and the expressions on his mother's face were fully able to convey her harsh reality. Some of the "classic" performers... Aerosmith, Ozzy, and Lemmy were able to reflect on the business with some learned wisdom, while Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons attempted to convey a fantasy life that appeared way too scripted and laughable (I'm still a huge KISS fan, though). One interesting element in viewing the film almost 20 years later, is how some of the bands downplayed or sidestepped the issue of drug use (note the expressions on their faces when substances are discussed), then appear on "Behind the Music" years later to reveal their debilitating addictions.

Having been involved peripherally in the scene for a few years, I can say that Spheeris' portrayal was 100% accurate based on what I witnessed. I would've liked to have seen the inclusion of other important bands of the LA scene (Motley Crue, Skid Row, etc), and a separate documentary highlighting British metal (Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest)would've been fantastic.

It was a fun, irreverent, and exciting time! I can look back at it and laugh since I emerged relatively unscathed... although I am somewhat embarrassed by the extraordinary heights of my hair and the plunging depths of my blouses in "86.