Documentary Movie Reviews

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The Decline of Western Civilization
Part II: The Metal Years (1988)

Rate: 4
Viewed: 2/20

DeclineWest2
2/20: Compared to the first part, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years is a certified 60-point drop on the IQ chart.

Listening to Randy O, I asked myself, "Odin? Odin? Never heard of them." Declaring to be bigger than Led Zepellin and more famous than The Doors one day, the band became the biggest laughingstock of the rockumentary and thus disappeared shortly after the end of filming. Gosh, I wouldn't be caught dead in these assless black leather pants. The members of Spinal Tap had more self-respect.

The documentary doesn't get better with the rest of the interviewees who are often either idiots or nobodies with too much makeup, being more concerned about their looks than anything else. Hence, glam metal didn't last long, paving the way for grunge in the 90's.

In part one, the punk rockers spoke better, sounded more educated, and played lots of music with catchy lyrics, but in The Metal Years, what the heck? All they can talk about is getting laid, objectifying women, and making money. It gets old fast and isn't enlightening. Their music have terrible lyrics with no substance. Some of the established musicians such as Alice Cooper, Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, and Dave Mustaine sound more refreshing for a change, but I can't say the same for the guys from Aerosmith, Kiss, and Poison.

I would've liked to see David Lee Roth, Axl Rose, Slash, and some others from Whitesnake, Iron Maiden, Slayer, and Metallica making an appearance to spice things up. The most bizarre but worthwhile moment is when Ozzy completely missed the glass while trying to pour OJ into it. The scene was later revealed to be faked on purpose. At least, Chris Holmes doesn't disappoint, pouring vodka (really pool water) all over himself while his mother looks on, and has the most memorable interview, effectively destroying his career for good. If there's any good news, Holmes hasn't touched alcohol for over twenty years now.

All in all, The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years is This Is Spinal Tap comes real but with tons of excess.