Hacker Cinema
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
2004 · Film · documentary · 140 min
Directed by Joe Berlinger, Bruce Sinofsky
After bassist Jason Newsted quits the band in 2001, heavy metal superstars Metallica realize that they need an intervention. In this revealing documentary, filmmakers follow the three rock stars as they hire a group therapist and grapple with 20 years of repressed anger and aggression. Between searching for a replacement bass player, creating a new album and confronting their personal demons, the band learns to open up in ways they never thought possible.
3 positive1 mixed1 neutralfrom 5 commenters
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5 comments on Hacker News
This is a fantastic idea. I imagine similar form to "Some Kind of Monster", the documentary about Metallica. It's mostly the band meeting, discussing ideas, playing some music, struggling with internal tensions and personal issues etc. I'm not even a huge fan of the band, but it was a very entertaining watch and I think it would be almost guaranteed that such a massive project will result in many interesting stories.
I love, love, love music documentaries. The great ones have a great story to tell. I also believe that the ones about bands have some lessons for people starting businesses and dealing with cofounder friction, creative dynamics, licensing, etc. Many of them also deal with the impact of technology on recording, performing, and marketing. Recommended:
"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1157605/)
"What Happened, Miss Simone?" (https://www.netflix.com/title/70308063)
"Soundbreaking: Stories from the cutting edge of recorded music" (PBS documentary on history of sound recording) (http://www.pbs.org/soundbreaking/home/)
"Sound City" (about legendary recording studio in LA, narrated by Dave Grohl) (https://www.netflix.com/za/title/70265771)
"Last Days Here" (About the singer of early doom metal band Pentagram) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1723126/)
"As The Palaces Burn" (Lamb Of God's singer tried in Czech Republic for an incident at a concert) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB6k-Ev_H7c)
People love to hate on "Some Kind of Monster" because they don't like the album St. Anger but I really believe that it caught Metallica at a vulnerable and revealing time in their history. (https://www.netflix.com/title/80174429)
There's a documentary ("Some kind of monster") on Metallica's creative process for the St Anger album. It shows James Hetfield (arguably the band's leader) wanting to have a more balanced schedule, and adapting the band's process to fit to it. The result was a very mediocre album.
They stopped playing St Anger material after that tour because that album/tour almost broke them up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Kind_of_Monster_(film)
But probably also because it's awful.
Food and Health:
Fat Head (2009) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1333994/ Especially if you've seen "Super Size Me", but even if you haven't, an amusing yet educational take on the obesity "epidemic".
Food, Inc. (2008) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1286537/ - Exposing the absurdity of our industrial food economy.
Music and Entertainment:
Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1157605/ Talk about never giving up on your dreams.
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387412/ The other side of fame.