Customer Reviews

Metallica - Some Kind Of Monster (2004)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'll be honest. I'm not a metal fan, and I find Metallica even more annoying musically
than most metal. So that made it a bit hard to get into. And it the film is too long.

But by the end I found myself surprisingly emotional and caught up in the bands psychodrama
' guys going through mid-life crises, while trying to hold onto a teenage spirit that fired them
up when they started over 20 years earlier.

Making it all comically absurd is their creepy, nerdy therapist/coach who I guess succeeds at
getting them through the record, but seems kind of a loony in his own right.

The film covers the whole 2 years of making the album 'St. Anger', and it ends up being a pretty
damn interesting look into the creative process of a group, the costs of fame and rock and roll,
and the desire not to let one's artistic flame go out.

Not as good as it's close companion (and correlative opposite) documentary 'Anvil'; these guys
are far less likable, and their shtick with each other does get repetitive. But still, when it was
over I felt let into a world very different from what I'd expect, and in some ways as messy and
sad as any other dysfunctional family.

I hate Metallica, I still loved this movie. I actually reviewed this movie in a previous attempt and Amazon.ca censored my review, so here we go again. I guess serious 'fans' don't understand the irony of this movie. I love this as a documentary film, it is a great piece of music commentary. Watch this movie, not as a fan but as a filmgoer and judge for yourself about the direction of the band and its relevance. In particular, pay attention to the intimate looks into the lives of the band as they spiral out of social reality. Metallica has become nothing but pure rock stars, in the worst sense (e.g.- suing their own fans over Napster) and they have all lost touch with what they once were; i.e. struggling musicians in pursuit of creating something worthwhile. This documentary demonstrates the heights of success and it reveals the brain trust that now run Metallica; namely the drummer and the lead vocalist, and how these personalities have killed the musical vision of the band in order to create more and more capital; yes that is money. Lars and James dominate the movie and they play great roles as the lead antagonist and of course the other lead antagonist; wonderful dialogue takes place between these two. Essentially the documentary is a look behind the scenes at the biggest metal band in the world as they create a flop of an album, and in the end it shows how they cover up their own blindness regarding the content in the said album; actually everyone involved around the band are complicit in the lies. You will be entertained and even slightly angered, perhaps even St. angered (terrible joke, I know), at the Spinal Tap feel of what has now become Metallica. I love the doctor/psychotherapist that they hired, he is comedy gold.

Regardless of your personal opinion of the album St-Anger the 2004 documentary Some Kind of Monster which chronicles the events leading up to the recording of the album and the following tour gives a detailed look at Metallica during this period. Some Kind of Monster begins in the early 2000's with the events following the Load and Reload albums; Jason leaving Metallica, the band's lawsuit against Napster among others. It's really interesting to see all the time, effort, emotions, frustration and just everything that the band went through. It made me understand the album St-Anger much more and it made me understand the band as a whole much more as well. It's clear to me that the band worked hard on the album and was pleased with the result at the time.

Losing Jason Newsted was surprising and a shock to the band as the loss of a longtime member is always hard to deal with. Then having James go through rehab and then being gone for months without knowing if he was ever going to come back to Metallica must have been hard on Lars and Kirk. There's also the element of "who's going to replace Jason?" that arises when the band is confronted with the search of a new bassist which is a great part of this documentary (watching the band jam with different bassists was a nice experience). One of the highlights of Some Kind of Monster is the discussion between Megadeth frontman (and ex-Metallica guitarist) Dave Mustaine and Lars Ulrich. For years Dave has lived with a Metallica sized chip on his shoulder and he finally get to express his frustrations and feelings to Lars and give him his perspective on what he's been through after his departure from the band. The interviews with Jason Newsted aren't too flattering for the band, you really feel sorry for Jason that things could not work out between him and the and the band as he was obviously very proud to be part of Metallica. Jason is the only band member who comes off this documentary as a truly decent guy (oh and Kirk, but he's in the shadow of Lars and James fighting constantly like he's been since seemingly forever!) unfortunately, not that the rest of the band are bad person it's just that the documentary doesn't make them look all that great (although James attending his girl's ballet class was a touching moment). Some Kind of Monster captures what is certainly not the best but nonetheless an important chapter of the band's career and lives.

The display of emotions, good or bad allows the viewers to really connect with the band and those involved because it shows these "Rock Gods" on a more human angle. Some Kind of Monster received praises for its honest portrayal of Metallica, it's also received its fair share of criticism from fans who thought certain aspects like the band getting help from a psychologist, complaining and whining were lame (and they probably were). Seeing the band go through therapy is very un-metal of them, so much for a macho image! Watching Metallica doing therapy and arguing about every little thing is perhaps not what fans want to see of their idols but it makes them seem more human. The recording for St-Anger was a very long and uneasy one and this documentary does a good job of showing just that. There's even a scene where the band questions doing the documentary and are seriously considering stopping the actual filming. One of my favorite parts is when the remaining Metallica member discuss solos with producer Bob Rock. Lars feels that they should do a more current approach and not have any solos on this new alum whereas Kirk feels that this so called "rule" dates the album to that particular period in time. It's fascinating to see the and argue over whether or not to include solos on the album as Metallica are known for their trademark guitar work and solos in their music among other things.

I think Metallica fans owe it to themselves to see Some Kind of Monster, especially those who hated St-Anger because this documentary sheds some light on the whole recording process and the events surrounding that album. That's what I like about Some Kind of Monster, its brutally honest and shows Metallica simply being Metallica and sometimes it's not pretty (James and Lars exchanging harsh words and comments). I'm glad that fans were allowed to see this when the band could've easily said "No, we don't want the fans to see this or that part because it makes us look bad etc." but they didn't, Metallica lets us into their lives and see the recording process for ourselves. I'm not a huge fan of St-Anger I have to admit, but watching this documentary made me understand it much more and even if I wasn't a fan of the album I loved the documentary and watching these guys interact and create music together. Some Kind of Monster is not a flattering documentary on one of the biggest bands of all time; rather it shows the band being themselves and allows the viewers the ultimate experience of being in the studio with Metallica. As a documentary Some Kind of Monster works because its subjects are interesting and there are plenty of conflicts and obstacles for the Metallica to overcome. Yes it's not the band's best era and all but I find this to be interesting as a fan even if it's not perfect by any means. I'll give the movie 4/5 stars, a very good look at Metallica at their lowest point. succesful

I really don't like Metallica, and don't own any of their cd's. I am more into Hard Rock. Having said that, I enjoyed this film very much. It brought us right inside the recording studio, and we could see the various members recording their tracks individually. As a result, it focussed on individual musicianship, as well as their individual personalities. A cool film.

"Metallica: Some kind of monster" is a peculiar documentary on a famous metal rock band intent on recording a new album, something that ends up taking years, and a lot of pain and fights among band members.

Despite the fact that I am not a fan of Metallica, I must say that I enjoyed watching this film. It has plenty of things to interest spectators, as it gives them the opportunity to witness the making of "St Anger" (Metallica's new album) and the dynamics of a strangely dysfunctional band. Of course, I must also mention Metallica's sessions with Phil Towle, a "performance enhancement coach", as one of the highlights of this dvd :)

In my opinion, fans will love this dvd, and people who have barely heard about Metallica will like it too. "Metallica: Some kind of monster" is a very good documentary worth watching, even if it is not the kind of dvd you generally rent.

Belen Alcat

I am not a Metallica fan. As a matter of fact, I honestly had never seen the band or heard their music (not a headbanger). But this movie is not about music so much as it is about interpersonal relationships,the creative process,family and how money always creates problems when you have too much of it.As individuals they are all different but when they get together in a room under the right conditions the magic happens (although watch out when it doesn't).You dont have to be Metallica fan to like this movie at all, just watch it and appreciate how the directors can take a superband and show they are human beings with faults just like the rest of us.

Its also got some great extras showing the band at various film festivals.All in all a real surprise for me.It moves along, doesn't seem that phony and is quite funny in spots.Lars' father is a ringer for Gandalf!

Not sure what some of the other reviewers saw that made them call this a piece of junk or a disappointment....

What you get is an insightful and often very personal encounter with an established hard rock band. I don't think that there was much BS played for the camera here, and very little rehearsed for your viewing pleasure. Documentary, remember.
Yes, hearts are worn on their sleeves and the "therapist" is there all the time. Actually, I found this guy quite hilarious with his mumbo-jumbo-40K-per-month-therapy. He eventually gets turfed by the guys but not before he feels that he is now a full band member of Metallica. Too funny. Man, those guys MUST be loaded to pay 40K per month for almost 2 years for this "therapy". Whatever. I need to become a guy like this. Hehe.

James' alcoholism and recovery are handled honestly and causes some major restraints on the band finishing "St. Anger".
The search for a new bass player is fun to watch. Also the interviews with Jason and his reasons for leaving the "James and Lars" band, are interesting. I don't know how Kirk Hammett has survived Hetfield and Ulrich. He is very meek and accommodating I guess. Money helps too.
Seeing Dave Mustain almost crying about his firing from Metallica in front of Lars was surreal and uncomfortable, considering his success with Megadeth afterwards. Maybe his interview was a tad over the top and a little contrived.

I have watched this DVD twice. Would not buy it, but enjoyed the inside look at Metallica and its members.

This was a great dvd, very insightful. It actually helped me understand the album better and appreciate it more.

This was the worst documentary I've ever seen! When I heard there was going to be a documentary about Metallica I was thrilled! Couldn't wait to see it. Well I wish I didn't waste my money. I even turned it off 3/4 of the way through because I simpley couldn't stand it! (and I never turn off films) If you like group hugs, and a shrink to help express your feelings about how to open a pop can with out upsetting anyone, than this is the movie for you.
I don't mind the therapeutic process.. BUT FOR THE WHOLE MOVIE?!? No wonder I never heard anything about it after it got released. I'm more irritated than anything. I was expecting a rock'n movie about one of the most pivotal metal bands ever to record an album... But instead it's just a long.. long, therapy session. Absolutly nothing about the past albums, life on the road, or anything else to do with the band other than their communication problems.. boooorrring!!!!!!!!!!!

Some Kind of Monster is a really powerful documentary on Metallica's tumultuous period while recording St. Anger. Fans get to see a side of the band that has never been publicly revealed before, but I also believe the film will also appeal to anyone interested in the creative process, or with how people who have worked together for a long period of time need to address their problems with each other in order to move forward.

I don't want to repeat what others have said about the film, so I'll just comment on some of the DVD related extras. The bonus scenes for the most part are really interesting and in some ways address the missing humour from the main body of the film. Anyone who's seen Metallica's other taped escapades (the 'Year and a Half in...' DVD and some of their Fan Club videos) probably wondered as I did if Metallica were always miserable during the recording process of this album. James post rehab came across as fairly humourless in the film, but his usual joking personality is still present in these dropped scenes. It's clear that a number of these scenes weren't used because it would have conflicted with the 'rebirthing' process that Berlinger and Sinofsky were trying to demonstrate. They made the right decision for the film, and I'm glad that we are able to see these scenes on the bonus DVD.

My favourite cut scene is 'James talks about his childhood'. I really connected with this short monologue while he's driving. It opened a window into what made him happy during the bad times of his youth and I think it goes a long way into explaining why he is the way he is. His comments on first picking up a guitar were so dead on funny (being a guitar player myself).

The commentary track with the directors is really good, but anyone who has read This Monster by Berlinger will get a lot of repeat information. Less impressive is the commentary track from the band, unfortunately. There are a few gems within, but it's mostly dead air, comments on what people are wearing and who hadn't showered. Not a lot of insight and only worth watching for die-hards.