Exit light…enter night. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster is a documentary about the inner workings of the band. But it’s not a “behind the music” type piece or a concert movie. The filmmakers attempt to gnaw away at the troubling trials of fame, addiction, and friendship. It’s fascinating stuff. Now, I’m not a big fan of Metallica, but I’ve been in creative collective situations. The personal relationships are constantly shifting. You bicker one minute, you love one another the next. In Metallica’s cas…, they even hire a personal therapist (which borders on Spinal Tap territory). But there’s enough music to keep the fans happy. And the filmmakers, Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, are veterans of the documentary world (Paradise Lost and Brother’s Keeper are excellent). Metallica: Some Kind of Monster is not an easy musical bio piece. It’s a lesson in the tumultuous tempest we call human relationships.
Audio
You can crank this track in Dolby Digital 2.0 or 5.1 Surround. The surround really kicks in during the music parts. Some directionality, but not much. There is a lot of dialogue in this movie, but it can be heard fairly well. A very full sounding mix, for digital video. Good job.
Video
Shot on Video and shown in 1:33:1 full frame, the transfer seems flawless. There’s some graininess in the old Metallica footage, but that’s to be expected. The colors are natural, but bright when they need to be (concert footage). There are a lot of close-ups in this movie, and the faces of the band members are clear as a whistle. Excellent transfer. I couldn’t find much wrong with it.
Special Features
Advertised with over 10 hours of bonus footage, the extras are “some kind of monster”. We have two commentaries (one from the filmmakers and one from the band), 40 deleted scenes, music videos, and footage from film festival premieres. I wasn’t that crazy about all those deleted scenes. But a lot of them have brief director’s commentaries.
Final Thoughts
Metallica: Some Kind of a Monster is a must for any documentary lover. Perhaps the material might not be attractive to some, but the goal of a documentary is to bring the viewer into a new and different world. The world of Metallica is something I wasn’t familiar with (but I did enjoy some 80’s metal back in the day). The documentary won’t make me buy any of their albums, but I did gain insight into some essential aspects of human nature. And that’s something I’ll always buy.
Special Features List
- 40 Additional Scenes
- Exclusive interviews with Metallica about the film
- Highlights from festivals and premieres
- Two audio commentaries by the band and the filmmakers
- Two trailers and a music video
