There aren’t a lot of movies out there that are connected to the world of Metal. But those that are, either become cult classics, or legitimately great movies in their own right! So we at Metal Wani feel the time is right to count down the Top 5 Metal Movies you need to see right now.
5) ‘This Is Spinal Tap’
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ is the quintessential metal movie. Moments such as the amp that goes up to eleven and the Stonehenge that’s been measured in inches rather than feet have made their way into popular culture, and are still quoted over thirty years after its release. If you’ve not watched this before, don’t let the age of this movie put you off; the story of a struggling rock band is a timeless premise, and the humor is still completely relatable.
4) ‘House of 10,000 Corpses’
Rob Zombie’s love for horror has always been obvious in his music, and his directional debut borrows heavily from the classics. While it was largely panned by critics, it’s since gained a cult following and personally, I’d recommend it solely for Sid Haig’s fantastic and often hilarious portrayal of Captain Spaulding. No list of metal movies is complete without an old-school horror movie – and while ‘House of 10,000 Corpses’ certainly isn’t the best of the genre, it makes its way onto this list due to its creator being one of the most well-known examples of the symbiotic relationships between horror films and heavy music.
3) ‘Deathgasm’
‘Deathgasm’ is one of the most ridiculous movies I’ve ever seen. New Zealand Metalheads Brodie and Zakk accidentally summon a demon lord through the power of metal and before long, entrails are flying, people are puking blood, and the end of the world is quickly approaching. While it’s not going to win any awards for maturity or complicated plotlines, ‘Deathgasm’ is consistently hilarious (if you find things like zombies being bludgeoned to death by a d*ldo funny) and oozes metal from every pore. Imagine an old-school death metal album cover in movie form, and you’ll have a good idea of what to expect.
2) ‘Still Crazy’
It may be a bit of a push to call the music of ‘Still Crazy’ “metal”, but the film’s brilliant dry British humor mixed with the kind of 70s-style hard rock that inspired the genre have convinced me to put it on the list anyway. Featuring an all-star cast including Bill Nighy, Stephen Rea and Billy Connolly, ‘Still Crazy’ follows the exploits of aging rock band Strange Fruit, who reunite in a last-ditch attempt to recapture their early glory before they get too old. It’s not the most adventurous of plotlines, but the brilliant acting and surprisingly good original music make every scene a joy. Nighy’s performance as lead singer and recovering alcoholic Ray Simms is particularly impressive and endearing – watching him bumble his way from one disaster to another is comedy gold. Unashamedly British and unabashedly brilliant, this film deserves far more recognition than it’s received.
1) ‘Airheads’
Starring Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi and Adam Sandler as hapless musicians who accidentally hijack a radio station while trying to get their band The Lone Rangers heard, this slapstick movie is a blast to the past. It’s great fun to watch the situation consistently escalate and spiral out of control. ‘Airheads’ is full of great quotes – including the famous “Who’d win in a wrestling match, Lemmy or God? Trick question; Lemmy is God” – and is sure to be appreciated by any metal fan.
