Watch The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years For Free

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Dust off, your vinyl collection, it's time to rock out to the glam hair bands of the 1980s. Much like the original movie, 1981's 'The Decline of Western Civilization', and its later sequel, 1998's 'the Decline of Western Civilization Part III", also directed by Penelope Spheeris. The second film of trio musical documentaries of hers, is less about, why & how the music scene, came to be, but more on the positive & negative effects of the hedonism lifestyle choices, the people involved with it, has taken. Featuring interviews with such popular musical acts like Kiss, Aerosmith, Poison, Alice Cooper, & others, also showcasing up and coming, unknown bands, like London, Lizzy Borden, Odin and Seduce through musical performances; the documentary electrifyingly chronicled the hair metal scene, from 1986 until 1988. Without spoiling the film, too much, I was deeply surprised, how many marquee names, the documentary has for a 1 hour and 33 minute movie. It's a who's who of prominent rockstars from that era of music. It was pretty cool to see them, all in one movie. However, I would had love to see more emphasis on getting acts like Guns & Roses, Quiet Riot, Val Halen, and Mötley Crüe to name a few, into the documentary to make the LA music settling, more personal & grounded. Scenes like involving the Rainbow Bar & Grill & Gazzarri's Club felt lacking, because of those bands absence. Besides, Motorhead's Lemmy, the famous musicians in the film, barely related to those locations; so scenes like the dancing contest at Gazzarri's come across as jarring and time-wasting. All of those talking sequences with the club promoters could had been cut; along with the die-hard fans spilling useless knowledge. The movie is already crammed with so many talking heads. So, why waste time on them? When Spheeris could had done, better, by getting those bands, I mention, to speak. Maybe, these bands could had given the film, a more in-depth insightful look into what it takes to be, in a hair metal band in Los Angeles; instead of, the silly surface level, highly repetitive, deadpan humor information, we, the audience, got, from these airheads. Because of this, the film felt more about a mockumentary like 1984's comedy film, 'This is Spinal Tap' than a serious rockumentary like VH1 TV Series 'Behind the Music' (1997-2014). We never truly get the serious emotional & informative complexities; a documentary like this, should have. Not only that, but it's not really that heavy, besides one, really off-putting, notorious interview with a drunken, Chris Holmes from WASP. The movie doesn't really expose much, the harsher, darkest side of the industry like the sexism, violence or living in a life full of excess. Nor, was the subject material, even that metal. Where were the performers, usually with fast percussive beats and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work? The only one, I notice was Megadeth. Don't get me wrong, some of the songs have highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats, with singers singing with overall loudness; but most of the time, it sound like something from glam rock. The lyrics is another thing doesn't sound metal. Most metal songs often deal with social issues and criticism of the Establishment, using direct and denunciatory language, an approach borrowed from hardcore punk. Songs like "Cathouse" & "Bathroom Wall" were not only cheesy, but felt out of place. In truth, the subtitle for the movie should had been call 'the hair metal years', than the latter. Regardless of that, most of the music in the film was somewhat entertaining to listen to; despite nearly sounding the same. Only one bands feature in the documentary, honestly irritate me was Faster Pussycats. The lead singer for that band is really, really, bad with his cringe-worthy creaking vocals & over the top aesthetic. No wonder, why the excesses of glam metal created a backlash against the genre; creating the rise of grunge & thrash. You kinda do see it, in the final performance in this film. It's very foreshadowing. However, the film doesn't really talk about the rise of LA's hip-hop. That was another big factor in destroying the glam metal scene. Overall: While, the film doesn't have the informative depths that something like 2006's documentary, 'Heavy: The Story of Metal' or the raw edge of the first movie in Spheeris's series; it still worth watching for the amusing musical acts and the hilarious sequences that follow, even if some of them, were highly exaggerated & staged, such as Ozzy Osbourne making breakfast scene & the amount of Vodka that Chris Holmes drinks. It's probably the most fun of the three 'Decline of Western Civilization' films. I just wish, it didn't jump around, as much. It needed a little more narrative structure, rather than rapid-fire series of interviews. Still, it's one documentary worth headbanging too. So, mosh over and go find it!

My memories of the incredible shortsightedness of so many people I knew in the time period that's portrayed in this great film, are confirmed again. And today is just another form of mindlessness. At least back then the pop/metal music that was in the mainstream had a melody, even if the singer sucked! I've been playing music since just before this time period, and it includes HARD-METAL music, but I'm often fond of a more melodic/operatic style in my metal. In any case, I never made it big time - who cares? Most people on this planet who perform will never make the, "IT'S A REALLY REALLY BIG SHEWWW'! The people who need to hear you, see you, and be hit on that nerve that makes them believe that you can make them LOTS AND LOTS OF MONEY, are few and far between. And even if you do perform in front of some promoter who can get you that lovely EXPOSURE and PROMOTION that your band will need to make it, you're in competition with countless other music making groups. And don't be so naive as to think that deals are not occasionally, or even frequently made in the backseats of limousines, or other potentially shady and unprincipled locations. My cousin lived and played in the LA scene from '79 to '82 and I've heard details about some of what goes on playing in the clubs, talking to managers, promoters, etc. Las Vegas doesn't have a monopoly on sleazy, pitiful, wretched, and even vile behavior in the business world. This movie shows some real dreamers. And I don't see them as losers, necessarily, because that implies some guarantee that was not lived up to. Yes, most of the people who make the big time scene have to really want it and strive hard. But, there's a lot of people in this world who also want to make it big. This movie doesn't adequately touch the well-known subject of "who's related to who", but that might not have been possible in the very "SELF-DEFENSIVE WORLD OF MASS ENTERTAINMENT". Money talks, and those with it, love to keep it as close as possible to themselves. Most of the BEST MUSICIANS/ARTISTS in the world will please and entertain those around them, family, neighborhood, community, city, etc. Who says they need to go further than that. I'm glad the movie showed the incredible stupidity of drugs, at least in a limited way. But obviously, many of the lines by the striving to be and the successful musicians interviewed in this movie, were pure BS. "I don't do drugs." --yeah, right.... Some of them may not do that, but most of the musicians in the movie were influenced by,,, hummm.... This is a great documentary on a part of the mainstream metal scene from back then. Other reviewers here say that it was too limited in focus. I've worked in film production and scripting and funding. I'd like to hear these critics suggestions on what more could have been added. To put together a revealing portrayal of one particular subsection of our society is very difficult. I think that Penelope Spheeris did a good job. These days,in spite of all of the big time music world's weaknesses, ROCK IS NOT DEAD! I still rock out and entertain my city. I still dream also, but I've got dishes to clean.

Features interviews with notables in The Heavy Metal genre, fans, groupies, and aspiring musicians, with performances by Odin, Lizzy Borden {still performing}, London {post- Nikki Sixx}, Seduce {who really did possess some talent there}, and Megadeth {before they mega-died}. Questions range from the plans of the musicians if they are not successful {from what I have seen, most did not - considering their apparent adamance, I wonder how many of them actually became homeless, conformed, became involved in other positions within the music industry, or otherwise died*; among them all. I did recognize Vixen who went on to experience some success with an album}, to the "satanism" angle, which was limited {perhaps thankfully} to 'the devil horns' hand gesture, most comically explained by a Christian probation officer as containing the ubiquitous authority of The Devil with the upthrust fingers, and the three pointing down representing the denial of the Christian trinity, also containing '666' within the bend of the fingers - I honestly do not believe any of the 'rockers' and 'metalheads' even considered that more involved Occult symbology, and just lift it in the air as a habit, but was probably first used by Ronnie James Dio as relating to Heavy Metal. She also had quite a collection of confiscated gauntlets, studded fingerless gloves, spiked bracelets, and collars - no doubt plenty of records and tapes as well. A cleaned-up Steven Tyler & Joe Perry of Aerosmith relate tales of their narcotic excesses, a rehabilitated Ozzy Osbourne has an amusingly pleasant morning chat while preparing breakfast {at one point, he misses a glass almost completely while pouring some orange juice and talking about his own alcoholism and drug use}, Alice Cooper in full makeup on the theatrical set takes umbrage at a certain band for what he feels is unjustified replication, KISS' Gene Simmons offers intelligent and concise commentary on the going-on within the industry, Paul Stanley also offers cohesive commentary amongst a bevy of beauties in bed, Lemmy Kilmeister of Motorhead offers gruff realities overlooking Hollywood, and WASP's {at the time} Chris Holmes drunkenly rambles on about his intoxicated exploits as his poor mother sits poolside, progressively becoming more inebriated with two bottles of Vodka - one can readily perceive his unfortunate mental degeneration.I thought club owner and sharp dresser Bill Gazzarri had quite a remarkably life-loving attitude, offering great opportunities to many bands who may otherwise would have never seen the spotlight, and initiated salacious events such as dance and strip contests for sexy young ladies. His commercials were heavily circulated on 105.5 KNAC at the time, which was the only Heavy Metal radio station in the L.A. area - now there are none. KNAC DJ Tawn Mastrey was also featured herein.Ultimately, I feel 'The Decline of Western Civilization part 2: The Metal Years' was an accurate, though somewhat limited documentary of the 80's Metal subculture, although I personally would have liked to have seen interviews with Venom, King Diamond, Possessed, Bathory, Manowar, and Celtic Frost as well. Perhaps there will eventually be a part 4, focusing on these 'dark bands'? It would be interesting, but whether or not they are actual Satanists would be another matter altogether. This film concentrates largely on Hollywood 'pop-metal' and Glam rock._________* Incidentally, 'The Decline of Western Civilization part 3' features interviews with some of the homeless street dwellers of Hollywood.

During the late 80's I was a teenage rocker obsessed with metal. I bought all the magazines, had the cassettes and draped my rooms with posters of rock stars. I had the metal shirts, leather jacket and requisite metal jewelry. Of course I had the long hair. I loved that time period and remember renting this movie and watching it over and over again. Every band seemed like they were having the time of their life with the drugs, girls and booze. It seemed that this scene was the IT scene back in the day. This movie has so many awesome scenes. It starts with the glam newcomers then goes into the veterans and ends with Dave Mustaine who is one of the only real people in this whole movie. Dave seems like he is into the scene to play music and not to score chicks or radio hits. Odin is great also as they insult and degrade women but are hounded by the metal sluts. The part where they are at Gazzaris "judging" a dance contest is hilarious. Odin in the jacuzzi with the sluts is great, "It's like we have a check for a million dollars but no bank to cash it in!" Ha! Paul Stanley is great as he is shown through an overhead camera on a giant bed with about 8 lingerie-clad sluts and he says, "Dont let anyone tell you you can't live like this. I do. If you want it, you do it." Great line. This movie is hilarious. I wish I could find this movie!!