Global Metal Movie Review Celebrating Canadian Film

Photo credit: Raul on Flickr

We turned the corner from East Cordova onto Main Street and gathered under the brightly lit red marquee.

Once past security we entered the lobby of the District 319 Theatre and were greeted by two lovely ladies, one of which was Marina from Row Three. We were handed a door prize ticket, a drink ticket, and a live band (Vancouver’s ENTROPIA) was already playing some metal that echoed out from the theatre and reverberated in our wineglass-toting hands. Welcome to the First Weekend Club, a group of Canadian Film enthusiasts that celebrate our county’s big screen works.

First Weekend Club builds audiences for Canadian films. Our mandate is to keep films in theatres longer by building awareness and strong box office for great Canadian cinema on opening weekends. [About – FWC]

We made our way from the lobby to the theatre, wine glasses in tow, and sat down in red leather easy chairs. After a quick intro and prize giveaway the documentary began to run and soon we all just wanted to rock out.

In GLOBAL METAL, directors Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn set out to discover how the West’s most maligned musical genre, heavy metal, has impacted the world’s cultures beyond Europe and North America… …GLOBAL METAL reveals a worldwide community of metalheads who aren’t just absorbing metal from the West – they’re transforming it. [Global Metal]

I’ve seen my share of documentaries, even music flicks, and this was probably one of the best. We tag along with Sam Dunn from Rock in Rio and Loud Park to Desert Rock. The film takes you around the globe introducing you to folks who all pretty much seemed to have one thing in their hearts: “Gandhi and Iron Maiden,” okay well not all of them had those two elements but a running theme was definitely freedom of speech.

Throughout the journey some interviews with legends pop up to share a quick blurb, and they all had a lot to say about their tours and especially playing in countries where their music wasn’t even allowed.

Sam would interview fans and band members wherever he visited and honestly they were some of the most insightful, thoughtful and eloquent individuals who helped dissect metal and its roots where they came from. These youths and aged musicians alike all find inspiration from their daily lives, as witnesses of events and history forming all around them it’s their right to express their emotions musically which also helps these stories live on.

“There is plenty of darkness, we should speak of the light.”

In Jerusalem there was an interview with the singer of Orphaned Land, in Japan it was glammed-out metalheads X-Japan, Sepultura in Brazil, and Souled Out in India just to name a few. The film not only explores musical, historical and political motivations but also religious. At one point during an interview with a metal fan in Dubai our audience burst out in applause when he stated (among other things) that “religion is between you and your God.”

© 2008 BANGER PRODUCTIONS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Form the tie-clad business men in Japan to the 29 year old from Iran who was going to his first metal show in the desert, Global Metal presented more than simply a fan-pic for bands like Iron Maiden, it truly went global and found those of all walks of life listened to their views of not only music, but the world around them.

I believe the film will be playing at The Ridge theatre after tonight so you can check out Festival Cinemas for show times. I’d like to thank the First Weekend Club for having us out and I’ll definitely be keeping up to date on their events in the future.

Me with Dr Raul and Dr Beth – Photo credit: Raul on Flickr

More photos from the screening can be viewed in the First Weekend Club’s Flickr group.