Social-distance yourself from the norm with these 15 classics of rock and metal cinema, available online in the U.S. right now.
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the self-isolation quarantine that most governments are asking of their citizens, the one industry that's probably seeing no losses is streaming video. Online streaming was basically invented for moments like these, with portals like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime serving up as much choice content as they can in the hopes that bored everyday folks will decide to catch up on all the stuff they've been meaning to watch or rewatch. Some of the smaller ones have even gotten in on this -- horror streaming giant Shudder has started offering a month free if you subscribe now.
There are both pros and cons to this constant influx of media for us black-clad fans of all things loud and abrasive. On the one hand, staying at home and mainlining art is sort of what we live for, so the ability to watch some of the greatest films in history at the drop of a hat is pretty sick. On the other, so much of what's available to stream isn't really for people like us, and after just losing every tour we've been looking forward to this year, we're hungry for something that'll fill a leather jacket-shaped hole in our lives.
Thankfully, there are a handful of gems both massive and indie for rock and metal fans to enjoy on American streaming services right now. Here are 15 of them…
As long as you’re wishing you were outside, you might as well wish you were outside doing cocaine with Ozzy. Netflix’s massive Mötley Crüe biopic is the kind of fun, elaborate romp – even in its dark moments – that’ll have viewers engrossed in no time. Not only that, but now that Mötley have reunited with Machine Gun Kelly’s help, the film stands as a weird sort of cultural landmark. Basically, if you haven’t seen The Dirt yet, you're way behind, so might as well get on it.
Evil Dead, but with metal and dildos: this, at the end of the day, is the plot to Jason Lei Howden’s incredible heavy metal horror-comedy Deathgasm. The New Zealand flick sees two best friends forming a band, accidentally playing an ancient doom metal track that releases a bunch of psychotic demons from hell, and then killing them with homemade weapons. Not for the faint of heart, the movie includes enough blood and foul male nudity to have even the grimmest black metaller cackling with glee.
Wayne’s World and its not-as-good-but-pretty-damn-funny sequel are the kinds of movies that one usually passes over thinking, 'I’ll watch these some other day.' But with so much time on your hands, this duo of snickering hard rocker boner classics is the perfect way to cut the middle out of an afternoon, and for the more adventurous staycationer they’re basically written to inspire drinking games. drinking games. Party: on.
Hold tight, because it’s about to get weird. Mandy is a terrifying retro horror movie in which Nicolas Cage hunts down a gang of cultists and sadomasochists on super-acid in order to get revenge for the death of his wife. If that plot synopsis doesn’t immediately excite you, the fact that the movie is helmed by Panos Cosmatos, director of the trippy sci-fi hit Beyond The Black Rainbow, might get you interested. Definitely one to watch when you want to question reality more than you already do right now.
Rage in the Cage! If Mandy is too high-concept and nuanced for you, then surely Marvel’s so-bad-it’s-good film of Ghost Rider will hit the spot. Nick plays Johnny Blaze, a famous daredevil who makes a deal with the Devil and becomes a demonic biker with a flaming skull for a head. Mostly, though, this film is about the garish contemporary biker fashion worn by Cage and everyone around him, who seem to be trying to create a superhero Fast & Furious movie for white folks. A true gem of popcorn cinema.
The closest you’ll probably get to hitting a metal bar in quarantine is watching Prime’s The Rainbow, a documentary about the infamous Rainbow Bar & Grill on the Sunset Strip. Featuring testimony from Lemmy, Ozzy, Lita Ford, Ron Jeremy, and a dozen other Hollywood miscreants, the film is a solid testament to one of the rock and metal world’s most celebrated cultural hubs. Crack open a cold one and pretend it costs eight bucks while you take this movie in.
If being stuck inside isn’t bleak enough for you, there’s always the Norwegian second wave of black metal! Lords of Chaos is the film adaptation of the infamous book about Norway’s most terrifying musical movement, complete with all the murder and arson outlined in that tome. At the same time, Rory Culkin’s portrayal of Mayhem founder Euronymous lends a human element to the story that isn't always present in the sensational news coverage of the time. Dark and twisted for sure, but if that’s your shit, this one’s a must-see.
For those who need a break from punk and metal viewing, the Devil At The Crossroads special of ReMastered is an excellent way to get into the dark myths of Delta blues. The mini-doc focuses on guitarist Robert Johnson, who was believed to have gained his talent by selling his soul to the Devil at a crossroads. Whether or not one buys into the urban legend behind the story, the episode’s examination of Johnson’s influence on rock is still fascinating for a musical historian.
Few movies get across how utterly wretched being a punk in the early ’80s was quite like Suburbia. Directed by Penelope Spheeris of Wayne’s World and Decline of Western Civilization fame, the movie shows the stark, filthy reality of punk life in ’83, including but not limited to drug addiction, alcoholic parents, suicide, police brutality, and of course stray dogs mauling children. The film might leave a bad taste in your mouth on the wrong day, but if it’s pouring outside and you want to get into some early ’80s hardcore shit, this one’s a classic.
With a neon wasteland aesthetic pervading every shot and a soundtrack featuring Electric Wizard, Doomriders, ISIS and more, Bliss is an awesome new take on the vampire narrative. The story follows famed underground painter Dezzy Donahue as her dependence on a drug called ‘bliss’ and a few questionable sexual encounters leave her with an uncontrollable need for human blood. Full of madcap gore and an ending that really commits to the premise, this is the kind of movie that will leave you itching to get up to no good.
Created by Sam Dunn’s Banger TV, Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage might appear to be exactly what’s advertised on the label: a backstage documentary about Rush. But the film brings way more emotional heaviness than one might expect, giving viewers a look at the very human side of one of rock’s loftiest bands. Not only that, but having dudes like Danny Carey and Kirk Hammett wax nerdy about albums like 2012 is an excellent reminder of how important Rush truly were. Just be warned: seeing Neil Peart talking about music might bring a tear to your eye.
Nothing brightens up an afternoon like Satan! Hulu is currently hosting Hail Satan?, a documentary which follows contemporary religious group the Satanic Temple on their journey from small inflammatory movement to respected cultural institution. Equal parts hilarious satanic eye candy and empowering examination of how God has made society sick, the film will get you excited to seize the day for Lucifer. With the Devil at your side, you’re never alone.
If you’re a Kerrang! reader, you’ve most likely seen Rob Zombie’s House of 1,000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects already -- so why not complete the trilogy? 3 From Hell, Rob Zombie’s final movie featuring his infamous Firefly Family, is streaming on Shudder, a service known for hosting all manner of transgressive cinema in uncut glory. The film features everything one wants from a Zombie flick – sadism, Luchador masks, hard drinking, asshole cops on drugs, and of course Ms. Sheri Moon Zombie stealing the show. One word: GRAPE.
At the end of the day, Body Bags is a B-rate anthology horror film featuring John Carpenter as a mortician host, a desperate stab at getting some of the era’s sweet HBO Tales From The Crypt money. But as an artifact of its time, the film is hilarious, showing off how much of the late ’80s seeped into the early ’90s. All of Carpenter’s jokes sound like they were written by Nikki Sixx, and the fashion throughout is awesome in an atrocious way (man, lotta neon polos and massive shoulder pads going down). Not for the faint of humor.
