Out of nowhere rock biopics, have become a thing. Many a time I have wondered which band's story was crazy/intriguing enough for a movie to be made documenting their debauchery. Well within the last year or so, we have seen movies about Queen and Motley Crue, which have left the viewer with a feeling of disappointment. I preface this by saying, true fans of these bands, for the most part are disappointed. I believe that if you're too big of a fan of a band, that if the writer/director of a film does not follow their story to the T, then you will be disappointed. I think movies like Bohemian Rhapsody and The Dirt have done well, because they were able to draw in the average fan, whom is not as familiar with the band's history. Being a huge Crue and Queen fan I was disappointed by the inaccuracies and embellishments put in these films to entertain the casual fan.
All of that said, there was a film that was released recently, that peaked my interest focussing on the band Mayhem. Not being a fan of the band, I was intrigued by all of the mischief and all around bad shit these guys were into. I wanted to see this film to see just how fucked up these guys were and I found out. Again, not being a fan, I'm not aware how much the director got right or wrong, since I am not familiar with their music or story. The film I'm speaking of is Lords of Chaos.
Lords of Chaos is the story of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. The story is told primarily by the band's leader Euronymous who is hell bent on creating the black metal genre in the late 80's. He is the leader of the band, but seems to be influenced by others to do things that he didn't know he was capable of doing. He talks a big game, to create hype, but when asked to commit unthinkable acts by band mate Varg, he follows suit. This is the tragic tale of metal, murder and church burnings. This one was intriguing from the start and did not let up until the tragic end. Must see, even if you're not a fan of the genre.
Bottom Line: A well done rock biopic that digs deep into the bowels of black metal and it's creators Mayhem. I'm not sure if the purist, Mayhem fans are happy with this one, but I was. It made me go straight to youtube to see what these maniacs were all about.
-Ragman thinks this is one of the best rock biopic he's seen in awhile.