Metal: A Headbanger's Journey (2005)

Directors:

Sam Dunn
Scot McFadyen
(more)

Writers:

Sam Dunn
Scot McFadyen
(more)

Release Date:

21 June 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Tagline:

The Film That Will Take You Into the Heart of the Beast.

Plot:

Sam Dunn is a 30-year old anthropologist who wrote his graduate thesis on the plight of Guatemalan refugees...

Plot Keywords:

Metal | Heavy Metal | Satanism | Censorship | Music History

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Chris Adler	...	Himself
Tom Araya	...	Himself
Gavin Baddeley	...	Himself
Blasphemer	...	Himself
Randy Blythe	...	Himself
Alice Cooper	...	Himself
Pamela Des Barres	...	Herself
Bruce Dickinson	...	Himself
Ronnie James Dio	...	Himself
Malcolm Dome	...	Himself
Sam Dunn	...	Himself
Kristian Espedal	...	Himself
Robert Ezrin	...	Himself
George Fisher	...	Himself
Gaahl	...	Himself
Donna Gaines	...	Herself
Al Gore	...	Himself (archive footage)
Tipper Gore	...	Herself (archive footage)
Angela Gossow	...	Herself
Ernest F. Hollings	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ihsahn	...	Himself
Tony Iommi	...	Himself
Joey Jordison	...	Himself
John Kay	...	Himself
Kerry King	...	Himself
Chuck Klosterman	...	Himself
Mercedes Lander	...	Herself
Morgan Lander	...	Herself
Geddy Lee	...	Himself
Lemmy	...	Himself
Tom Morello	...	Himself
Necrobutcher	...	Himself
Vince Neil	...	Himself
Doro Pesch	...	Herself
Samoth	...	Himself
James 'Munky' Shaffer	...	Himself
Brian Slagel	...	Himself
Dee Snider	...	Himself
Corey Taylor	...	Himself
Eddie Trunk	...	Himself
Robert Walser	...	Himself
Alex Webster	...	Himself
Rob Zombie	...	Himself
Einar Darri	...	Himself (uncredited)
Hellhammer	...	Himself (uncredited)
Ingo	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Sam Dunn
Scot McFadyen
Jessica Joy Wise

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sam Dunn
Scot McFadyen
Jessica Joy Wise

Produced by
Erin Berry	....	line producer
Sam Dunn	....	producer
Sam Feldman	....	executive producer
John Hamilton	....	executive producer
Scot McFadyen	....	producer
David Reckziegel	....	executive producer
Noah Segal	....	executive producer
Robert Wilson	....	line producer

Cinematography by
Brendan Steacy

Film Editing by
Mike Munn

Production Design by
Kenneth Mak

Production Management
Erin Sharp	....	production manager
Douglas Wilkinson	....	post-production supervisor

Sound Department
Fred Brennan	....	dialogue and adr editor
Fred Brennan	....	sound
Fred Brennan	....	supervising sound editor
Louis DiFlorio	....	adr recordist
Nelson Ferreira	....	dialogue editor
David K. Grant	....	production sound recordist mixer
Kirk Lynds	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sean Munavish	....	sound recordist
Nathan Robitaille	....	sound effects editor
Lou Solakofski	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
John Choi	....	additional cinematographer
David K. Grant	....	cinematographer: opening scene
Martin Hawkes	....	additional photographer
Frank Shortt	....	first assistant camera

Editorial Department
Louis Casado	....	film timer
Jim Fleming	....	digital film colorist
Rob Gyorgy	....	DI editor
Andrew Kowalchuk	....	on-line editor
Marcia Leeder	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Yuri Gorbachow	....	music editor
Andrew Wright	....	music editor

Other crew
Lisa Clapperton	....	production coordinator
Samir Rehem	....	additional director
Erin Sharp	....	archival researcher
Frank Shortt	....	additional footage
David Steinberg	....	legal
Chris Stiles	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Bob Tarantino	....	production legal
Rik Walters	....	researcher (uncredited)

Thanks
Jordan Clark	....	special thanks
Amy Fritz	....	special thanks
Denis McGrath	....	special thanks
Lan Tran	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Seville Pictures (presents)
• Banger Productions
• 235 Films (in association with)
• Chum Television (as CHUM Television) (produced in association with)
• Canadian Television Fund (as Canadian Television Fund, created by the Government of Canada and the Canadian Cable Industry) (filmed with the participation of)
• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) (as The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit) (filmed with the assistance of)
• Government of Ontario (as The Government of Ontario) (filmed with the assistance of)
• Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, The (filmed with the assistance of)
• Banger Films

Distributors

• Seville Pictures (2005) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Momentum Pictures (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• Pretty Pictures (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Future Film (2006) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Atlantic Film (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Seville Pictures (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC)  filmed with the assistance of (as The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit)
• Canadian Television Fund  filmed with the participation of (as Canadian Television Fund, created by the Government of Canada and the Canadian Cable Industry)
• Government of Ontario  filmed with the assistance of (as The Government of Ontario)
• Keep Me Posted  post-production
• Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, The  filmed with the assistance of
• Tattersall Sound  sound post-production
• Tattersall Sound  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violent images, some nudity and sexual content

Runtime:

USA:96 min | Canada:96 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | Canada:96 min | Australia:98 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:18A | Australia:M | USA:R | Finland:K-11 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:M18 | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A (Ontario) (re-rating: 2006) | Canada:18A (Ontario) (original rating: 2005)

Filming Locations:

Canada

Company:

Seville Pictures

Trivia:

The 21 year sentence in Norway is called "life sentence", so the life sentence in Norway is 21 years.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Dunn also mentions the "Filthy 15", a list of artists with lyrics considered obscene in one of a number of ways. Sam mentions that, of the 15, 8 are metal bands- he has miscounted. Upon reviewing the list, Danish black metal band Mercyful Fate make the list but bump the count to 9 bands. They are also not highlighted like the other metal bands sharing spots on the list.

Quotes:

Sam Dunn:This music has millions of passionate fans worldwide, yet for 35 years, it's been consistently stereotyped, dismissed and condemned.

Movie Connections:

References Braveheart (1995)

Soundtrack:

Am I Evil

Color me impressed

I saw the film today and was mighty impressed. The film captured the buzz in the '80s when heavy metal became the biggest thing going. It was good to see Iron Maiden and Judas Priest contrasted to current bands such as Slipknot to show how the spirit of the genre is thriving. Tony Iommi, Dee Snider and Ronnie James Dio all give standout interviews with Dio's digs at Gene Simmons being especially revealing. It was also great to see '80s curiosities Accept and Quebec's own Voivod being represented. The segment contrasting the grunting, leather-clad bands such as Man O War with the lace-wearing bands such as Poison and Cinderella was unexpected and fascinating. Showing the closeted Rob Halford performing in full cruising gear for a rabid hetero audience was quite poignant. I especially like how the film stresses how the music let its fans dream, cope and find solace. Those like myself, whose interest in metal may have flagged in the intervening years would do well to view it and remind themselves what all of the fuss was about.