Touches You

Please don't spend money on this.

Beautiful, moving film.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Full disclosure time: this viewer is a metalhead, and has been for over 30 years, since discovering bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Yet somehow catching this documentary, itself almost 30 years old now, eluded him. A follow up to director Penelope Spheeris' earlier definitive punk rock documentary, its focus on the men (and women) who make hard rock and heavy metal is certainly a natural progression, since so many parental and authority figures abominated these genres as well.The film mostly consists of sit down interviews with some of the reigning kings of the genre and the confident (you could easily call them overconfident) up and comers of the era sharing their thoughts. Not surprisingly, it's the veterans like Lemmy, of Motorhead, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, and Ozzy Osbourne, that tend to offer the most interesting observations and anecdotes. There is one interview, however, with W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes, filmed as he lounges in a swimming pool while his mother (!) looks on. It goes from amusing to disconcerting in a hurry.The notion of "Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll" is very much on the minds of various interviewees here. Viewers should be prepared for some pretty frank dialogue. One thing that sobers you up quickly is seeing how many of the young turks proclaim that their lives would have no more meaning if they couldn't play their music. Obviously, the aspirations of groups like London, Odin, and Seduce for super stardom didn't pan out, and as Poison front man Bret Michaels points out, it is important to stand out from the pack in some over crowded genres.The sequences with Bill Gazzari, the so-called "Godfather of Rock 'n' Roll", only serve to add a titillation factor (not that some people will complain about that, mind you), and interviews with an anti-metal authority figure will likely get some viewers hopping mad.I found it interesting that Megadeth, one of my favorite acts from this era, are saved for near the end, given that they're one act that's portrayed as actually caring more about the music than fame and lifestyle.Overall, decent entertainment with a variable soundtrack (some of the new music is okay, some of it not so good).Seven out of 10.

Penelope Spheeris blows the framework off Hollywood with this in-depth look at the cost of Rock and Roll in this perfect companion to the original Decline. The topic is metal and right from the moment go the movie starts addressing what is metal, why these people like it, and what it does exactly. Lizzey Bordin opens the film quite splendidly with a roaring version of the often copied "born to be wild". This is about one million times better then the original i might say. The singer laments on how full of bands the L.A. scene is and how hard it is to make it, a point/counterpoint exchange begins with bands like the moderately popular LB, to the slightly more popular Faster Pussycat, to well established rockers like Aerosmith and Megadeth. Im in a rock band and anyone who's in one or thinking about it should see and study this film, even if your not a rocker its an amazing time capsule. The interviews are mostly done on a small stage with a table and a single hanging light-bulb. The other half of interviews comes anywhere from couches to beds strewn with scantily clad woman, and yes this is a documentary so its all real as were reminded by Paul Stanley of Kiss. There's a colorful group of characters in this film from struttin stars like Faster Pussycat to the the more stripped down Megadeth the movie shows either end of the rock image of the late eighties. What should really be done is a "where are they now" with all the kids featured in this movie. I grew up in the nineties so grunge was more of the fashion mold, and it didn't change my style to much, but some of these kids are just unreal. Most interviewed don't have jobs (at least thats what they say) and they live off rock babes. Their dreams, and passion to be involved in the game are unmatched by todays standards. I love the clip of the kid with all the make-up and hair saying "my mom thinks this is just a phase" wow, like to see if he's still poofin up his hair and putting on lipstick before he hits the clubs. This movie is a terribly interesting depth into what being in a full time band and trying to make it was like at a time before the internet, before cellphones, this was a time when even video was scarce, you were putting up flyer's and hustling every hoochie mama you could swindle to get by. Its real its raw, its metal, and if you haven't seen the original Decline, you should its equally if not more mind blowin. So iron your Mohawk and bust out moms makeup its time to rock...80's style. Ten thumbs up, utterly amazing.

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.

Obviously with a screen name like "MetalGeek," I was bound to get around to reviewing this movie sooner or later. :)THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION II: THE METAL YEARS (1988) is an fascinating, occasionally hilarious study of the "Glam Metal" scene that was raging in Los Angeles during the late 1980s. If you lived through this period (like I did) and loved the music, then you will find much to enjoy here, from the live performances by L.A. staples Lizzy Borden and young (at the time) hopefuls Odin and Seduce, to the words of wisdom from hard rock royalty like Gene (Kiss) Simmons, Lemmy of Motorhead, and Ozzy Osbourne. The scenes of bikini contests at L.A.'s infamous Gazzari's night club will also provide necessary eye candy. :) The reason I call this an "incomplete" documentary is that for the most part it mainly focuses on the "hair metal" scene and many of the participants are unknown rockers who (righfully) remained unknown after this movie was released. There is no exploration of the history of the genre, nor is there any talk about some of the other trends in metal (thrash, crossover, death metal) that were also making noise in the scene around this same period of time. In addition, many of the younger band members interviewed here come off as delusional, chortling, sex-crazed dorks who are sure that HUGE success is right around the corner for them. Looking at this movie nearly 20 years later you wonder how many of them wound up asking "Would you like fries with that, sir?" when the grunge movement came along in the early '90s and wiped hair metal off of the musical map. In addition to the unintentionally hilarious interviews with the many band members and assorted hangers-on, the film is worth seeing for two things: the absolutely harrowing scene featuring Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P., who floats in his swimming pool, drunk as a skunk, telling the world "I drink because I'm not happy," and the scenes featuring Megadeth in the studio working on the song "In My Darkest Hour." In their interview scenes, Megadeth seem to be the most "together" and lucid band in the entire film, which is kind of ironic now because that short-lived Megadeth lineup eventually dissolved due to massive drug use. In short, headbangers and hair metallers will love the trip down memory lane that this movie provides, but those looking for a documentary about metal that looks beyond the hairspray may be disappointed. I don't believe the film has been released on DVD (probably too many hassles with music publishing rights) but if you can find it on VHS in an out of the way video store it's well worth your while.