Metallica Through The Never | Nimród Antal | September 9, 2013
Metallica, whose historic career has amazingly spanned 30 years, are as good of a band as any to get their own 3D Concert Experience. Hell, if acts like Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, and One Direction can manage to get films at the premature stages of their career, Metallica are more than deserving.
I’m a casual fan of Metallica. More familiar with the hits and a few of their more popular, relevant, albums than anything else. That was enough to get me out to the theater to see what they had created with their film, Metallica Through The Never. The icing on the cake was that the film would be part live concert footage, part short story, starring the already great Dane DeHaan.
The film starts with the story, introducing us to Trip (Dane DeHaan) who is a stage hand for the band’s tour. We see him wander around backstage before the show, later joining the crowd as Metallica do their thing on stage. Unfortunately for Trip, his boss pulls him out during the show and sends him on a intern-like quest to deliver a can of fuel to a truck whose stuck fuel-less under an underpass.
From there we are dazzles with a ton of live concert footage from Metallica, shot in 3D by director Nimród Antal. They make good use of the 3D, submerging you deep into the concert. It’s cliche to say, but it did feel like you were actually there at the show. The band sounded as alive and tight as ever, making it a highly enjoyable concert experience, even for a casual fan of the band.
The film cut back and forth between the show and the story, which the band co-wrote with Antal. While on his way to the van, Trip pops a pill of something, which changes the course of his night forever. Soon he’s t-boned by a speeding car, leaving the other driver bloodied, but too frantic to stay, as he panics and runs away. It’s not because of the accident, but rather it’s because a major riot has formed on the streets. Trip is stuck in the middle of the riot between the rioters and the police. As if that isn’t bad enough, he’s then forced to come face to face with the leader of the riot, a spooky masked man on a horseman who begins using his lasso to hang people on the lampposts. Not an ideal situation to be in.
As the story continues, it eventually effects the show, as things begin the fall from their stage, interrupting the show. This was a cool element that blended the elements of real and fantasy, making the film feel a little more whole. The plot itself is a mix of horror-fantasy, and is not something to take too literally. You just let it take you over, like the music, and it becomes an even bigger part of a major concert experience.
Metallica Through The Never is a quick rush lasting 93-minutes, and every minute counts. Although it only had a brief run in theaters, and that was the way to see it, it’s still something that all fans of the band should seek out on blu-ray, as I imagine the thrilling experience will be just as exciting for you on any screen. Credit to the band for making the most out of this opportunity with a cool story, and a wise decision in casting Dane DeHaan, who is one of the best young actors that our generation currently has to offer.
Join the conversation