Review: Quiet Riot The Movie
Showtime
Rating: Five Stars
For those of you who grew up during the time of Metal music, many likely still listening to your favorite bands on your iPod, you will want to read on. Of course, there are those of you who will see the word Metal and cringe, based purely off of the word. To whichever degree your interests lie, the historical importance of this particular band alone bears reading further.
The Metal band I speak of is Quiet Riot. Whether their brand of music is to your liking or not is not what is important.
What is of important significance is the role that this band played in the history and evolution of music as a whole, especially rock music. History that I, someone who has listened to the band for years, knew nothing about...until last night.
And it was, indeed, history-making.
Directed by Regina Russell, Showtime features the Hair Metal band Quiet Riot in Quiet Riot, The Movie, as they follow the band from the seeds of their beginning, through their growth and successes to their eventual evolution. Growth, success, grief, demise and eventual resurgence of the band is all wrapped up on one hell of a show.
Additionally, interviews and insight into the band's inner workings from Glenn Hughes, Rudy Sarzo, Dee Snider and more make Quiet Riot The Movie a road trip of all road trips.
Directed by Regina Russell, Showtime features the Hair Metal band Quiet Riot in Quiet Riot, The Movie, as they follow the band from the seeds of their beginning, through their growth and successes to their eventual evolution. Growth, success, grief, demise and eventual resurgence of the band is all wrapped up on one hell of a show.
Additionally, interviews and insight into the band's inner workings from Glenn Hughes, Rudy Sarzo, Dee Snider and more make Quiet Riot The Movie a road trip of all road trips.
Busting into the 80's New Wave Flock of Seagulls was Quiet Riot's lead singer, Kevin DuBrow; yelling, jumping, talking to anyone with a mic who would listen, known for posing with his mic stand in his mouth, Dubrow was determined to bring his bands brand of rock to the forefront. The music scene would never be the same again - and certainly never quiet. How apt their band name truly is.
In the 80's, we saw music change; keyboards & synthesizers with singers wearing suits and short, spiked hair filled with colors, singing about love-gone-wrong was out.
In it's place came the hard-edged grinding guitars riffs surrounded by resounding deep drums and bass, spearheaded by singers with lions-mane wild hair, wearing spandex so tight you could see what their religion was, followed by a mob of girls, while they screamed out anti-establishment lyrics that appealed to the masses. There was no fading one out of one style of music while the other gradually took it's place. No, this change was as abrupt and hard and the band leading the charge; complete and total domination that would forever change music as we know it today.
Their music and the attitude they brought with it was liberating to many and life changing for some. We saw a complete evolution in the foundation and style of music, shoving one out while screaming the next in, all brought about by one band and a man with a vision.
A man who, sadly, is no longer with us to grow old enjoying the impact that he had in the history of music. I can only imagine what God thought when he heard Kevin DuBrow screaming at the gates...
A man who, sadly, is no longer with us to grow old enjoying the impact that he had in the history of music. I can only imagine what God thought when he heard Kevin DuBrow screaming at the gates...
Born in '69, I was in HighSchool when "hair metal" hit the scene and dominated the airwaves and MTV. I was sucked into it hard & fast. I loved everything about the music - everything that my parents HATED - it set free a side of me that had grown up sheltered and quiet.
Growing up listening to Andy Gibb (my first crush) & The BeeGees through the early 70's, changing to the hard grind of Led Zeppelin, then the psychedelic heroin-esq of Pink Floyd and finally (my favorite) Journey in the early 80's, my music tastes have always been eclectic, dipping into pretty much any pond that tempted me. Hell, I even liked the Meat Puppets for a while and one of my favorites, that I started listening to in the 80's (and still do to this day, frequently when writing), is Andreas Vollenweider. Now, you tell me? Quiet Riot compared to Andreas, Sade and Enigma? Yeah, girl has taste that range the gambit.
Through all the changes, once Metal was on the scene, it has stayed with me, like a disease that's infected my blood. A disease that I now know was originally grown in the Petrie dish known as Quiet Riot. Truly amazing.
Last night my Hubby and I watched Quiet Riot, The Movie on Showtime. There's so much more to say, but I don't want to give it all away. I simply want to impress upon you the desire to see this movie. I want you to watch it and form your own opinions. In the end, no matter what you walk away with, I guarantee you will be astounded.
In my experience, it's extremely rare for a Rockumentary to ensnare your emotions, pulling, tugging and yanking them in every direction. One moment we would be laughing, the next sitting in stunned silence; mesmerized at times, grief-stricken at others, until my tear ducts were cramping with the effort of withholding my tears. Notice how I changed that last sentence to omit my Husband? See, I am capable of great learning feats!
Quiet Riot, The Movie took my Husband and I on a road trip through a full range of emotions, from Holy Shit to Oh My God. Watching the movie opened up a dialogue between us, as we delved into the past, thinking back to the happy memories we shared during this time, as well as the joy of what has changed but, still, in many ways is the same. That's the wonderful thing about music; the song stays the same, but we are forever adding new memories to associate with it.
But, that's the wonderful thing about music, isn't it? No matter how many years have passed, when THAT song comes on, you can immediately recall where you were, who you were with and what you were doing when you first heard it. No matter where you are or what you are doing, the memory comes flooding back to warm your heart and mind...and sometimes not. But, even when a song brings with it a memory that holds a painful place in your heart, or reminds you of a loss, it still brings something good with it - there cannot be pain without there first being love.
To this day music is an integral part of my life and career; I really couldn't do my job without it. I know. Trust me, I've tried. The idea of sitting down at the keyboard and (trying) to give life to my characters without music playing in the background... Nope. Not going to happen.
I've often wondered why. Did I just despise quiet? With two kids running the house, the answer is a resounding NO! After watching Quiet Riot, The Movie I now know.
Music connects to us on an emotional level, drawing us in, bonding us, whether to each other, a memory or the music itself. Whether I'm bringing life to my characters, or playing Guitar Hero on XBox with my kids, I'm drawing off old memories and feelings to create new ones. I could no more give life to my characters without music than I could forget the memories that I first associated with it.
In ending, whether you are a Metal enthusiast or not, Quiet Riot, The Movie is definitely worth the view.
Check your Showtime local listings for viewing times, as well as On Demand and the Showtime app. I've placed links below for your convince as well.
Enjoy and. as always, Rock On!
Hugs,
Shelbie =)
Rocker-chick Author extraordinaire
P.S. And yes, while I've had very long hair all my life, at one point I was rockin' a Lions Mane do. And no, I will not humiliate myself putting up the pics, so don't ask! LOL! =)
