THROUGH THE NEVER

[Carlos Lobo]

Michael, (and everyone else in the forum that might be interested by this topic) I wanted to ask you if you're going to the Metallica Through The Never movie. I already have my tickets for the debut tomorrow in Portugal in IMAX 3D. I'm psyched!

[blackjack]

I haven't read much about this. Could you explain what "Through The Never" is about? Is it just another documentary like Cliff 'Em All or Some KInd Of Monster, or is this movie something entirely different such as maybe a fictional story with a plot inspired by Metallica songs?

OK, I read some about it from a newspaper article. I don't know about this combination of showing them in concert while at the same time the end of the world may be taking place, cutting back and forth between a concert and a story about the end of the world. I think using Metallica songs to inspire a story for a fictional movie and using those songs as the soundtrack might have worked, but this sounds like it might be any better than Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park! Seriously, if the end of the world is taking place, who is going to give a damn about a concert going on at the same time? I've heard of delusions of grandeur before, but this is taking it to a new level. To think A METALLICA CONCERT would be on anyone's mind or list of priorities if the WORLD WERE ENDING...I realize if you want to make it to the level of success Metallica has achieved you certainly have to have an ego, but this much ego makes them look like they're becoming a caricature of themselves!

[Carlos Lobo]

No, it's not like that at all. This movie has a somewhat surreal narrative in which a Metallica concert takes place. I don't think their idea is that they are so successful and their ego is so big that they actually think that people would go to their concert if they knew the world is about to end.

Now, let me try to explain what the movie is about. There is a guy who works for Metallica, that has to deliver some equipment to the band, who is already performing. During that assignment he gets into an accident and finds himself in the middle of a confrontantion between the police and a group of protesters. During all of this, a horseman appears from nowhere and starts murdering people. Now this guy has to avoid being a victim of this strange killer, so that he could afterwards deliver the equipment that he was supposed to. All of the scenes in the movie are accompanied by Metallica's music, creating the appropriate atmosphere of those events. In a rather fast editing, they do show Metallica's concert and parts of the narrative back and forth I guess, but from the clips I've seen I think they look pretty good. But that's my opinion. On their YouTube channel, MetallicaTV, they have 5 videos of the whole process of making the movie, and Lars Ulrich said that they didn't just want to make a 90 minute concert to show on every theater worldwide, they wanted it to have a narrative, and that the concert would be a part of that same narrative, having the melodies and rythms lead the story as a soundtrack to the entire movie. And the apocalyptic scenery is just fitting to the kind of music that Metallica produces, it is not intended to show that everyone would go see Metallica if a nuclear bomb would hit the city or something haha

[Erikrt123]

Would like to go see this. Not sure if it going to make my town or not. I hope it comes out on DVD.

[Michael Angelo Batio]

I'd definitely like to see it!

[Carlos Lobo]

I already saw it twice and loved it! The volume was so high it was blowing heads off, and the 3D gave some cool depth to all of it. The storyline is actually a lot better than what I described (because I hadn't seen it yet), and was always related to the songs being played. It was really well done. I would advise anyone who wants to see it to go see it on IMAX 3D if possible, because when it comes out on DVD it will be indeed awesome but not quite the same experience.

[blackjack]

One question: is there much music in this movie from And Justice For All, Master Of Puppets, and Ride The Lightning?

[Carlos Lobo]

These are the songs they play from those albums:

- Ride The Lightning
- For Whom The Bell Tolls
- Creeping Death
- ...And Justice For All
- One
- Battery
- Master of Puppets
- Orion

That's more than half of the songs played in the movie.

[Carlos Lobo]

To everyone who didn't see it yet, here is a link to the full movie. It is really great and definately worth watching!

www.acg-tube.com/metallica-through-the-never-2013/

[Deleted]

Thank's, Carlos. I watched this yesterday and thought it was great. The idea of having a storyline weaved into the songs was a really good idea. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Erikrt123]

I bought the movie and really thought it was a waste of money. Really would have rather just seen a normal concert movie.

[joe]

I agree ^^^

When I watched it on blu ray it looked fantastic, the concert footage was so impressive and the perfomance was good. However the whole "film" part was abit pointless, I didnt really get it. Should of just filmed the concert really and put more of it into that.
Was nice see them all play Orion at the end though, awesome song! :-)

[Carlos Lobo]

But Metallica have already made soooo many concert DVD's, that one more wouldn't be making any difference. Everyone who knows them knows they like to be innovative and try out new things nobody has ever done: like S&M, or playing in Antarctica for example. Nobody has ever done a movie like this, and that was the main reason they did it. It had to be something special because it was intended to come out at the anniversary of Cliff Burton's death as an homage. And the narrative itself actually has a lot to do with Burton also. The Orion part at the end with the empty arena was a touching moment of remembrance of Cliff Burton.

And I don't think the objective here is for everyone to get why every little thing was put into this movie, I think this is very unique and it is a great headbanging experience for everyone who went to see it on theaters, even though some people didn't understand what the narrative is about. Personally, I think the part when he lights himself on fire with the intro from Battery going on was absolutely epic. Without that image, it would be just another patient wait until the intro was over, and they start playing again... like listening to the CD on the stereo for 20 seconds before you see anything going on. And many scenes on this movie do this as well, they give the great music what it deserves: an image that goes perfectly with it and raises the epicness of it all to a different kind of experience. I see this as I see MAB's over/under technique on stage... all of this scenes put together with chaotic effects on stage, make for a great visual component to the music and raises it to another level.