Iron Maiden: Flight 666

This was written by me for a metal forum. I am in no way associated with Iron Maiden, DVD retailers, or any of the like. I am a lifelong Iron Maiden fan going back to 1982, and I wanted to share my take on the new DVD release.

= "Flight 666: The Film," came out today, June 9th, and it is worth every penny of its purchase price. For anyone who saw Iron Maiden on The Somewhere Back in Time Tour, or has seen Maiden at any time in the past, I don't have to tell you how good of a show they put on, we all know, already. I wanted to just add my two cents about this DVD release, for anyone who was thinking about buying it, because not only is it an official Maiden release, it is also one hell of a bargain for what you get. = Whether you get the "standard" issue, or the "deluxe" issue (only difference is the packaging, and you get an expanded booklet in the deluxe version) you get two discs. Disc 1 is "Flight 666 The Movie," and Disc 2 is the concert footage from the film in its entirety, city to city. = All footage from both discs is shot in high def, so everything looks great, I can't imagine what this looks like on the BLU-RAY format, must be mindblowing. The sound mix is excellent, and each disc caters to various sound systems no matter how simple or how high end they are. Sound formats include Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1, NTSC-PCM, and DTS. Personally I always like DTS, so I was pretty excited. = As far as being a good bargain..... It is. I purchased this at B@$t B%y. They only had the "deluxe" edition which was listed at $16.99, but it's on sale for $11.99 !!!! It's less expensive than most audio cd's. = As far as the content is concerned, well that is left up to the viewer. I thought the movie itself was pretty entertaining, a good mix of live footage, and documentary footage. The live concert disc is excellent because they go song to song, city to city, and you get to check out different Maiden fans, and venues from all over the world. = As usual Iron Maiden delivers the goods with a class and integrity that most bands have never had, or lost a long time ago (ie. see Lars Ulrich in movie footage). Overall this is a quality DVD release, at a very fair price. It seems like Iron Maiden is always a step ahead of the game.

First off, i was into metal but not that much into Maiden, i always respected them but didn't listen to them very often.

When the DVD started at a friend's place during a party i began watching "accidently"... Towards the end of the film i was asked where i was and didn't realize i watched the whole movie and completely forgot the time.

Sam Dunn has gone to the next stage, he made a "movie" - which can be enjoyed by anyone, not just metal fans. Right from the beginning you dive into a very private side of a band that doesn't have to be described any closer - that's what this movie is here for. The history and achievements of Iron Maiden are completely unimportant at this point - it is reflected by the adoring audiences around the world which is brilliantly (simple but effective) put in picture. As the viewer you literally meet a group of people telling amazing stories, experiencing memorable moments, sharing a lot of insight and just immediately grabbing your sympathy. Though the main frame of the film is quite simple it never fails to make you lose interest - it is an elegant swing between information, emotion and impression.

I was very impressed by the fact that the making of this documentary was obviously not very expensive. It is a perfect example that a high budget doesn't always capture as much sincerity, passion and honesty as this one does. And this affects you - considering the previous productions of the makers - it is received way less "fanatical" though it ironically covers only one topic.

I can really recommend this documentary to everybody, it is a great display of how famous people can stay grounded even after two decades of filling big stadiums. I was entertained, amazed and moved. A solid gem in a world where the quality of documentaries is visibly declining.

It's hard to believe 24 years have gone by already since the Powerslave tour which also happens to have been my first concert and one of the most positive memories of my misspent youth. The excitement was overwhelming during that summer back in 1985 as I finally witnessed my favorite band of all time after first being exposed to them in 1982 when a Number of the Beast album caught my eye. Not a knock on the band but a lot of the band's success can be attributed to Derek Riggs who of course is the mastermind behind the artwork that is responsible for converting most fans as mentioned in the film. Ultimately, it is the music that keeps us coming back for more and as far as I'm concerned, the classic era in focus is what Iron Maiden is all about.

For those who don't know, it's called Flight 666 because this is the first time any band has taken a tour by air in their own private jet (suitably named "Ed Force One" and designed accordingly) which includes entire road and camera crew and several tons of stage equipment. The best part is, the plane is piloted by someone who to me resembles Daniel Craig with some crazy old school sideburns whose identity I will not reveal as not to ruin one of the film's many interesting surprises. So yeah, this film documents the cities traveled on their record breaking adventure providing further insight and retrospect to this great band's legacy as their way of saying thanks to all their fans that needs to be seen for yourself. I also heard the DVD will feature complete versions of the concert footage of songs like Revelations, Run to the Hills, Wrath Child and Iron Maiden so no need to pirate this with those annoying cell phones. Aside from that rude distraction and lack of the powerful atmosphere present in a live Maiden show, this film was without a doubt, aces high!

This is a review of the DVD release, as I was not one of the lucky ones near the limited release screening of the movie.

If you are a longtime maiden fan, the film is a love letter to you and your brethren, shot by documentary crew consisting of fans. Not surprisingly, the band is shown in an almost reverent regard. Nothing controversial to see here, folks. For people that have more than a passing interest in the band, unfortunately, there is not much here that you don't already know or have already seen. If you own or have seen the "Death on the Road" documentary disc you will not gain any new insights to the band and what makes them tick. If not, you will be in for a treat if you have an interest in maiden and/or what it takes to bring off an audaciously planned and executed world tour to thousands of dedicated and psyched fans.

Shot with high-def cameras and lots of them, the concert scenes are great (more on this later). The fan scenes and band/crew interview scenes are entertaining and well edited. You really get an idea what an undertaking this tour was and how much the fans appreciated the effort. Compared to the dedication shown by some of these fans, my own interest seems trivial, though I have been a fan since I first heard "somewhere in time" back when I was a sophomore in high school. You can tell the band is at times awed of, bemused, frustrated by, and proud of this loyalty they inspire.

By the time we make the trip with them from India, through Australia, North and South America, you are exhausted. I can't imagine how Steve and the boys felt after suffering jet lag, food illness, hangovers and sleep deprivation. Yet they still managed to put on kick-ass, crowd pleasing shows. This is why they have the live following and the pro rep they do.

As for the bonus concert disc, it alone justifies the price of the DVD purchase. This, friends, in my opinion is their best live concert release yet. Better than the legendary Live After Death you say? Hell yes, I say. High def camera work. Wonderfully captured and mastered 5.1 surround in Dolby and DTS. Consistently great performances from Bruce and the boys. Great crowds. A killer set list. The edits are quick but not dizzying like on Rock in Rio or Death on the Road. Honestly, what's not to like?

Overall a must have for maiden fans, and even of hard rock fans in general, if you ask me.

Before I first saw this vid 8 or 9 years ago, I liked Maiden but wasn't all that keen on them. Watching this Rockumentary honestly changed my life. I went from luke warm, to over the course of a few years of deep diving their music catalog via Spotify, recognizing that they are probably the GOAT of hard rock. Ever. I'm now an unabashed fanboy. Classically trained skills, unparalleled riffs & writing, battle hardened over years of experience, charismatic & fun. In particular, this iteration of the band starting in 2000 when they reformed as a six piece, with 3 world class guitarists, arguably the best rock bassist, brilliant & free drummer, and one of the greatest front men - - it's hard to argue. Their live performance work from about 2003 to 2015 is IMO the pinnacle of live virtuosity and chemistry. This movie lays it all bare. And they have their own freekin plane, and masses of rabid fans in every corner of the Earth despite the total lack of mainstream support. Just huge. Enjoy Maiden!