Heavy Metal Parking Lot

When I read about this flick, it intrigued me as a heavy metal fan, and as a short and indie film fan.

Unfortunately, it isn't exactly the laugh a minute I expected it to be.

It runs for 18 minutes, a lot of which is "montage" shots. The actual interviews are quite amusing if only for the clothing, hair and language.

Possibly the funniest thing is the people saying "Metallica are the best metal band"... funny because Metallica aren't a metal band any more.

Keep an eye out for a Nigel Tufnel lookalike dressed in a zebra body suit, with a distaste for punk and Madonna.

If you honestly think all drunks are the same, you've never really studied human behavior. Yes, at some point, drunken behavior is predictable, but this film isn't merely about that.

Also, keep in mind that context is important for almost everything. The context here is documenting a very un-documented section of American culture in 1986. Yes, this kind of music was all over MTV at the time, but no one really dove in deep enough to the fanbase until Krulik did here. This film is not merely about drinking, partying and watching a cheese rock show. If you think that, you should stick to whatever it is that you feel comfortable watching.

It's also not easy to waltz into this kind of crowd with a video camera (again, in 1986) and be accepted. These "metal heads" are normally prone to kicking the krap outta people. Krulik does this with ease and gets them all hamming it up and posing for the camera as if he were one of them.

This film puts you there, makes you want to have a beer and sink into an aspect of culture you might not know or feel comfortable with. THAT is something!

C'mon folks... This is the Spinal Tap fan-base without the script!!! Heavy Metal Parking Lots are now a thing of the past as cops patrol and the bands are more about being depressed and less about the RAWK! Back in the day, 20 years ago, the parking lot was where everybody was allowed to get messed up before a show. For those of us who lived it, the movie presents some of those people we met all those years ago.

The editing is what makes this work. Sure, the film concentrates on the basest members of the band's audience, but it is really fun to laugh at how we ALL loved the rock and roll spirit in the 80s that had been handed down to us from the 1970s.

A classic timepiece that needs to be treasured forever.

Great movie.

Heavy Metal Parking Lot has got to be one of the funniest, and silliest and metalest documentaries I've seen. When a local public access TV crew gets the idea to bring their camera to a Judas Priest parking lot before the concert, they only could have dreamed the type of characters they'd come across. Everyone and their mothers are loaded or high off their asses. Rambling metal-heads have got to be one of the funniest and dare I say, most pathetic (in a good way) sights I've ever seen. And talking about ugly dudes! Phewy! If you're looking to pass a half hour with some silly interviews and drunk retards, definitely watch this lil gem of a film. You also get a couple trailers for other Parking Lot films. One being before the Neil Diamond concert, another at a Monster Truck rally. And you also get some more found footage for the Heavy Metal Parking Lot if you watch till the end. Which you must definitely should! Rock the f@ck on!!

Jeff Krulik's "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" is a documentary about an assortment of people gathering for a Judas Priest concert. Lemme tell you, these people are REALLY into the music. I was only a baby at the time that the documentary got made, so I missed this whole era (just as I missed disco, the hippie movement, and doo-wop). Nonetheless, I can say without a doubt that this is some fun stuff. Even if one considers the music corny, the fact remains that it was real music (by contrast, Justin Bieber's "music" is just corporate stuff).

I don't know how available the documentary is on video, but it's available on YouTube.