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.

On January 30th 2008, Maiden embarked on the first leg of their most adventurous tour: the "Somewhere Back in Time" tour. Their means of transportation was a Boeing 757, which carried the band, the fans, and the crew, as well as up to 12 tons of stage equipment. The pilot? Vocalist Bruce Dickinson.

Flight 666 is an incredible documentary that documents the first leg of this adventurous tour. Made by Samm Dunn and Scot McFadyen, the geniuses behind two other awesome documentaries, "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey" and "Global Metal", this film is a treat for all Maiden fans.

During the 112 minutes, we see the band travel from country to country, with some breathtaking shots of the plane flying, and some great footage of the band when they're NOT on stage too. We even get footage of the band on the plane, having fun as usual. They do such things as go golfing, visit the Mexican pyramids, and much more too. Thbe band are their usual selves with their usual sense of humor, which is expected! Of course Nicko has his usual hilarity too! The concert footage is flat out amazing. Real up-close-and-personal footage, it gets my blood pumping every time I think of it. No overdubs in the audio as well, and the great audio quality is enough to make you feel like you're at the concert. Watching this movie made me think back to when I saw them on the second leg of the tour, and what a magical night it was too.

In short, this movie is a must see for all Maiden fans, and all fans of good music in general. It's a must-own too! I own the blu-ray, and have already watched it 3 times! But you know the deal, 3 times is never enough... not even 1000 times is enough!

I was checking out what was on TV the other night and found this tucked away after midnight. As a bit of a fan of Iron Maiden, (I've seen them a couple of times over the years) I thought I'd give it a go. What I found really surprised me, a very professional bunch of guys that happen to play some great heavy metal music (IMO). But more of my thoughts later, here's a very brief summary first (summary haters please load the plane while I write the next paragraph).

Iron Maiden hardly ever get their records played on mainstream radio and are seldom featured on mainstream Music TV. And yet their albums always sell well and they have a massive fan base all over the world. As part of their 2008 Somewhere Back in Time tour they provided their own transport in order to reach some of these fans in far-flung parts of the world. The transport took the form on a 757 jet, modified to accommodate the entire crew, the band and all of their equipment. Of course the plane was piloted (amongst others) by their lead singer and qualified pilot, Bruce Dickinson. We see the logistics of moving such a huge operation through India, Australia, Japan, Los Angeles, Mexico, Central and South America, before ending in Canada. Interviews with the band, the crew and many of the fans intersperse live performances of many of their classic songs. It gives a real insight into the lives of the band members and just what life is like on the road these days for this group of musicians who, let's face it, aren't too young any more. But that's enough summary, here's what I think of it.

As a fan of Iron Maiden, of course I like this documentary. As a fan of film, I think it's very well edited and gives a coherent chronological account of the international leg of the tour. The balance between the live performances and the interviews and the narration is just about right for me. It may be a little long for those that aren't fans of the band, but I guess if you're not a fan then you wouldn't choose to watch it. So, over all, a definite recommendation for fans of Iron Maiden, but maybe give it a miss if you're not.

For those that are fans, what follows is a list of live tracks included in the film: "Aces High", "Transylvania", "Wrathchild", "Moonchild", "2 Minutes to Midnight", "Revelations", "The Trooper", "For the Greater Good of God", "Number of the Beast", "Wasted Years", "Can I Play with Madness", "Powerslave", "Run to the Hills", "Heaven Can Wait", "Fear of the Dark", "Iron Maiden", "Rime of the Ancient Mariener", "Hallowed Be Thy Name" My score: 8.3/10

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!

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.