METALLICA
SOME KIND OF MONSTER 
Starring:
James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo, Jason Newsted
and Bob Rock
Directors:
Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
Running Time:
141 mins
Out to buy on DVD 31/01/05
"I can't stand the sight of you right now"
James Hetfield
Originally a documentary crew was going to follow the biggest heavy metal band in the world, Metallica, as they wrote and recorded their latest album in 2001 but what they ended up recording was the most turbulent time in the band's history. Bass player Jason Newsted had just left the band, they had collectively decided to hire a therapist to deal with their drug, drink and communication problems, Lars Ulrich had become public enemy number one after taking on Napster and internet downloader's and the cracks were starting to show. Everything was starting to boil over and Metallica was about to reach its breaking point.
Usually documentaries about bands contain lots of live footage, backstage chats and interviews but Metallica: Some Kind of Monster is very different.
Most rock documentaries are just promotional material for their latest album or tour and this film was supposed to be the same but what directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky ended up capturing on film is one of the most traumatic times in the history of Metallica. Instead of cancelling the film, the band decided to give the filmmakers full access and show everything that was going on. For Metallica fans and for anyone who is interested in music, this is fascinating stuff as it gives you an insight into how even established bands can struggle with the trappings of fame.
The film starts with the band moving into their new recording studio at the Presidio in San Francisco, just after the bass player Jason Newsted left band to form his own group. The movie starts as normal, showing them writing songs, rehearsing and recording songs but you soon get an inkling that something is not right, when you see the footage of them talking to their therapist. This is James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett at their most honest, argumentative and vulnerable. Here you start to witness the cracks starting to form, especially between frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. Creative differences, their contribution to the album and the fact that they have been together for over 20 years, starts to take its toll to the point that James Hetfield leaves and books himself into a rehabilitation centre and then doesn't return for a year.
With arguments abound and if you didn't know the outcome, you would swear that Metallica would be no more. You have to take you hat off to the band, as this is very personal and revealing material that is as far removed from their heavy metal personas as you could get. Rock gods are people as well, as you get to see their families and their everyday lives but it is the intense, interpersonal moments between James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett that make this documentary standout.
For all Metallica fans this is a must watch as it is a fascinating insight into the trials and tribulations of one of the biggest bands in the world. Charting over two years covering key moments in the completion of their award winning album 'St. Anger' including the fights, the break ups and hiring of a new band member, fans will be enthralled and everyone else will be gripped, even if they are not a fan of the music.
BONUS
FEATURES 
DVD Extras - Disc 1:
Special Features - Disc 2:
28 Additional Scenes (77.54 total) (5 with Commentary - 24.53 of total):
Festivals & Premieres (46.32 total):
This Monster Lives (13 Parts - 61.37 total) (5 with Commentary - 28.07 total):
