MUMBAI: There have been some fantastic documentary films in the past – like the highly coveted Woodstock festival, more recently â€?I am Not There’ a film on Bob Dylan, and you may also include the documentary films on Beatles, Led Zep ‘The song Remains the same’, and perhaps Pantera’s Home Video series – (one of the most violent of the lot).
While most films mentioned above signify everything that has to do with substance abuse and sexual content, Iron Maiden, who ironically have inspired many metal bands, appears much sober
Flight 666 stumps you. Is that a â€?metal’ band I watched in action? is something you may wonder after watching the film – or you may come out convinced that they only ‘play’ or ‘act’ metal – for the film gives an impression that it’s a band with a â€?rock n’ roll’ heart – the band members don’t show the devil sign every other minute (like most fans do), don’t use too many cuss words (like most fans do) ,are not into drugs (like most fans who are), but are in fact, travelling with their families – sober, very sober. Perhaps, a â€?thinking’ (not blind) Iron Maiden fan will be scandalized after watching the film – the band in real life are nothing of what their music projects or what their fans interpret their music as
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One can watch Adrian Smith warming up on his guitars by playing some good ol’ rock n’ roll just before the concert, lead guitarist Dave Murray and drummer Nicko McBrain’s fascination with golf (did you think they were into hunting?), and Bruce Dickinson’s multi-faceted personality as the bands front man and pilot of their own aircraft Boeing 757 christened â€?Ed Force One’ by Maiden fans after mascot â€?Eddie’.
Shot in spectacular high definition and 5.1 surround sound, the film circumnavigates you around the globe with the band – that’s five continents in just 45 days. With the entire touring crew and 12 tons of music and stage equipment on board, Dickinson and his air crew travel the distance of 50,000 miles, performing in 23 sold-out stadium and arenas across Asia, Australia and North, Central and South America – the band performs to almost half a million fans in the process. Dickinson in the film says that the purpose of their ambitious world tour was to â€?thank’ their growing base of young fans across the globe. The 2 hrs 30 min film has many humorous and heartening accounts of fans across the globe – also includes instances of exaggerated idolism by their fans which drummer Niko admits in the film
It was only towards the end of Maiden’s world tour that they revealed they where also simultaneously being captured on film by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn – the directorial team behind the award-winning documentary, Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey. Apparently, the film has also won the award for â€?Best Music Documentary’ at SXSW 2009
The film mainly focuses on â€?how’ the band pulls off the massive tour, but ends up revealing how the band intentionally or unintentionally befools majority of fans into believing what they are NOT.
