Film Review

Judas Priest recently launched a world tour in support of their latest (double) album, Nostradamus. They’ll be hitting the local amphitheater in my hometown this weekend with Heaven and Hell, Motorhead and Testament. It will be complete metal mayhem. I haven’t seen Priest live since high school and I’m looking forward to reliving my wilder days as a big-haired headbanger. This recent bout of nostalgia spurred me to dig out my faded Turbo-era t-shirt and VHS copy of “Heavy Metal Parking Lot,” one of the greatest relics of metal’s heyday in the mid-1980s. The concept of this wildly entertaining “documentary” is simple. Two dudes (Jeff Krulik and John Heyn) with no budget and a video camera troll the parking lot of the Capitol Centre in suburban Maryland before a 1986 Judas Priest concert, shooting and interviewing tailgaiting teenage metal fans. No plot needed. The mullets, cut-off shirts, big hair and wasted youth do all the talking. “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” is a time capsule, a cultural artifact that brilliantly captured the zeitgeist of this bygone era.

INTRO
Driving through the parking lot of a Priest concert is nothing to be taken lightly. You are driving through a world that few come out sober. If you don’t rock, don’t bother. It is all about drinking beers, taking off your shirt, playing some air guitar, and putting the horns up. There’s no foreign cars in this lot.

I’M READY TO ROCK!
David looks like the inspiration for the “Dazed and Confused” character played by Matthew McConaughey. You can see this guy hanging out at a gas station on a Friday night just chillin with a Bud (emphasize the chillin part). He has this authoritative way of saying his name. Then, he just says the answer to all the questions in a nonchalant kind of way.

Tell me if you see the similarities:

Ready to Rock Dude



Wooderson (Mr. McConaughey)

HELL YEAH GIRL
Ah, the Hell Yeah girl. I love how this girl remains constant in all of her answers. A simple “Hell Yeah” would be a good way of answering anything when you think about it. Try it out with your friends. When someone asks you, what you had for dinner. Respond with a “Hell Yeah.” It makes complete sense. If that doesn’t work, answer “Paaaaarty” – that’s another one you can use.

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