Get Thrashed

I grew up in the 80s. In the suburbs. Middle class. So I am thrash.

Yeah, I was a little young, but I caught up fast. In 1984, I bought 1984 on vinyl (still have it). In 1989 I bought ...And Justice for All on cassette (it died in the 90s). From 1989 until today, I have spent a great deal of money and time filling in the gaps between 1984 and 1989. That's roughly where thrash comes in. The purpose of Music Movie Night is to expose ourselves to musical artifacts we may not otherwise experience. We enter the evening with receptive ears and an open mind. This is the expectation. From the mellow Pink Floyd to the somber Neil Young to the quirky Talking Heads.

Throughout each individual experience, we follow strict, but understandable rules, most of which have been stated in the introduction to this blog. Unwritten rules also exist. One such rule is resisting the temptation to cross-compare artists and genres. No one spends time criticizing one selection in comparison to another. Regardless of how sublime The Band's performance was, it is not a point of comparison to The Song Remains the Same, except perhaps on a techincal level.

So let it be with Thrash.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yuj8ABLTZi0

Though I grew on the east coast, I identify most with the musical movement started in California in both the Sunset Strip and San Francisco areas. Bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Testament, DRI, SOD, and Suicidal Tendencies are the standards by which I judge all modern metal.

Rick Earnst's documentary, Get Thrashed, is a hodgepodge of interviews, some seeminly done for the documentary itself, others archival. Interspersed between these snippets of interviews there is enough loud live music to make you all wet and gushy inside. As several us have complained in the past, Get Thrashed often does not include enough music--no full songs, in fact, rarely more than a minute or two of any particular track.

I'm okay with this.

At no point in time does Get Thrashed present itself as an aural history, but rather as an oral history with musical accompan . . . acumpani . . . guitarists.

What's missing? Why did thrash music start? We begin with a tired story of how Metallica started it all. You can't argue with it. They did. But why? What were they revolting against? Unfortunately, not much at all. Thrashers are typically middle-class suburbanites. Not too many devil worshippers, killers, or puppy-kickers. Just kids who have long hair, wear jeans and leather, and want music that is louder, faster, and ruder. We want to hear Megadeth with a better lead singer. We want to find vintage t-shirts from tours we were too young to attend.

We want someone to remaster Metal on Metal, Haunting the Chapel, Show no Mercy, and Killing is My Business (I think someone did that last one, but I heard it was not worth it).

We want new metal but not nu metal. We want Anthrax to rap like dorks, but not Biohazard doing it all serious-like.

We want bands who thrived in the 80s to survive in the 10s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_VfDAFS5n4

We wonder what Metallica would've become if Cliff had not died.

Good Eats - Here are some old MMN spreads - prepared with love

From "Heart of Gold" viewing at Master of Arms' home
From "Stop Making Sense" viewing at the Honorable Rabbi's Bungalow

From "This is Spinal Tap" viewing at R'lyeah's Dungeon

From "Beyond the Lighted Stage" viewing at Optimus Manor




From "Flight 666" viewing at Optimus Manor

Introduction

Music Movie Night (MMN) originated in the smokey, drunken back corners of The Grand Phantom Wizard's mind. As he watched Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii alone one night, he thought about how great it'd be to share this experience with others. He knew many people had probably never seen this era of Pink Floyd, his favorite. Neurons began firing, a little tingle in the balls, and guidelines were established (see below). On May 23, 2011, the Founding Five (The Grand Phantom Wizard, Master of Arms and Beef Curtains, Optimus Patriarch, The Supreme Commander of R’lyeh, and The Most Honorable Rabbi) gathered at The Grand Phantom Wizard's house for the inaugural Movie Music Night.

Since that initial meeting, there have been a total of 12 MMNs (see below). Although various guests have joined the Founding Five, this group of men remain the core of the hosts and audience. MMNs are respected times in the lives of these men. Each meeting marks a time to get away from family and adult responsibilities, an opportunity to drink, relax, and engage with music. It is a middle-class, former hipster's moment of bros before hoes. It is poker night, a trip to the neighborhood bar, a night out to see a band.

This blog is intended to further the conversations which surround MMN. Each host will post an overview of the evening including personal responses, images, synopses of pre/post game discussions, and relevant links. The audience and others introduced to the site and MMN will be invited to comment. Let's see how well we can make this work.


The Guidelines
1. The host sends out an invitation which includes the title of his selected film and the evening's agenda with approximate times.
2. Audience members bring quality, dude dishes and beer.
3. The host introduces the film with background and contextual information.
4. The film will not be stopped or paused after it has begun.
5. Talking during the movie is prohibited.
6. The host will guide a round-table discussion after the movie.
7. Amendment 1: Women are prohibited from attending MMN. The only exception to this rule are the women over the age of 21 who reside within the host's domicile. (adopted: 9.28.11)


Past MMNs
May 23, 2011
Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii

June 7, 2011
The Last Waltz (The Band and guests)

June 14, 2011
It Might Get Loud (Jimmy Page, The Edge, Jack White)

June 30, 2011
Iron Maiden: Flight 666

July 7, 2011
Neil Young: Heart of Gold

July 11, 2011
The Song Remains the Same (Led Zeppelin)

July 27, 2011
We Jam Econo (The Minutemen)

September 27, 2011
Stop Making Sense (Talking Heads)

November 11, 2011
This is Spinal Tap

January 7, 2012
Beyond the Lighted Stage (Rush)

February 4, 2012
Year of the Horse (Neil Young and Crazy Horse)

March 24, 2012
Get Thrashed! (thrash metal documentary)