Visitors Review

peterpants66 2013-05-16 23:48:28

Starlady

Bobby Liebling is the singer of an unfairly forgotten stoner metal bandfrom the seventies that bottomed out and ended up living in his parentsSUB-basement where he pursued a crack pipe more then a microphone. Pastband members are interviewed, along with his parents and die hardmanager Sean Pelletier, who seems to be the only thing keeping Lieblingalive. He's on so much drugs he thinks he's rotting, has disfiguredarms and comes off like the Grimm Reaper. At one point he's showing hisscars to his manager, he unwraps his arms looking a bit like Mumm-raand they look downright Disgusting. This guy looks like if he fell downthe stairs, every bone in his body would break, but guess what HE CANSING LIKE THE DICKENS! Which he did for many years fronting hardrockers Pentagram. The band seems to unravel around every forward stepthey make towards stardom, largely because of Liebling, and you getthis feeling halfway through that it's a sad, sad story. After goingthrough a slight detox mega rocker Phil Anselmo shows interest inputting money up for a new Pentagram album...That is if Bobby can stayclean, yeah right. He relapses, meets a beautiful young woman thatcompletely turns his life around, showing once again that if you wantto make a 180 in life, GET LAID. He seems to be doing well, he startsto look better, i'm not going to spoil the end for you but it's anamazing twist of fate. This is a guy that has hit rock bottom (no punintended) dealt with several drug rehabilitations, come close to deathso many times, but he makes it! People, if your passionate about eitherfinding someone to love or playing some rock n'roll it can happen, thisguy is Proof. This is one story in the book of many bands who have beenforgotten about, only to be rediscovered. Truly an amazing flick, gosee it right now!

amandafilmonkey 2013-05-16 16:06:43

It's a surprising, sincere portrayal of faith and friendship that lurks below the dusty covers of hard rock, hard love and hard drugs.

10 is a high rating, I know. It's worthy not only because this film issimply a great documentary film, but a great film in general withstand- out, staying potential. Albeit, if only at a cult level. It'sabsolutely possible that in the near future this film will be used as atool at drug rehabilitation centers, music business schools,inspiration seminars and pot parties alike. The people close to theband and drawn to it's music that appear in the film have aninteresting charm but not close to it's two main subject's, thecartoon-ish, scary, lovable Bobby Liebling and the equal knock out ofthe piece, passionate manager, Sean "Pellet" Pelletier. It's fittingthe majority of the film is set in Pellet's native Philadelphia as heemits the true blue, battered, underdog ethic of the city's mostbeloved, fictitious native, Rocky Balboa. In this regard, so does it'smain character , Liebling who's demons affect both men in differentways. There is also more at stake here than a music career, it's lifeitself for one. It's the career of another. And all of this mind you,stemming from the essential, newly uncovered, proto-heavy metal songsLiebling wrote between '70 and '74. It's a surprising, sincereportrayal of faith and friendship that lurks below the dusty covers ofhard rock, hard love and hard drugs. It's brutally honest but managesto soften the blow by delivering the story mainly through the endearingeyes of Pelletier. The film makers manage you get the viewer inside theman's heart which creates your own desire to see Liebling conquer hisdemons. I'm not saying you won't cringe at times, it's an essentialingredient when having to express the magnitude of certain essentialfactors in the film. Whether they be positive or negative in nature,they're strong and must be visibly displayed as such. I loved this filmbecause it's a testament that true love empowers and prevails even inthe most unsuspecting places. Here, it's displayed by the relationshipsa rusty metal God has with a caring fan as well as with a beautiful,wide-eyed, naive, sincere stranger. The appearance of Liebling'sparents is another treat. Charming and truthful, they explain thebrilliance that led to both the successes and downfalls of a rock iconthat was never uncovered. At least not until Pelletier hunted him downand handed him a deal to release some of his old songs. It's a story ofrecovery of lost music and of lost life. This recovery came from ad.i.y ethic delivered within the characters in the film as well as fromdirector's Don Argott and Demian Fenton. Heavy Metal musician'sthemselves, the story has an essence of empathy and sincerity not oftenfelt in documentaries this blunt and with stakes this dire. Oh, andthen there is the music...classy, hard rock delivered with the mystiqueof a Hammer Horror film. If the thought of heavy metal makes youcringe, do not worry. The band's songs that are strewn through out aresubtle and work well to energize the piece. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.