It feels like a spoof, yet this documentary, which follows the fortunes of a monumentally rubbish Iraqi band called Acrassicauda, is for real.
Comment
09/12/08
Heavy Metal In Baghdad (2008)
82
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:22
Fresh:18
Rotten:4
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: Despite being a Gonzo-esque rockumentary following the fortunes of Iraq’s one and only heavy metal band, Acrassicauda, Heavy Metal is actually a moving and impassioned account of the middle-east crisis.
Rated: 15
Runtime: 84 mins
Genre: War, Documentary, Metal (Music), Music (General), Theatrical Release, Rock, Pop/Rock
Theatrical Release:12-09-2008
Synopsis: Tales of survival in war-torn Iraq get a fascinating twist with this documentary. Starting in 2003, HEAVY METAL IN BAGHDAD follows Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda as they attempt to keep both... [More]
Reviews for Heavy Metal In Baghdad
And so this low-budget film says more about Gulf War II than all of Hollywood’s efforts put together.
09/12/08
Top CriticWatching the disintegration of Baghdad alongside the band members’ aspirations makes this an enlightening and impassioned account of the Middle Eastern crisis.
09/12/08
Heavy Metal in Baghdad is one of those sneaky documentaries that starts out a light-hearted look at a semi-serious subject, and then suddenly turns into something far more moving and profound.
09/12/08
Though they struggle to build a fan base, and end up seeking refuge in Syria, their dreams persist, still blazing fiercely at the close of this chastening and inspiring film.
09/12/08
Top CriticThis ill-starred four-piece are the heroes of a flawed, fascinating documentary, shot on digital video by two excitable gonzo-esque journalists from Vice magazine.
09/12/08
Top CriticYou mourn the wasted opportunities to explore a culture in which the ultimate rebellion is to copy America’s corporate rock.
09/12/08
Top CriticSprawling and unfocussed but still a fascinating window onto an unreported world.
09/12/08
Top CriticThe guerrilla-movie-making ethic of the directors is reflected in the band members, who sport goatees and speak excellent, hipster/metalhead-inflected American English.
09/12/08
Top CriticThe film’s at its strongest when Moretti and Alvi make it to Baghdad, but it suffers from a focusing too much on the music and not enough on the band's circumstances.
09/12/08
Top CriticGives us a rough idea of how bloody awful it is to be living in Baghdad.
03/26/09
Excellent documentary about the struggle of a heavy metal band to survive in Iraq.
06/05/08
frustrating but nearly impossible to forget
05/23/08
The low-budget movie's technical qualities aren't always the best, but considering the conditions under which the filmmakers worked, it's amazing that Heavy Metal in Baghdad was made at all.
05/23/08
The dangers these musicians experience every single day are bound to impact any audience. This is what it really looks like to bang your head against the wall.
05/23/08
More than just another Iraq-doc, Heavy Metal is a surprisingly up-close look at the toll of the war on young people, and how they still have dreams and still want to jam, party and get down.
05/23/08
Top CriticAn intrepid, unlikely and altogether splendid feat of D.I.Y. reportage.
05/23/08
Top CriticThe movie reclaims metal's appeal to the powerless as well as its threat--when you can get shot for wearing a Slipknot T-shirt (talk about "Death, be not proud")... raising those devil horns isn't an empty act of aggression.
05/21/08
Concentrating on the story of Acrassicauda, Iraq's sole metal band, filmmakers Moretti and Alvi reveal the heart-wrenching circumstances for the people caught between the occupiers and the militias.
05/09/08
Pic's chief drawback is onscreen narrator Suroosh Alvi (co-helming with Eddy Moretti), whose fratboy glee at their 'crazy mission' segues to such probing questions as, 'What's the vibe now?'
05/09/08
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