Maximum Metal Rating Legend

Lemmy Lemmy DVD Company: E1 Entertainment Release: 2011 Genre: Power Reviewer: Nailer

A rock star without the attitude

The presentment of rock legend Lemmy Kilmister was different than what I expected in the eponymous rockumentary film "Lemmy". I've always figured the Motorhead franchise was worth millions from album sales, merchandise and side projects. I envisioned Lemmy living in a decent-sized mansion or in an English garden with a few pretty maids flitting about and a pile or three of drugs on each table. Instead the movie starts with him in his immensely cluttered, rent-controlled Los Angeles apartment playing a console video game and slicing his own homemade French Fries.

It's quite a contrast the way the filmmakers intersperse musicians and other celebs who comment on how revered he is then he's shown walking the streets by himself, playing slots and hanging at the infamous Rainbow Bar and Grill. He's Lemmy the Regular Guy with little rock star indulgence beside custom boots and wall to wall mementos.

They touch upon Lemmy as a boy, his stint in The Vickers and the short Hawkwind days. As expected a lot of Motorhead and their influential metal-punk style was covered, but I've heard "Ace of Spades" so many times that I wanted the focus to stay on the man over the bands.

I expected craziness; that the speed freak we've all read about would be more prevalent but he didn't want to advertise a lifestyle that killed a lot of his friends. All you get here is some Jack & Coke, a diabetes pill, and warnings to his adult son about certain drug usage.

There's something else going on that I can't quite flesh out with him from the movie. I don't know if comes from his age, personality, lifestyle or something darker, but there's an undercurrent of weariness to Lemmy that goes along with his wit. Maybe it's a consequence of surviving thirty-five years in his business.

He does what he does and I'd bet he's as unchangable as a stone. You see him walking down the street in a charismatic black outfit that goes unnoticed in L.A., but you can be sure he'd wear it anywhere. Lemmy is worth a watch for any metalhead familiar with his work and he really comes across without any pretensions and bullshit especially with his fans. He's a rock star without the attitude and to quote Ozzy: "He's just Lemmy. You either take him or you fuckin' don't and he don't give a flyin' shit whether you do or not."