Main Cast: Anthony Joseph Perry, Steven Tyler, Alice Cooper, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Lemmy, Ozzy Osbourne
Release Year: 1988
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Ozzy Osbourne, Gene Simmons, and Aerosmith's Joe Perry and Steven Tyler are among the Heavy Metal artists interviewed in The Decline of Western Civilization 2: The Metal Years. This follow-up to filmmaker Penelope Spheeris' classic 1981 "punk" documentary The Decline of Western Civilization is a bit more reflective and word-dominated than its predecessor, but no less entertaining. One striking aspect of the film is its before-and-after comparisons of the impact of MTV. Heavy Metal newcomers tend to overpraise the cable service, while the "oldsters" implicitly decry the mainstreaming-and in some cases, homogenizing--of their best work. Interestingly, Spheeris' own style has become more mainstream in the years since Decline of Western Civilization, thanks to experience gleaned on such dramatic films as Hollywood Vice Squad (1986) and Dudes (1987). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Chris Holmes; Lisa Axelrod; Michele Bronson; Faster Pussycat; Kerry Fox; Mary Laroche; Lizzy Borden; London; Megadeth; Odin; Seduce; Teri Weigel; Julie Wilson; Mark Burns; Roxanne Kernohan; Gene Allen; Jeff Young; Debra Beatty; Matthew James; Brian West
Credit
Penelope Spheeris - Director, Earl Ghaffari - Editor, Paul Colichman - Executive Producer, Guy J. Louthan - Line Producer, Julio Macat - Cinematographer, Jeff Zimmerman - Cinematographer, Paul Colichman - Producer, Miles A. Copeland III - Producer, Jonathan Dayton - Producer, Mark Hanes - Sound/Sound Designer
