116 min., dir. by Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski, with Dave Brock, Phil Campbell, and Fast Eddie Clarke
It’s quite amazing that a full length documentary focusing on Lemmy Kilmister’s life and musical career had yet to be done until now. A career that has spanned nearly 50 years with over 36 years heading up Motorhead as lead singer and bassist — not to mention his rugged rock n’ roll lifestyle of booze, women, and drugs. He’s become somewhat of a living legend in the rock world: an example of either how to live the rock n’ roll life to the fullest with all of its vices, or an example of what not to do due to self-destruction.
In this 116-minute documentary directed by Greg Olliver and Wes Orchoski, the world that Lemmy lives in is exposed and explored inside and out. We witness life on the road, in the studio as well as life in Los Angeles, where Lemmy calls home. Several scenes are filmed inside Lemmy’s apartment, only a short few blocks away from his favorite hangout, The Rainbow Room Bar and Grill. One might feel somewhat ashamed or saddened to see someone like Lemmy live in such a dump, but it’s clear that he’s quite happy living where and how he lives — all while he proudly shows off his massive Motorhead and WW2 memorabilia collection that takes up almost every inch of his hole-in-the-wall digs.
Much of the 116 minutes of this film is taken up by interview footage of other musicians, celebrities, and artists either talking about personal experiences with Lemmy or the impact Motorhead’s music had on them. I mean, everyone and their mother were interviewed for this film — from Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Bob Thornton, to Ice T and Kat Von D. I think it’s great to have interviews for a film, but to feature more than 20 people talking about one man or band is a bit of an “Overkill” (pun intended) don’t you think? Although, Scott Ian’s scene talking about Lemmy wearing short-shorts back in the day is classic!
There’s some really cool studio footage of Lemmy jamming with Dave Grohl on a version of “Run Rudolph Run” and then talking about some of the greats of the beginning of rock n’ roll. Lemmy claims that Little Richard is the greatest rock n’ roll vocalist who’s ever lived. There’s also some great footage of Lemmy joining Metallica on stage to perform Motorhead’s “Damage Case.”
Beyond the accolades given to Lemmy from fellow musicians and artists, there are a few hard hitting segments that tug at the heart strings. At one point, Lemmy is interviewed inside his apartment and one of the directors asks, “What is the most precious thing in this room?” to which Lemmy quickly replies, “My son,” and slaps him on the knee. When the question is asked, the viewer has no idea his son (Paul Inder) is sitting there off-screen. Later on, Paul states he was really shocked his father came across with that answer.
The filmmakers also address the claims that Lemmy is either a Nazi or a Nazi sympathizer head on, and Lemmy adamantly dismisses those claims.
Some of Lemmy’s childhood and youth is discussed, but not to that great of an extent. I would have loved to have been told more about his years growing up in England. There’s some good insight into his musical beginnings with The Rockin’ Vickers, then being a rodie for Jimi Hendrix and eventually joining the space-rock psychedelic outfit Hawkwind.
A drug bust in Canada led to his departure from Hawkwind, as members of the band claim he was uncontrollable. In turn, he formed Motorhead (which originally was named Bastard). Now this could be an understatement, but drugs and alcohol are a big part of Lemmy’s life, present and past. A lot of the accolades given to Lemmy by his fellow musicians complement him on being such a professional while living the hard life he’s chosen to live. He claims he never touched heroin but has tried everything else. When asked point blank if he had any regrets, he replies with a stone cold serious “No…life’s too short.”
Lemmy in all it’s hard rock glory will be able to reach even those who don’t care for Lemmy’s vocals or Motorhead’s music — he’s an interesting man when you look at the life he’s led. Fans of the band will appreciate some of the live footage filmed in England and Russia, as well as some short interviews from Mikkey Dee and “Fast” Eddie Clark. The film was nicely put together, but at nearly two hours long, I would have cut out some of nonessential shots, bringing it down to 90 to 100 minutes. I have to be honest, watching Lemmy live as he does, especially in his apartment, I felt a bit sad for the man. By the end of the film, I admire his ethics on life and can rest easy knowing that Lemmy is out there doing what he wants and what he loves. Money? Fame? What are these things? To Mr. Kilmister, this is just apart of the life he’s been dealt. You can’t feel bad for a man who lives life the way he wants to. “Born to lose, live to win” — sounds like a good way to head through this screwed up life to me.
