Heavy Metal Picnic

Heavy Metal Picnic Directed by Jeff Krulik (2010).

First came the sexual revolution then the drug, now this is the first I've ever heard of the psychotic revolution--who shall lead them? Billy Gordon and the Bluerockers! Just like all of Jeff Krulik's movies, here we get yet another documentation of a lost time period and odd music scene that can only be captured brilliantly in this way by one film maker. It all took place at a similar drug fueled gathering in 1985 (one year before the famed Priest parking lot fiasco happened). The Full Moon Jamboree was the place to be in Potomac MD. You get all sorts of loveable goofballs, bikers, stoners and even punks. It’s all very fascinating and there’s all kinds of memorable characters like the guy in the band Pentagram who looks at the camera and says everybody eat all the bloody pussy you can! I'm guessing he didn't feel like being on camera and just wanted to gross people out!

The HM picnic was all about the hardly mentioned Maryland scene which includes two well known doom bands Pentagram (who have their own doc) and The Obsessed who have a really fun tour film that features Wino's high school chums Henry Rollins and Ian McKaye. We catch up with Asylum (who I was unfamiliar with) and it's band members. Unlike the other parking lot ventures, we get immediate updates on what most of the people are up to and it's still a lot of fun to watch.

The Pentagram guy wishes he were a Tampax, uptight white and outta sight.

I'm really grateful that I went to the Nashville Rock and Pod Expo, which held the Heavy Metal parking lot reunion with my pal Ryan Brush and talked to Jeff Krulik. Two cast members from the parking lot were there and graciously autographed my copy, the DC 101 guy and The Graham of Dope dude. It was a pretty epic weekend and Mr. Krulik handed me a free copy of PICNIC in order to spread the word about this rare flick to the masses that read this blog. 

You gonna get Southern style Booglar-ized.

 Billy Gordon has that classic 70’s Satanist look (sadly it’s not mentioned if he’s ever delved into incantations or witchcraft). He seems to hang out with Gene Simmons a lot lately (which is pretty uncool at least to me). It’s all about bugging the squares though and they definitely achieved that, many suburbanites were pissed. The Krulik style, which is infectious, endearing and reaches a fine line of artistic clumsiness and intentionally funny really resonates with me. Lately however, it's unfair that his films have such a difficult time getting out beyond the film festival circuit because they deserve mass appeal and global attention. Come on Netflix or Amazon Prime, What's the deal?

I hope I ordered enough Dominoes for the incantation.

The film makers illustrate the disconnection between the youth and the moronic tyranny of Reagan. One concert goer talks about how Ronnie is a “Fucking Nazi”! His goof up in Germany where he referred to the SS as victims like the exterminated jews, pissed off every sane person at the time, especially Joey Ramone who wrote the famous Bonzo Goes to Bitburg about it. The CBS logo clipped to the mic that's passed around during the Jamboree was ganked from The Gipper's inauguration apparently. It's even more disturbing how the current morons running the country into the toilet are outwardly pro-white power and arrogant racists using rhetoric to ensure billionaires run the nation like a McDonalds. 

well at least things are running like a brainless dictatorship again only worse!

Sadly, the housing developers eventually mowed down the partiers, destroying yet another fun sub culture. The public access Blue Rock TV appearance on “Monty’s The Rock Shop” where they introduce the band in wacky outfits is insanely hilarious and was the highlight for me! Plus you get the unedited cut as a bonus on the DVD.

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The best thing about Billy Gordon is that he never retired from the party biz, he just got smarter and more careful about it and now works with motorcycles (here's the link to his site). Jim Powell reached out to the different bands through his zine Grinder which he screams at anyone who’ll listen to “subscribe”—he looks blitzed out of his mind! There’s tons of shirtless fights and people “stoned to the bone” to quote one dude. I want to thank the director again for giving me a copy of his film and just like Led Zepplin Played Here, I loved it, another instant classic. Found Footage Festival offers a copy for sale along with other wacky looking titles. Here's the official link as well.

OFFICIAL SITE

BUY HERE