Last week, I watched this 1986 17-minute documentary directed by John Heyn and Jeff Krulik. Apparently it’s a bit of a cult classic that had totally passed me by for all these years.
Well, it’s not something I can exactly “review” but, as it’s available on YouTube, I thought it would be fun to mention it & share it here for anyone who may be interested in watching it. Here’s a little about it from Wikipedia:
Heavy Metal Parking Lot documents heavy metal music fans tailgating in the parking lot outside the Capital Centre (which was demolished in December 2002) in Landover, Maryland, on May 31, 1986, before a Judas Priest concert during their Fuel for Life tour (with opening act Dokken).
By the early 1990s, Heavy Metal Parking Lot had become an underground cult-classic, usually traded on bootleg VHS videotapes. It was reportedly a favorite on the Nirvana tour bus, among many other bands. Due to growing popular demand for the film, music-rights issues were finally sorted out with Judas Priest.
Yeah, this was a fun watch and certainly not something that’ll waste your time at only 17 minutes. Only those who lived through this era will really appreciate the very low budget interviews with a bunch of drunk metalheads, though. There were several guys I went to school with who were exactly like these dudes (not the girls so much). I wasn’t really part of a group in school as I was more of a loner but I got along with the jocks, etc, just as well as with the metalheads. But I preferred the metalheads. I never really explored Judas Priest beyond the biggest hits but I did like the songs I knew (I was more of a Metallica & Anthrax girl).
Duuuuuude…..
The best thing about this documentary is the guy in the below photo, who they later named “Zebra-Man”. Because there’s a follow-up “Where Are They Now” thing in which they track him down & interview him (you can watch that HERE. but, of course, watch the film first). Two even shorter follow-ups, Monster Truck Parking Lot & Neil Diamond Parking Lot, are also available on YouTube. They’re okay but a bit pointless – stick with the original!
Here you go, my fellow 1986 metalheads! Heavy Metal Parking Lot… 🙂
**Yeah, I believe you heard that right… She’s 13! 😳
Cinema Parrot Disco 
I might look into this just to see xD
Yay! Oh – a comment on Heavy Metal Parking Lot! This post was seriously getting no love. Not enough old fart metal fans, I think. Lol. You should check it out! It’s so damn short anyway. I wish most movies were this length… ; )
I always love checking out the documentaries on the old school metal and rock bands, it is truly amazing to see how the times have changed, and how they paved the way for so many things today. Awesome!
I promise I didn’t dress like that… ; )
I watched this several years ago – some parts were cringe worthy because I could have easily been on of the drunken fools yelling at the top of my lungs in the film. I didn’t know about the follow up but will definitely want to see that. 🙂 It was good to see JP decide to let the film use/keep the music, name and images.
Lol. I was a metalhead but I was one of those quiet ones. Like, to look at me you’d never have known I was a big metalhead so I’d luckily have not embarrassed myself in a film like this. ; ) I think most people in it seemed quite proud to have been a part of it. Except Zebra Man, who is a really laidback country music fan now. Lol! (Sorry – spoiler if you haven’t watched the follow-up yet) ; )
Yeah, I listen to Sinatra and Dean Martin now, lol! I still rock out once in a while but not as much as I used to.
Well, okay – I’ve certainly not gone as mellow as Dean Martin & Sinatra… ; )
My Grandmother and Uncle used to listen to them so it rubbed off on me. It’s relaxing and they tell life stories. 🙂
I feel like I might actually enjoy this. I do love that era of music. Although I am not a particularly big Judas Priest fan per say.
I think you might get a kick out of this one. Worth a watch at only 17 minutes long! : )
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