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In the ‘80s, metal was king. Long-haired fans in tight jeans and tank tops rocked out to acts like Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Ratt, and Judas Priest while banging their heads and thrusting their devil-horned fists in the air. It’s a culture that’s been captured (and, even more often, lampooned) on film time and time again—but no fictional depiction (apart from This Is Spinal Tap, of course) has been able to sum up the heavy metal way of life quite like the widely bootlegged indie short, Heavy Metal Parking Lot.
This time, though, it isn’t the rock stars who get all the attention; it’s the fans. Heavy Metal Parking Lot was filmed by directors John Heyn and Jeff Krulik while cruising the parking lot of the Capital Centre in Largo, Maryland before a 1986 Judas Priest concert. It’s a simple, low-def documentary—with only a few cheesy ‘80s graphics to jazz it up a bit in the beginning—but in just 17 minutes, this notorious cult film manages to capture the spirit (and the rowdiness) of heavy metal culture.
Around the parking lot, the filmmakers find Camaro-loads of unruly teenagers (and a few 20-year-old heavy metal veterans who scoff their younger counterparts), sporting muscle shirts and mullets, enjoying a kind of rock ‘n’ roll tailgate party. The booze is flowing freely—as are plenty of other substances—all of which helps to loosen the tongues of the heavy metal revelers, who are more than happy to appear on camera. Of course, it also means that many of the interviewees are mostly incoherent. Their responses are often limited to “Woooo!” and “Judas Priest rocks!”—while the big-haired (and equally intoxicated) females among them proudly explain what they’d like to do to various members of the band. The best part of the film, though, is the zebra-print-clad fan who rambles on about how much he hates both punk and Madonna (who, incidentally, probably would have loved his outfit).
Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, this grainy documentary short is like a heavy metal time capsule. You’ll see some pretty disturbing things here—and you’ll also see some things that will amaze you with their idiocy. Often, it’s unintentionally funny. Sometimes, it’s a little monotonous. Most of the time, it’s just plain sad. But (for better or for worse) it’s real. It’s a loud, profane, beer-soaked, and completely candid look at a generation of young rockers.
If you happen to know someone who has a bootlegged VHS copy of Heavy Metal Parking Lot, haul out your dusty old VCR and check it out—because that’s probably the best, most authentic way to view it. Or you can watch it right here, right now. (The film is unrated, but it’s definitely for adults only.)
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