Heavy Metal Parking Lot

Heavy Metal Parking Lot
Directed byJohn Heyn and Jeff Krulik
Release date
  • 1986 (1986)
Running time
17 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Heavy Metal Parking Lot is a 1986 documentary short produced by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn. The film features interviews with several small groups of young heavy metal fans gathered for a tailgate party in the parking lot outside the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland on May 31, 1986, as they prepare for a Judas Priest/Dokken concert being held there later that evening.

Reputation

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 popularity of the film, music copyright issues arose between the producers and Judas Priest, though they were eventually resolved.[1] The film has been referred to as the "Citizen Kane of Wasted Teenage Metal."[2]

Sequels

Krulik and Heyn attempted to follow up Heavy Metal Parking Lot with Monster Truck Parking Lot in 1988, which showed fans of a monster truck rally, but the film was unfinished and unreleased. They then created Neil Diamond Parking Lot (1996) which showed fans before a Neil Diamond concert at the same Capital Centre parking lot, ten years after the original.[3] In 1999, they created Harry Potter Parking Lot.[4]

Krulik and Heyn created and co-produced the 2004 TV series Parking Lot in association with Radical Media, which was broadcast on Trio. The series showed enthusiasts of various bands (like Phish) and activities (like surfing). Eight episodes were produced.

In 2006, a sequel of sorts was released by SnagFilms, entitled Heavy Metal Parking Lot Alumni: Where Are They Now. The 19-minute film looks at the adult lives of several of the young people featured in the original 1986 film.[5]

Home media

In May 2006, the documentary was released on DVD, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of its filming. The DVD version contains the original 17-minute film, as well as over 2 hours of exclusive content, including an interview with the infamous "Zebra-man" (a 22-year-old at the time), whom Krulik and Heyn tracked down and interviewed in the summer of 1999, 13 years after the original filming.[4]

Cultural references

See also

References

  1. ^ "30 Years Of 'Heavy Metal Parking Lot,' The Classic 'Cult Classic' Film". WHQR. October 22, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  2. ^ "The Deranged True Story Of Heavy Metal Parking Lot". Deadspin. GawkerMedia.
  3. ^ Little, Ryan (June 17, 2011). "The Top Three Moments Inspired by Heavy Metal Parking Lot". Arts Desk. Washington City Paper. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Kelly O (May 18, 2011). "Heavy Metal Rules, All That Punk Shit Sucks". The Stranger. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  5. ^ "Heavy Metal Parking Lot Alumni: Where Are They Now (2006)". SnagFilms. Archived from the original on January 8, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  6. ^ "The Must List: October 7, 2005". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
  7. ^ Morton, Luke (September 24, 2019). "Album Review: Steel Panther – Heavy Metal Rules". Kerrang!. Retrieved October 1, 2019.