- The DVD cover of 'God Bless Ozzy Osbourne'. - Packaging by Eagle Rock Entertainment
If there ever was a better candidate in rock music to be given the documentary treatment, it is without question Ozzy Osbourne. The former lead singer of Black Sabbath and current heavy-metal legend by all rights shouldn't even be alive at this point after years of near-death accidents, drugs, and alcohol abuse. And yet, he remarkably is. People regard Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones as walking miracle, but Ozzy has just as much clout in the luck department, if not more.
A Doc For The Ages
God Bless Ozzy Osbourne is a personal and professional look into the performer whose crazy-antics on stage have been well documented. But it's also a poignant view on Ozzy's life behind-the-scenes. The film offers an interesting balance of the persona we know from watching The Osbournes and from stage antics like biting the heads of bats, to the broken-down father who is now trying to fulfill his parental obligations through sobriety.
Co-produced by Ozzy's youngest son Jack, the piece begins with Ozzy's childhood in England and then moves to his Black Sabbath years - chronicling their success and fracture when Ozzy was fired from the band. It continues with his solo career and family life, all the while painting a picture of a man who was constantly tripped on either drugs or alcohol through it all.
The film doesn't shy away from exploring Ozzy's faults as well as his legacy. One of the biggest running themes of the movie is Ozzy's role, or lack thereof over the years, as a father. All five of his children (two from a previous marriage, three with wife and manager Sharon) make appearances and speak candidly about Ozzy's past parental performance. Sharon also shares a startling story that is surprising to hear, and it sheds light on how deep down the mind-numbing well Ozzy was capable of going.
Beyond the substance abuse, Ozzy also narrowly avoided death from the freak accident that took guitarist Randy Rhode's life when a crashing plane collided with his tour bus during its descent (the film does not cover his ATV accident a few years back). The documentary is full of amazing stories and revelations about the icon, but putting the theatrics aside it's also a refreshing look into the man that was and where he is at today. Rating: 4.5/5
The DVD
VIDEO - The standard edition of God Bless Ozzy Osbourne is a solid viewing experience in the image department. The modern-day footage is wonderfully clear for the DVD and even the archive material seems to have been polished somewhat for the piece. The documentary was shot with high-definition cameras and exists as a Blu-ray as well, but the standard copy does the job quite adequately too. Rating: 4/5
AUDIO - The DVD possesses three different sound mode options depending on your system capabilities. The film contains some segments of live on-stage performance from Osbourne, and the DTS track provides the most definition and impact when it hits. Dialogue is also clear. and sometimes for Ozzy that's a much-needed element to hear him correctly. There is also an effective Dolby Digital 5.1 mode and a general 2.0 surround. Rating: 5/5
BONUS - The DVD contains three bonus features that are brief but of some value as companion pieces to the film. First there is a Q&A segment with Ozzy and Jack Osbourne, as they discuss the film and how Jack was influential to his father's current sobriety. There are some Deleted Scenes of various bits that didn't make it into the film, one of note is Ozzy verbally growing frustrated at the Director over a series of questions he doesn't like. The final bit is footage at the red carpet debut of the film at Robert De Niro's Tribecca Film Festival in New York City. Rating: 3/5
On A Crazy Train
God Bless Ozzy Osbourne is a very good documentary. It's competently put together and structured well to keep a viewer's interest in what is most definitely one of the most fascinating figures in the music and entertainment business. It doesn't shy from taking the microscope to Ozzy's personal demons, vices, tragedy, and flaws, but it still gives kudos to his career as an artist and rock icon.
The DVD is a good offering, both in quality and content. The three sound modes give a viewer excellent listening options, and the features are amusing as well even though they are short in time. Any fan or slightly interested party would be well served to give this DVD documentary a go. Consumer/Collector Value: 4/5
Source:
- God Bless Ozzy Osbourne. Dir. Mike Fleiss, Mike Piscitelli. Perf. Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, Tommy Lee, Henry Rollins. 2011. Next Entertainment. Running Time: 135 mins.
Ryan Young - Ryan Young is a Film, DVD, and Book article review writer, based in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada.
