By Robert Scucci
| Published
As a musician, I pride myself on my willingness to succumb to the tedium of daily practice. Half the time I’m watching movies to review for this site, I’m running some kind of finger exercise so I have the muscle memory down for my next gig. Phil Ward’s Lemmy from 1988’s Hellbent, however, takes a more Faustian approach in his quest for musical mastery and signs his soul over to the Devil. His effort to skip the hard part leads him to hard rock, hard habits, and hardships, all at his own hands as the devil laughs in his face, waiting for his downfall and to claim what is rightfully and contractually his.
I can’t say with confidence that Jack Black and Kyle Gass had ever seen Hellbent, but it plays like a proto punk rock version of their 2006 cult classic, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. The only difference is that the humor is somehow more crude and the stakes are higher. Playing it somewhat straight, but with a sick sense of humor holding it together, Hellbent is one of those back-pocket films you may never have heard of but will appreciate if you like power chords, feedback, and maybe just a little too much cough syrup for recreational purposes.
Fame Is A Fickle Mistress
Hellbent zeroes in on Lemmy (Phil Ward) and his live-in girlfriend, Angel (Lyn Levand), two struggling punk rock musicians trying to make a name for themselves. When they and the rest of their band find out they are locked out of their rehearsal space for lapsing on rent, they risk losing their sessions to the owners, who plan to reuse the stock tape they recorded their music onto. Like clockwork, Mr. Tanas (David Marciano), the owner of Bar Sinister, approaches Lemmy with a deal he cannot refuse. In exchange for his soul, he will get a record deal and the chance to push his band to the next level.
Like any desperate musician (and trust me, I have met plenty), Lemmy accepts Mr. Tanas’ offer, and things start to look good for his band. The honeymoon phase ends quickly when Lemmy gets lost in the sauce as his ego fully takes hold. Even though his success is not of his own doing but the result of a shady backdoor deal with the devil, he still chooses to live the ego-driven rock and roll lifestyle, developing a nasty cough syrup habit that surprisingly does not help his vocal performances in any conceivable way.
A Punk Rock Twist On A Classic Tale
Though we have all heard countless variations of Faust making a deal with the devil for fame and fortune, Hellbent scores serious points for its approach to cinematography. It is a scripted work of fiction, but writer and director Richard Casey films it like a rockumentary following a punk band. Hellbent’s story beats are predictable, but two things make it worth a watch for fans of punk music and cynical comedy.
First, Lemmy is chaos personified. His success goes straight to his head and his tragic downfall is wrapped in dark humor that makes you want to root for him while also wanting to smack him for acting so foolish. More importantly, the film’s imagery is gritty and vibrant, giving it a junky, almost cartoonish aesthetic that sells the premise.
If you have ever been in a punk venue bathroom after cashing in too many free drink tickets after your gig, you know exactly what I mean. Every vibrant aura becomes more visceral because of how the colors pop off the screen, making Hellbent surprisingly immersive for a film released straight to video.
The Double Feature Rockers Deserve
The best way to watch Hellbent is as a double feature with Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. Both films tackle the same subject matter but take wildly different approaches to storytelling. Hellbent may play things a little more straight than The D, but the humor will not be lost on you if you are a musician or at least appreciate musical comedies that do not fall into the usual formulaic biopic pattern.
As of this writing, you can stream both Hellbent and The Pick of Destiny for free on Tubi.
