Black Sabbath: The End of the End
directed by Dick Carruthers
starring Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, and Geezer Butler
Trafalgar Releasing
After 49 years of working of rock and roll, Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath are surprisingly still alive. The band formed up in 1968 Birmingham (UK) and set the standard for hard rock music for the next 50 years. Part concert, part slice of life interview, this film is a must-see for the hard rock fan. Ozzy’s on-stage vocals sound clean and clear even if his off-stage interviews really could use subtitles. The movie reports the positive story of the band: no recriminations, no past slights, and no reference to the kilos of coke that went of their noses.
We hear a good selection of the famous songs; most of those are off early albums. Judicious cuts take us to either a post-concert recording session or “back of the limo” footage. The groupies and fan boys stay far behind the velvet rope. This film shows the band at its best, as well it should be. We all grew up with this sound and tonight is not the night for dishing the dirt. Enough bios and tell-all articles exist. They may be endlessly entertaining, but this is the night for a lovefest. We revel in the clean, off-the-mix board sound, Ozzy’s clear and distinctive voice, and take one last look at the soundtrack to our lives. The flame throwers astound, the groupies are still willing to do it with a man who could be their grandfather, and all is right with the rock and roll world.
