The Dirt

Biopics revolving around classic bands have definitely become a fad these days, even though they have been around for decades. The Dirt is the latest in the long line of musical biopics and this time it's hitting Netflix. As Mötley Crüe isn't exactly one of the greatest bands of all time to many people, their music has absolutely resonated with many listeners. Not knowing anything about the lives of these four men before going in, I'm pleasantly surprised that this story had a lot more to offer than the average biopic. Still, it does follow the tired formula, but that's okay, because it's done quite well here.

Following Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, and Mick Mars as they form an unlikely group of misfits, this band quickly shoots to superstardom, which ultimately leads to a life of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. This premise has been done to death through the years, so the only thing to truly keep you interested in movies like this is the content itself. From car accidents to overdosing, this is a film that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Sadly, the material presented throughout the majority of the film is quite unlikeable, to say the least.

You can't help but be disgusted by the actions of most of these men, but the music and shocking turn of events is why you watch movies like this, so for that reason, it all blends together quite well. Still, many viewers will be turned off by this film in the first five minutes, guaranteed. If you're in for a wild ride with sometimes disturbing imagery, bordering on pornography or actual footage of heroin overdosing, then I think you'll enjoy the movie for what it is. When watching this film, it became clear to me why this film never hit theatres, but that's not because it was bad by any means.

Although Vince (the lead singer) is played up as the most unlikeable character throughout the majority of the film, Daniel Webber gave a terrific performance. I would love to see his career explode more than it already has, because I believe he has some real dramatic talent, just waiting to be showcased. On top of that, Iran Rheon is the most likeable actor here and Douglas Booth as Nikki Sixx was great as well. Surprisingly, the breakout performance here is actually from Machine Gun Kelly (Colson Baker). I never would have expected that, but his devotion to this character was a joy to watch.

In the end, The Dirt is absolutely defined by its title, because this is a film that showcases the grit and griminess of the rock n' roll underworld. That aspect alone will turn viewers off, but it's a very well-made movie nonetheless. This is by no means one of the better biopics out there, but it's an enjoy film and better than a lot of the content Netflix has been making, in terms of feature films. To fans of Mötley Crüe or fans of a good biopic in general, I would recommend checking this one out. It's fairly standard fare with some surprisingly elements throughout.

The best thing about The Dirt is the performance of Colson Baker AKA Machine Gun Kelly as Tommy Lee. He is trying to put his talents to good use and I hope we'll see more of him on screen.

If you're a fan of Mötley Crüe, The Dirt is exactly what you want to see. But if you're, like myself, untouched by their output, you might as well perceive The Dirt as, to paraphrase a sentence from the beginning of the movie, the adventures of a gang of idiots.

Mind you, they were all musically gifted and were successful in a line of work that is difficult and, more often than not, unrewarding. In fact, I must give the authors the credit for the honesty. Sex, drugs and Rock'n'roll is a hard road to tread. And a fraction of those who choose it end at the same level of success and fame as Mötley Crüe.

I've watched it twice already and I can see this will be a movie I can rewatch a bunch n still enjoy. Do I wish it was longer? Yes. Do I wish they included 'Wildside" on the soundtrack? Yes. Will I buy this on blue ray when released?? Absolutely!!! - if you've read the book it will of course make the movie better (as they left many parts of the book out for better or worse) but I watched with some friends who didn't read the book (n aren't Crüe fans to the extent that I am) and they loved it. People will likely nip pick it to shreds but it was so fun and dark and sad and heavy - a little music lite for me in that I wish they featured so many more of their songs but the movie was really great and I'm glad they did this movie with reverence as it could have so easily been campy and cheesy and it's wasn't at all to me - I LOVED IT!!

"The Dirt" Drinking Game: take a shot of Jack Daniels whenever you hear the words "dude", "man" or "chicks". Take a shot for each bare breast you see. Check yourself into rehab 1.5 hours later.

I had been waiting to see this film for 12 years - ever since 17-year-old-me first read "The Dirt". It doesn't disappoint. In fact, it was way more enjoyable and fun than I thought it would be. It's cringeworthy, cheesy as hell and over-the-top - but then so is 80s rock. "The Dirt" seems self-aware of this though and doesn't take itself too seriously. It regularly breaks that fourth wall to hilarious effect.

It's basically a comedy with a side of debauchery, partying and drug addiction. Oh and there's occasionally some awesome music thrown in too. It follows the four band member narratives just like in the book - and it works. I came away with Mick Mars having become my new favourite member of Mötley Crüe. I feel they got the personalities dead-on.

Given the length of the book, this rollercoaster felt like it was over all too soon. Still, it was fun while it lasted - much like the career of Motley itself. Go into this with an open mind, don't take it too seriously and just enjoy the ride.

Most fun I've had watching a movie in ages. I'm off to go spin my copy of "Dr Feelgood" now!

I went into this with extremely low expectations and was more than pleasantly surprised. The casting is near perfect. Machine Gun Kelly knocked it out of the park as Tommy Lee. Being a huge Crue fan in the 80's none of the material in this film is new to me and yes I was very aware of inconsistencies that were presumably done for theatrical and story telling purposes. None of that bothers me. To me, this is the right kind of awesomely cheesy. I'm impressed with the actors in this film. They inhabited the personas of Vince, Mick, Nikki, and Tommy really well. And I think that was the idea. Lastly, I've always resonated most with Nikki and seeing his childhood trauma depicted on the big screen was deeply moving. It's truly a miracle that guy is alive and well.