masonfisk A cool doc on the Brooklyn based internet band, Unlocking the Truth, which smashes more stereotypes than it creates. Tracing the ups & downs of a rock group in ascendance, we get a nebbish manager who sees a great thing but his frustrations soon fuel his regrets, a trio of talented pre-teens wondering when their big break will happen & the supportive parents who give their undying attention to their children but not at the expense of them having fun.

grandmalonethirtyeight This is documentary is a bit hard to watch. I don't want this review to come off as being mean, I'm just being real about it...which is something that these kids are definitely get enough of.Let's start with a point that exposes the inherent flaw in the entire concept - metal is not something that can be manufactured and pre-packaged and still work or be respected. It is blindingly obvious from the beginning that this accidentally becomes a documentary about exploitation and a grab at quick fame, rather than a doc about a band. No matter what sub genre of metal you look at, you're not going to find a band that gets signed to a major label without having any songs, nor any touring time logged. I thought it was hilarious that the room number at the first hotel they stay in was 322 (if you don't get what I mean, google the significance of the number 322). No songs, no following outside of the internet, and nothing exceptional about the musicianship (even for their age), it is hard not to ask yourself the question that one of the kids actually admits to being aware of in the the doc - does the tremendously high level of professional support behind this band not make it obvious that it's for nothing more than a novelty act? Would this all have happened if it wasn't 3 Black kids playing metal? I wouldn't have asked myself if this were the case if Sony wasn't throwing a million dollars at a band with little to no original material, zero road experience, and no exceptionally jaw dropping musical ability? Personally, I highly doubt it. The adults around these kids in the doc are clearly trying to cash in quickly, otherwise they would have been telling them to keep practicing, writing, and playing shows for at least another 5 years in order to find their sound and polish up their musicianship. There are several cringe-worthy moments in this doc...so many that I'm cringing from just thinking about it enough to write a few words on it. I was going to go further into detail, but decided that just the very little I've written about it here pretty much sufficiently sums it all up. Have a watch of it and see if you agree.

Larry Silverstein This documentary gives us an inside look at what happens when 3 middle schoolers from Flatbush, Brooklyn go from a viral video of their metal band, Unlocking the Truth, performing on the streets of NYC, in Times Square, to trying to traverse the often shallow and slimy music industry to get their career off the ground. The 12 and 13-year-olds Malcolm Brickhouse, Jarad Dawkins, and Alec Atkins are typical youths in many ways with interests in video games, skateboards, girls, and music. However, the music they play is certainly not typical, especially since the 3 African American band members are playing heavy metal, with an audience that's historically predominantly white. The band will soon have a manager in Alan Sacks, co-creator of Welcome Back Cotter and influential in the career of the Jonas Brothers. They'll also quickly find themselves in the offices of Sony Music signing a recording contract, be slated for music festivals, tours, and major media appearances.In my opinion, they are talented in what they do, but one can't help but get the impression that they're being marketed for their novelty brand and not for their music. In one scene in the film, this is mentioned by their manager as he reads a critique of the band, and Malcolm honestly answers that he's very much aware of it.Overall, this documentary, directed by Luke Meyer, gives the viewer some idea of the artificiality of what happens when big business and adults collide with 3 talented but very raw young musicians. I was interested enough to follow up from where the movie left off, and let's just say I was not surprised as to what happened post-film. However, I am also interested enough to want to know what this band's future holds for them in the coming years.

Albert_Orr Breaking a Monster is a fascinating rockumentary about 3 teenage boys caught in the absurdity of the music industry. The film introduces us to Malcolm, Jarad and Alec - three 13 year-old African American musicians from Brooklyn who play heavy metal music on the streets of New York City. When one of their youtube videos goes viral, a music producer called Alan Sacks signs them onto a 5 album record deal with Sony Music. Without any recordings or music videos, the trio embark on a US tour whilst simultaneously being dragged from meeting to meeting with old, white, music executives. Although the music in the film is incredible, and the boys themselves are super charismatic, the crux of the intrigue here is the relationship between Sacks and the 3 teenagers. His attempts to 'guide' them into fame are met with their teenage desire to question and misbehave. The boys interrogate Sacks on when they will see the money from their 'million-dollar' contract, and try and sneak into his fridge during recording sessions to drink more coca-cola. Breaking a Monster is as funny as it is insightful, the 3 boys are intelligent, talented, and hilarious. They have so much personality, and are so unique in their own way, you can imagine they'd get famous regardless of the route. This film was real winner for me, and while the ending felt like a cliffhanger, it enticed me to go straight online and keep the story going.