Search - Metal's Dark Side, Vol. 1: Hard and the Furious on DVD

Jasmine's Dark Side needs Work

Ken Pierce | Brooklyn,, NY USA | 06/14/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Sexy hostess and former adult actress Jasmine St. Claire apparently loves Heavy Metal music and by the look of this DVD it seems the harder the better. The DVD series she has launched entitled "Metal's Dark Side" is her aim at focusing on the darkest and heaviest stuff she can manage to bring you. While it was an interesting premise I wondered what the overall appeal would be on a larger scale. Jasmine being drop-dead gorgeous will appeal to the testosterone levels of most fans of this music but being an actress and then becoming a host of a program (even one of your own design) takes a little more skill than is demonstrated here. On the DVD Jasmine interviews several notable Death and Black Metal personalities along with traditional icons but the interviews seem very ad-hoc and don't give the viewer much in the way of interesting band commentary. Everyone seems to be whooping it up but there is nothing in-depth that will have you saying "AH HA, that's what they meant", and this factor makes the piece a watch once sort of thing. Without being totally negative on it, I felt this would make for an interesting cable television show to give extra pump to the music we all love and fight to keep vital, however just making this a DVD to sell will limit the chance for the wider populace to see it. Jasmine does include some of these bands videos, but with so many groups releasing compilation pieces and with other networks showcasing this type of thing again I was not that taken by their inclusion. There are interview segments and joking with all the groups listed and I think that the interview with Damageplan is probably the best segment on the whole video. It ends with a brief tribute to Dimebag Darrell, a man who Metal misses very much and will never forget.

According to the bonus features (which include Jasmine in a tub just talking Metal) this is a series she is launching and unless she focuses more on the way the content is delivered this could die a quiet death. There is too much nonsense stuff associated with Metal and while I think her heart is in the right place I think she needs to revisit the layout of this particular endeavor. It is admirable that she is taking a stand for Metal, as one more for the cause is always good but after you watch this once you will probably not do so again. Rent it on Net-Flix and grab some beers to watch it with your friends (if you can drink beers that is, otherwise its soda for you).

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