IRAN MAIDEN… FINDING METAL WHERE YOU LEAST EXPECT IT
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 1:59pm by Corey Mitchell
Nothing cracks me up more than finding some reference to heavy metal in movies. Usually, it’s pretty goofy or mocking of metal such as Axl’s recent post here about Metallica in The Darwin Awards with Winona Ryder or that ridiculous Steve Buscemi/Adam Sandler/Brendan Fraser turd Airheads.
Every now and then, however, you might find an extremely cool tie-in such as the use of several Metallica songs in Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills or the masterpiece known as This is Spinal Tap. (Yeah, it’s goofy and mocking of metal, but it is still a brilliant, all-too-real depiction of a washed-up ’80s hard rock/metal band.)
I recently came across another heavy metal/movie tie-in in a film where I never would have expected one.
The film is Persepolis, which received an Oscar nomination in 2008 for Best Animated Film and was also a Golden Globe/Independent Spirit Award nominee for Best Foreign Film. The black-and-white 2-D animated feature tells the true story of a girl who flees the tyranny and suppression of females in her home country of Iran.
She also has an infinity for heavy metal and, in particular, Iron Maiden.
Check out this clip:
Unfortunately, the song played is not Iron Maiden. According to director and creator Marjane Satrapi (whose life the movie is based upon) in an interview in the DVD extras, Maiden wanted way too much money to use their song in the film. Since the movie was very low-budget, the filmmakers could not afford to pay for the rights so they created their own song.
As Satrapi added, “too bad for them.”
Too bad, indeed.
-CM
That clip is amazing. Satrapi’s art translates so well to animation. But what does it mean to have “an infinity for heavy metal and, in particular, Iron Maiden?” Is that like loving it without end?
I think he means “affinity”…
Great movie. The commic it was based on is great too. Her off key singing of “eye of the tiger” in it just kills me with lughter each time i hear it
Thanks, Satan. Good catch and I like your reinterpretation.
Haven’t seen the movie yet, but the book (”The Complete Persepolis”) is wonderful. Thanks for posting this.
Good stuff.
Infinity? Are you trying to say ‘affinity’? cus it hurts my ears when you say that.
Yes, Lee. See the above comments. That’s what happens when I try to write while losing the battle to the infamous Texas Hill Country cedar and also while expelling my innards on the toilet seventeen times in one day.
Fuckin’ grammar Nazis. You guys are worse than my publishers.
Kill Yourself, Airheads was the shit!!!!
@Gordon: Leave out “the” and you hit the nail on the head.
Yes, both the film and comic are great and have several references to pop culture pre- and post-revolution in Iran, including the Maiden reference. Not your typical “kiddie” animated fare at all – very adult death and sex issues all over the place.
Damn, dude. I gotta watch this fuckin’ movie.
wuuuuuuuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuu bien loco se llaman herreros no?¿ o metaleros creo y q viva cristo jesus el unico rey q vencio al demonio
no q muy machines?¿
no crean q soy mexicano soy peruanoooooooooooo