Mean Man can be compared to 2008’s Anvil: The Story of Anvil, but, although the two tell similar stories, it isn’t as funny, inspiring or triumphant.
If you’ve seen the 1988 documentary The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years, you probably remember the interview with W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes. As he floated in a swimming pool, fully clothed, and obviously drunk, Holmes guzzled a bottle of vodka, and labeled himself a “full blown alcoholic” and “a piece of crap” — in front of his mother. When asked what he’d be doing in 10 years, Holmes mused, “I’ll probably be dead.”
Thirty-three years later, Holmes is not only still alive but he’s in the process of launching a new band in Europe. Now sober, Holmes lives with his wife, Sarah, at her mother’s place in Cannes, France. Mean Man: The Story of Chris Holmes documents Holmes’ tour through Europe as he supports his new album. The film shows Holmes meeting with fans, playing small clubs, loading his gear before and after shows, and sightseeing. Interspersed throughout the film are interviews with Holmes as well as former W.A.S.P. band mates Stet Howland and Johnny Rod, and other musicians who tout Holmes as either an influence or who rose to fame around the same time he did. If the names Scott Ian, Dani Filth, Dizzy Reed, and Joey Vera mean anything to you, you’re in the target audience for this movie.
The central theme of Mean Man is Holmes taking a public swing at W.A.S.P. front man, Blackie Lawless. Holmes maintains that even though he’s credited as a composer on a majority of songs from W.A.S.P.’s early days, he never received any publishing royalties. Holmes blames Lawless as well as his own ignorance of how “the money worked” back then. Holmes — and some of the interviewees — also claim that Lawless held Holmes back in the studio and purposefully kept him from doing any publicity for himself. Lawless, who’s real name is Steven Duren, is portrayed as a slave-driving phony who stands as the polar opposite of Holmes, the fun-loving, real rock-and-roller.
Holmes comes across as a big kid with an endless enthusiasm for lowbrow humor who says exactly what he thinks. I have to credit his wife for her endless patience. She constantly has to reel him in as he acts inappropriately in a variety of settings around Europe. Although, Holmes does seem to be a genuinely nice guy too. There’s a scene where he politely asks a man to see the engine of his small European car. As he looks under the hood, Holmes lights up with curiosity and thanks the man repeatedly for allowing him to see it.
Mean Man can be compared to 2008’s Anvil: The Story of Anvil, but, although the two tell similar stories, it isn’t as funny, inspiring, or triumphant. If the movie had followed Holmes trying to regain the rights to his publishing royalties or even attempting to get a public acknowledgment from Blackie Lawless for his contributions to W.A.S.P.’s early, signature sound, it would have been more compelling. As it is, it’s nice to see that Chris Holmes is alive and well and making music on his terms. But that’s basically it.
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
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