“Last Days Here” is an emotionally charged rock doc that tells a story of addiction, Rock and Roll, and redemption. A fan of Pentagram, a fairly unknown metal band from the early 70’s, sets on a mission to save the severely drug addicted lead singer of the band from an early death and eternal obscurity. Sean “Pellet” Pelletier’s love of music and a dedication to share his passion with the world, fuels his drive to help Bobby Liebling overcome decades of demons that have left him on what appears to be his last days.
(Note: a screener of the film was made available for this review.)
Beyond following the story of Liebling’s struggle to get clean and back on stage, the film does a great job of introducing the viewer to a hidden treasure largely ignored by the music industry. Pentagram’s sound is very much in the vein of Black Sabbath, however, they’re far from imitators, instead they’re the famous band’s undiscovered contemporaries. The song “Forever My Queen” from the group’s 1973 demo, which is showcased in the film, contains a haunting, yet severely infectious riff. As a fan in the movie does a great job of explaining, as well as having solid, hard-hitting music, Pentagram is alluring because they’re authentic heavy metal pioneers that are far from overexposed.
The documentary is a compelling look into a dark side of life and the immense power of music. Directors Don Argott and Demian Fenton have a previous foray into music as a tool of empowerment with their 2005 documentary “Rock School.” “Last Days Here” is a bit grimmer than the amazingly inspirational “The Story of Anvil,” however, it’s a gripping, satisfying and touching trip worth taking. The film is distributed by IFC and soon available on-demand.
Check out Insomniac Magazine’s interview with the stars of “The Story of Anvil.”
I watched “Last Days Here” a couple weeks ago and pretty much agree with your review- except for your assessment that the film was grim in comparision to the “amazingly inspirational” Anvil movie. If anything, I believe the oppositie is true. While Bobby Liebling is not exactly a glorious figure for the majority of the film, it does at least have a happy-ish ending and one is left with the hope that Bobby will stay on the right path, etc. During the Anvil movie, I basically felt sorry for those guys pretty much right through to the end. It was depressing at times and even uncomrtable at points. Happy ending there? I guess. And though taste is subjective and the respective bands’ music is not necessarily a focal point in each film, it remains that Anvil was/is a thoroughly ordinary, generic heavy metal band while Pentagram was/is an underground legend and pioneers of their genre. I guess maybe that influences my judgment here.
Great assessment of the film. The destruction of drug addiction is what made this a darker story overall. However, I also agree with your thoughts on the importance of Pentagram’s music. I believe that also makes it tragic because their potential as a significant force in metal was stunted due to the demons clearly depicted in the film. I guess knowing the epilogue to the Anvil story (not in the film) caused me to paint a rosier picture for their doc. Regardless, thank you for the insightful perspective and contribution here.