Madcap yet captivating, the heavy metal Finland hit Heavy Trip makes its way to a DVD release in the good ole USA. With an audience target of mostly metal heads, the film does play well to those who like a wacky comedy now and then. It’s not your ordinary foreign film with all the glam, history, costumes, and mansions, well you know what I mean. Heavy Trip turns out to be a story of a dreamer who wants to get out of his small home town in Finland and make it big on a stage with thousands of head bangers screaming for visions of hell and the devil.
Turo Moilanen (Johannes Holopainen) would love to get out of the small town of Taivalkoski, Finland as with his long hair the male townsfolk call him a homosexual as rides a girl’s bike to get around. But he ignores them as he’s got better things to do like practice in his heavy metal band called “Impaled Rektum”. The members of the band are his best friends since they were kids Lotvonen (Samuli Jaskio) who plays a mean guitar, Pasi/Xytrax (Max Ovaska) who “burns” on the bass, Jynkky (Antti Heikkinen) a “killer” with a set of drum, and of course Turo as their front man. They have been practicing together for 12 years.
When asked what kind of heavy metal they play, the answer: Symphonic postapocalyptic, reindeer grinding, Christ abusing, extreme war pagan, “Fennoscandic” metal. It’s music don’t you know?
They would love to get out of the boring lives and a get a gig, but no one has a club that would want a heavy metal band. There only hope is to get a concert where they can show their talent and become famous. They practice at Lotvonen’s reindeer slaughter house where there aren’t any people around to object. They also need a song that isn’t a cover that other metal bands have already made. But, Lotvonen discovers their new sound in a very strange way. One day Lotvonen’s dad gets a call from a Frank Massegrav (Rune Temte) looking for a large container of Reindeer blood for his huge invitational heavy Metal concert the Northern Damnation Festival in Norway.
So begins a quest to get invited to the fest, find transportation, get support from his crush Miia (Minka Kuustonen), and change their perception to the town’s people that are really not too fond of the band. Directors and writers Jukka Vidgren and Juuso Laatio put together a hilarious film that finds the guys in some shaky situations, fending off a jealous suitor, avoiding Lotvonen’s father who thinks their playing makes the reindeer he raises want to kill themselves, and a local cop who would kill anyone who dishonored his daughter Miia. Then there’s Jynkky’s health condition and at the nursing home where Turo works, there’s a strange nutty guy named Oula (Chike Ohanwe).
The acting throughout is very good and representative of a metal band trying to make the big time. I like the choices of personalities that clash at times, yet are best friends who can stick together no matter how bad the situation gets. They each develop their own quirky character and create comedy that’s infectious. And the road trip gets very hilarious especially when they have to deal with the Norwegian border guards.
BONUS EXTRAS:
“Bonus Scenes & Bloopers”
“Heavy Trip Goes to Texas” a series of very funny sketches of Turo Moilanen (Johannes Holopainen) and his band manager and famous singer Jouni Tulkku when they went to Austin, Texas. I plays out a lot like
“Bands React to Impaled Rektum”
“Flooding Secretions” by Impaled Rektum- a heavy metal song/music from the film
“Jump Into My Net” by Jouni Tulkku & the Star Mustaches- a very suggestive karaoke video of a song from the film
Heavy Trip may sound like a bit too much for the ordinary home movie lover, but if you do like a lot of craziness and can read the subtitles without any trouble, I do recommend the film. It’s not rated by the MPAA, but contains rude comments, offensive language, violence, satanic lyrics, sex, brief nudity and sexual innuendos. Would the film have been better received had they used English instead of their native Finish? Either way the sight gags work, the situations are very wacky and that’s a plus. Besides you do have a pause button on that video player.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Even if you do not like heavy metal, it’s a fun DVD. (3.5 out of 5 Stars)
Specifications and additional video information:
Starring: Samuli Jaskio, Chike Ohanwe, Max Ovaska, Johannes Holopainen, Minka Kuustonen and Johannes Holopainen
Directed and co-written by: Jukka Vidgren, Juuso Laatio
Genre: Comedy, Music, Heavy Metal
Running Time: 1 hr. 32 min.
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, contains language, moderate violence, rude comments, sexually suggestive material
Original Theatrical Release: October 5, 2018
Video Release Date: November 20, 2018
Language: Finish (with English Subtitles)
Reviewed Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Number of Discs: 1 disc
Distributed by: Music Box
Released Formats: DVD, VOD
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
