For my long trip to Hivefest I loaded up my tablet with some movies from Netflix. Here is a run-down of what I watched.

Metal Lords

I heard this movie mentioned on a guitar podcast and it looked like fun. It tells the story of a high school metal band fighting the odds. There is a bit of a jocks versus geeks thing going on, but a lot of the conflict is within the band. Being an outsider is hard. I did not notice any big names apart from some rock legends making cameo appearances, but the cast were good and the music is great. It makes me want to play War Pigs on my drums. There is some violence and swearing, but if you are into metal that should not be an issue. Even if you are not then I think you may enjoy it. It does a good job of showing what being in a band is like and there are a few laughs along the way.

Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee

This was a very different movie. It is a documentary about what happened when anti-virus developer John McAfee went on the run after his neighbour was murdered in Belize. Some reporters travelled with him around various countries and filmed it all. The murder may not be officially solved, but McAfee was a crazy guy who loved attention. He made a lot of money and so could afford a big boat to sail around on with his stash of guns and loads of booze. He gets through a couple of young girlfriends over the few years this covers. I learnt a bit more about the guy, but I expect much will remain a mystery.

Fantastic Fungi

I recently read a book about fungi and I thought this might expand on that. It was interesting anyway. It features mycologist Paul Stamets who was also in the book, so I learnt more about him. There was a fair bit about 'magic mushrooms' and their potential to treat various conditions. It was worth a watch. The photography is impressive and there are lots of visualisations too.

Otway the Movie

Back on the music theme this documentary covers the career of Otway, which has been somewhat erratic. After an initial hit in the 70s which got him a big advance he has struggled to find success. It is not down to lack of enthusiasm and he has a cult following. He has come up with various schemes to play the system. I have not watched the last half hour of this yet, but I have been enjoying it. His zest for life is infectious and I was smiling as I watched it.