Flight 666

Flight 666 the Movie

Glasgow Premiere

Review by ~Jenna

April 21st 2009 was a very special day for Maiden fans everywhere. This was the day that Maiden's full length feature documentary "Flight 666" hit cinemas all over the world for one night only. The closest cinema to me showing it was in Braehead, just outside Glasgow and I was not missing this extravaganza for anyone!! It was sold out and it was so nice to see the place packed out with nearly every person decked out in a Maiden shirt.

No trailers, no ads - just straight into nearly two hours of heavy metal perfection. Interspersed between clips of live performances were interviews with various band members and crew, and a sneaky peak backstage giving us a glimpse of what life on the road is like for one of metal's most celebrated bands. There were many lighthearted moments in the film causing the entire audience to erupt in laughter, with Bruce and Nicko providing many of the film's comedy moments. One of my personal favorite parts of the film is seeing Ed Force One in full flight. Be it over sandy deserts or snow capped mountains - it's just a breathtaking sight.

The Somewhere Back In Time tour is one of, is not the, most ambitious tour undertaken by any band - playing a grand total of 23 concerts in just 45 days whilst covering over 50,000 miles! Starting Mumbai, India and and storming through places like Sydney, Tokyo, Bogota's¡, Buenos Aires to the final destination in Toronto, Canada - the scale of it all was just mind-blowing! When the band gets to South America, that's when things really start to get crazy. Steve has always said that South America is his favorite place to play and it's not hard to see why. The dedication from the fans is just staggering, with some of them camping out for a week or more with no food or shelter and under strict military watch just so they can get a chance to be at the front to see their heroes perform. Seeing one fan overcome with emotion after he caught Nicko's drumstick just shows how much this band and their music means to people. It also shows that people from all walks of life are Maiden fans - from little kids going to their first Maiden shows with their parents to "Father Iron Maiden", a Brazilian Priest who has adorned his entire body with Maiden tattoos and uses their lyrics in his sermons. The band get mobbed everywhere they go and the arrival of Ed Force One causes nearly every airport it lands at to grind to a complete halt.

Of course no Maiden tour documentary would be complete without music - and lots of it! Showing clips of nearly every single song from their set list, it really shows why Maiden are one of the best live bands around. Opening with the thundering assault of Aces High right through to the closing epic that is Hallowed Be Thy Name, we are treated to classic after classic. The musical highlights for me were Rime Of The Ancient Mariner and seeing Nicko effortlessly hammering out Heaven Can Wait barefoot. It is doubtful that this film would hold much interest for the non Maiden fans but for the diehards like myself, it was captivating from beginning to end. I was lucky enough to catch Maiden's SBIT show at Twickenham Stadium in London and know just how incredible a show they put on during this tour. If the live clips are anything to go by, then this is going to be one hell of a live DVD surpassing even the likes Live After Death in sheer scale and grandeur! The DVD is released on May 25th in the UK and the 9th of June in the US and Canada and I will be one of the first ones in the queue to buy it! Up The Bloody Irons!

Flight 666 the Movie

Las Vegas Premiere

Review by ~Downshifter

Las Vegas maidens fans showed up in a sea of black maiden shirts however the theater at the palms still had some seats open. The movie was awesome, and I enjoyed the cinematography of the shots of the venues, the shots over Nicko looking down on his kit, and especially the shots of Ed force one in flight. My favorite would have to be when they were leaving the Los Angeles gig and flying over Palm Springs and all the solar wind mills. The Brazilian Priest scene was funny as hell, and I laughed every time I saw Nicko eating Pizza after each gig. The crowd at this Vegas show was good and applauded several of the scenes, and even sang along to several song's€¦ Hallowed be thy name was kick ass in that matter. The Film gained high audience approval at end, with a roaring applause and cheers.

There were no posters in sight, or any mention on the marquees of this film, the only thing they had going was a table setup from a national retail chain that was taking preorders, I managed to get preorders on the 2 set DVD, and a pre order on a vinyl version as well. They hooked me up with a couple Patches.

Look for this release = Street Date is 6/9/09