DI’ANNO: A Harrowing Journey

DI’ANNO: IRON MAIDEN’S LOST SINGER (Blu-ray)

2026 / 96 min

Cleopatra Entertainment

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the ‘banger😺

In this case, the ‘lost’ of the title does not mean forgotten…at least among die hard Maidenheads. Not to date myself, but yours truly has been one since high school, when I spotted Iron Maiden’s second album, Killers, at a local record store, its gloriously hideous cover practically daring me to listen to it. Which I did, and…mind officially blown. 

These were the days before Bruce Dickinson (if that name doesn’t ring a bell, why the hell are you reading this?). Until then, it was a lean & mean Paul Di’Anno belting out the songs. And he was good, too.

Then he was gone, just as Maiden was about to break big. Di’Anno didn’t just lose-hold of the brass ring. Mostly by his own hand, he chucked that ring so far he’d never find it again. Following his firing, he spent the rest of his life shitting in his own nest with one lousy decision after another, both musically and personally. Unrecognizable from his glory period, Di’Anno spent his final years in a wheelchair before dying in 2024. But God bless him, he never stopped trying to make music, even if few were actually listening anymore.

Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer is an unflinching documentary that’s sometimes difficult to watch, yet undeniably fascinating. The film largely focuses on his final years and the severe health problems he was dealing with. By this time, he’s financially strapped, grotesquely overweight and, most significantly, in dire need of a knee surgery he can’t afford on his own. Di’Anno candidly talks about his situation, while holding out hope that he’ll someday be able to walk again. He doesn’t come across as particularly sympathetic, nor does he try. He’s well aware of his personal shortcomings and makes no apologies for them.

Di’Anno’s past is summarized throughout the narrative, from his brief time in Maiden through numerous other failed musical projects and personal problems, which mostly serve to confirm that he’s always been his own worst enemy. Friends, ex-bandmates and relatives are interviewed as well, offering their own insights and experiences with the singer’s volatile personality (which, of course, was often fueled by drugs). All he’s lost over the years makes his present predicament all the more tragic. Concert footage of Di’Anno in his wheelchair, croaking out Maiden classics in small clubs with a band of hired hands speaks volumes about his determination, but it’s also kind of depressing.

However, the most shocking parts of the film are those focusing on his health, which are really tough to watch. With financial help from a dedicated fan and Iron Maiden themselves, Di’Anno finally gets the surgery he needs, which is shown in gruesome, graphic detail. My stomach even did a couple of flip-flops during those scenes. I’ll say one thing…it was certainly brave of him to allow filmmakers to document what a trainwreck he’d become.

For Maiden fans such as myself, seeing his final years documented in such grim detail is a harrowing experience. Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer is easily the most disturbing music doc I've ever seen, but compulsively watchable for the same reason.

EXTRA KIBBLES

DELETED SCENES

Catnip Reviews: HANKY PANKY, CHEAP THRILLS and CINDERELLA: IN CONCERT

Snack-sized opinions from the frisky felines at Free Kittens…

HANKY PANKY (Blu-ray) - This romantic comedy is mostly a footnote in the careers of a few Hollywood legends. The first pairing of Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner, the film tells sort of a Hitchcockian story with a comedic spin. Unfortunately, it’s seldom particularly thrilling, and though its two stars exhibit agreeable onscreen chemistry, the film rarely rises above mildly amusing. As much as I’ve always respect Sidney Poitier as an actor, it’s a different story when he’s calling the shots in the director’s chair. Hanky Panky is watchable, especially for those who were charmed by the stars’ real-life relationship. But by-and-large, it’s a forgettable film that squanders the talents of a lot of people on both sides of the camera.   (1982/108 min/Alliance Entertainment).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼

CHEAP THRILLS (Blu-ray) - A rich couple coerces two financially strapped friends into performing demeaning, increasingly dangerous acts for money in this pitch black comedy. But before anyone assumes Cheap Thrills is a scripted variation of Jackass, the film sometimes appears to have more on its mind than shocking the viewer. There’s a clear underlying theme of the “haves vs. the have-nots” permeating the narrative, and the increasing animosity between its two main characters takes the story to some pretty dark places. With morons in the real world doing stupid things on YouTube and TikTok for free, I suppose the film would’ve seemed edgier if made a decade earlier, but it’s still a morbidly compelling descent into depravity and desperation, anchored by dedicated performances from the entire cast. This new Blu-ray release includes a big selection of new and archival bonus features. (2013/85 min/Arrow Video).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😺😺😺

CINDERELLA: IN CONCERT (Blu-ray) - Any Cinderella fans still out there? Okay, you three…stop what you’re doing and stick this one in your Amazon cart right now! You won’t be disappointed, as this 1991 concert video captures the band at the height of their powers, just before grunge came along to relegate nearly every hair band to the state fair circuit. For the uninitiated, these guys were part of a second wave of popular glam metal bands who took things to the next level (at least visually). Try as they might, Cinderella never quite escaped their image, but were actually better than many others of their ilk, with a hell of a screecher in singer/guitarist Tom Keifer and a blues-based approach that made songs like “Gypsy Road” and “Shelter Me” pretty catchy. This Blu-ray disc sounds great and the concert itself is well shot, featuring all the band’s biggest hits.  (1991/80 min/cleopatra Entertainment).

KITTY CONSENSUS: 😼😼😼

HALLOWED BY THEIR NAME Is A Maiden Voyage

HALLOWED BY THEIR NAME: THE UNOFFICIAL IRON MAIDEN BIBLE (Book)

By Martin Popoff

2025 / 666p (naturally)

From Schiffer Publishing

Review by Mr. Bonnie, the Banger😺

When this arrived, my first thought was that it would break every bone in my foot if I happened to drop it. This is a massive, meaty volume, as any biography about heavy metal legends should be. 

And Iron Maiden aren’t just legendary (to say nothing of hugely influential), their brand is still culturally relevant. My own daughters probably couldn’t name a single one of their songs, but they sure as hell know the band’s iconic logo and mascot, Eddie (as would anyone else who regularly ventures into Hot Topic). As for their headbanging ol’ Dad, he’s been a die hard fan since Maiden’s first album…way back in 1980, before most Americans had even heard of them.

I’ve also read numerous books about Iron Maiden, but none as comprehensive as Hallowed By Their Name. I suppose it’s not quite a biography in the purest sense, since it focuses almost exclusively on the band’s musical career, album by album, along with the massive tours in between and numerous line-up changes over the years. Anyone curious about Steve Harris’ childhood are advised to look elsewhere, since the closest the book dives into anyone’s personal life is when it influences or affects the band. And as the “unofficial” part of the title indicates, a majority of the stories and anecdotes are culled from various interviews over the years, from band members to roadies to important figures like manager Ron Smallwood.

Still, it’s a fascinating read. After a lengthy introduction that charts Maiden’s tumultuous rise from playing British pubs to being the poster boys for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), every album and tour (Iron Maiden to Senjutsu) is chronicled in enough detail to sate even the most hardcore fan. Concurrently, the chapters keep tabs on careers of notable former members, such as perpetually troubled Paul Di’Anno (RIP), and current lead singer Bruce Dickenson’s solo projects. During the course of this nearly 50-year journey, author Martin Popoff also discusses the ever-changing musical climate and Maiden’s status and relevance within it. 

Speaking of the author, Popoff is a prolific and engaging music writer who focuses almost exclusively on rock & metal. I’ve read some of his other books, all which reflect an exhausting amount of research, so there’s no disputing his knowledge of the genre. While I’ve enjoyed his previous biographies, I sometimes took issue with the overt subjectivity he’d frequently interject, writing as though his own critical assessments reflect a general consensus. Although some of his personal opinions about various songs/albums pop up in this one from time to time, he mostly lets his subjects tell a majority of this story. Besides, Mr. Popoff, everybody knows Powerslave is their greatest album (see what I did there?).

I can’t say I’m crazy about the cover, but inside, Hallowed By Their Name is a thing of beauty. Hundreds of photos are included throughout its glossy pages, as well as promotional material and, of course, plenty of Derek Riggs’ iconic artwork (by the way, this is the second Iron Maiden book I’ve read where Riggs comes across as kind of a dick). Capping things off are the complete discographies of Iron Maiden and various band members’ solo/side projects. 

Epic in length and aesthetically gorgeous, Hallowed By Their Name is a terrific book about one of metal’s greatest bands. I think even the most knowledgeable Maiden fans will find much that’s revelatory. And I did happen to drop it once while reading. Luckily, I missed my foot, but it hit the floor hard enough to scare the shit out of my cats.

TRICK OR TREAT (4K) and a Band Called Fastway

TRICK OR TREAT (4K UHD)

1986 / 97 min

From Synapse Films

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

For a brief time in the early 80s, Fastway was a hard rock band getting a lot of attention and I was a huge fan of their Zeppelinesque debut album, which totally kicked ass. However, fame is fickle and fleeting. Unable to sustain the momentum, Fastway quickly faded into obscurity, but not before making one last stab at remaining relevant by creating the songs for 1986’s Trick or Treat.

The heavy metal aspect is what got me interested in seeing the film. As much as I’ve always liked horror, the genre was becoming pretty rote at the time, with seemingly every producer and studio trying to establish a franchise with their own Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees. But in addition to Fastway, Trick or Treat had a bit of cultural timeliness going for it. This was the era of satanic panic, when countless religious groups, vote-baiting politicians and bored housewives singled out popular music - metal, in particular - as an insidious influence on impressionable kids.

So the consequences of playing a record backwards is a tailor-made concept for a horror movie, which Treat or Treat pulls-off pretty well. It’s got a story that’s initially similar to Carrie, where metal-loving teenager Eddie Weinbauer (Marc Price) is subjected to constant bullying by his peers. His one respite is the music he loves, especially shock-rocker Sammi Curr (Tony Fields), who once graduated from the same high school.

When his idol unexpectedly dies, Eddie is devastated, at least until a local DJ, Nuke (Gene Simmons), gives him the only vinyl pressing of Curr’s last record. And when played backwards, Eddie discovers messages from Curr urging him to strike back at his tormentors. He initially does, developing new-found self-confidence, but when Curr himself returns from the dead (via his music) to commit more than just harmless pranks, Eddie feels responsible and tries to stop him.

When you drag your bare feet across the carpet.

Unquestionably a product of its era, Trick or Treat is loaded with the usual 80s horror trappings…the awkward protagonist, douchebag bullies, clueless adults, the bitchy hot girl, the sympathetic hot girl (who Eddie is smitten with), the goofy sidekick, a little gratuitous nudity, creative death scenes (though atypically light on the blood and gore), and of course, the murderous villain obviously created to become a horror icon. Though that never actually happened, Sammi Curr is a pretty cool bad guy, especially during his performance at the high school dance, where Fields lip-syncs a bitchin’ Fastway anthem while blowing up teenagers with a guitar.

Elsewhere, there are nice humorous touches, an engaging performance by Price and some brief satiric jabs at moralists who publicly condemn this kind of music, mainly through an ironic cameo by Ozzy Osbourne, playing a preacher. Then there’s Fastway’s music, which sounds more like hair metal than the bluesier tunes of their early records, but definitely reflective of the genre back then (and “After Midnight,” which plays during the end credits, remains one of the band’s best songs).

With all that going for it, Trick or Treat probably should have connected with its target audience more than it actually did. At the very least, with solid direction and creative effects, it was better than the glut of other heavy metal horror flicks being cranked out at the time. Instead, the film (and Fastway’s soundtrack) kinda came-and-went without much notice. 

Over the years, however, it’s earned a pretty sizeable cult following, but didn’t get a decent home video release until Synapse Films got hold of it. This 4K UHD release boasts excellent picture and sound quality, especially the latter (considering the basic premise, that seems appropriate). But the best part is the abundance of bonus materiel, especially a feature-length retrospective documentary covering all aspects of the film, as well as its legacy. I can’t imagine Trick or Treat fans not loving this release.

And if you’re a hard rock fan who’s never heard of Fastway until now, do yourself a favor and track down their first album (I think it’s still in print). Then put it on and play it loud.

EXTRA KIBBLES

ROCK & SHOCK: THE MAKING OF TRICK OR TREAT - This is an excellent and lengthy retrospective documentary featuring director Charles Martin Smitt, actor Marc Price, screenwriter Joel Soisson and others.

FEATURETTES - In the Spotlight: A Tribute to Tony Fields features family members fondly recalling Fields’ life and tragically brief career; Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: The Filming Locations of Trick or Treat features Sean Clark.

AUDIO COMMENTARY - By director Charles Martin Smith and filmmaker Mark Savage.

AUDIO INTERVIEWS - Featuring producer Michael S. Murphey and writer Rhet Felsher.

AUDIO CONVERSATION - Featuring authors Paul Carupe and Allison Lang. Their book, Satanic Panic: Pop Culture Paranoia in the 1980s, is an excellent read. 

MUSIC VIDEO - “After Midnight,” by Fastway, though the video features only Tony Fields (RIP) and Fastway guitarist Fast Eddie Clarke (RIP).

TRAILERS, TV & RADIO SPOTS

STILL GALLERY

ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT