It’s been 18 years since The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band hit shelves, and ultimately became a New York Times Bestseller, and about 10 years since I read the book cover to cover. As one would expect, the content of The Dirt is insane – mostly because it’s all true: Vince Neil’s vehicular manslaughter incident that killed fellow musician and Hanoi Rocks drummer Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley, Mick Mars’ horrific ankylosing spondylitis (a form of arthritis that causes chronic pain in his pelvis and spine), Nikki Sixx’s issues with heroin and subsequent drug overdoses, and Tommy Lee’s ongoing legal issues with his personal life (specifically with Heather Locklear and Pamela Anderson) are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this band.
But it can’t just be all sex, drugs, and eighties metal because that would be a cliché. And would make a boring book and movie. There has to be more to the story and there is as Motley Crue has sold over 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. They’ve also been nominated for three Grammys and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006.
So when I began reading about this biopic several months ago, I was excited. I knew the book would seamlessly translate onto the screen and after yesterday’s official trailer release I think fans like me are going to be pleased. While the movie is of course about the aforementioned debauchery that made the band famous, it’s also about the music. And how they all came together. And Neil’s vocal range. No one had heard anything like that before and no one had seen dudes looking so convincingly like ladies. After watching the full-length trailer I’m especially excited to see Machine Gun Kelly play Tommy Lee and watch The Dirt story a decade after reading it.
A few of the fun quotes from the trailer:
Tommy Lee (Kelly) walking around in front of his sister in cheetah print pants that belong to her:
Sister: “Oh my god those are my pants!”
Lee: “But they look so much better on me!”
Band manager Doc McGhee (played by David Costabile): “I had managed the Scorpions, Bon Jovi, Skid Row, Kiss, but I had never been through what Motley Crue put me through.”
Nikki Sixx (played by Douglas Booth): “The fans are dying for some anarchy, so let’s give it to them.”
The Dirt is slated for a March 22 Netflix release – you know where I’ll be.
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