The Metal Band’s Guide to the Black Hole is precisely what the name suggests: an interdimensional journey filled with heavy guitars and blazing blast beats. Written and directed by Jeon Ah-hyun, the South Korean short film chronicles a local metal band’s quest to find their leader’s lost hair and metal spirit (after his hair and confidence went up in flames at the last concert). But when band leader Jeong Cul (Yo-hoon Jang) is at his lowest, he is visited by a transcendental Ozzy Osbourne (Xavier Liaudet), kickstarting their quest for metal greatness.
“…chronicles a local metal band’s quest to find their leader’s lost hair and metal spirit…”
Jeon Ah-hyun pulls together a true collage of influences in The Metal Band’s Guide to the Black Hole. There is some expected influence from rock n’ roll classics like Bill & Ted, Spinal Tap, and Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny. But the homages don’t stop with guitar-shredding classics; they extend to video games, anime, Edgar Wright-esque transitions and a plethora of Japanese pop culture. Yet, with the wide range of inspiration, everything flows seamlessly in a creative package of modern South Korean cinema. The comedic timing ranges from pure silliness to complete absurdism, all set to a stellar soundtrack of melodic death metal.
At just 25 minutes, The Metal Band’s Guide to the Black Hole offers tons of originality and adventure. It’s experimental and plain weird in all the right places but is just accessible enough for those uninitiated in the indie, international, or metal scene. Even in the accessible moments, Jeon Ah-hyun is uncompromising in their vision. This is culty, charming, and metal to the final credits. From the Ozzy Osbourne spiritual guide to squaring off with the horrifying kid from Ju-On, Jeon Ah-hyun brings a Ready Player One attitude to heavy metal and delivers a vibrant tapestry of geeky, absurdist adventure.
"…a vibrant tapestry of geeky, absurdist adventure."
