Iron Maiden: Flight 666

It's hard to believe 24 years have gone by already since the Powerslave tour which also happens to have been my first concert and one of the most positive memories of my misspent youth. The excitement was overwhelming during that summer back in 1985 as I finally witnessed my favorite band of all time after first being exposed to them in 1982 when a Number of the Beast album caught my eye. Not a knock on the band but a lot of the band's success can be attributed to Derek Riggs who of course is the mastermind behind the artwork that is responsible for converting most fans as mentioned in the film. Ultimately, it is the music that keeps us coming back for more and as far as I'm concerned, the classic era in focus is what Iron Maiden is all about.

For those who don't know, it's called Flight 666 because this is the first time any band has taken a tour by air in their own private jet (suitably named "Ed Force One" and designed accordingly) which includes entire road and camera crew and several tons of stage equipment. The best part is, the plane is piloted by someone who to me resembles Daniel Craig with some crazy old school sideburns whose identity I will not reveal as not to ruin one of the film's many interesting surprises. So yeah, this film documents the cities traveled on their record breaking adventure providing further insight and retrospect to this great band's legacy as their way of saying thanks to all their fans that needs to be seen for yourself. I also heard the DVD will feature complete versions of the concert footage of songs like Revelations, Run to the Hills, Wrath Child and Iron Maiden so no need to pirate this with those annoying cell phones. Aside from that rude distraction and lack of the powerful atmosphere present in a live Maiden show, this film was without a doubt, aces high!

Honestly, Maiden put most bands to shame. To see a band that's been going for so long, who still puts on one of the largest and most energetic shows around night after night, across the planet, is as exhilarating as it is touching.

Maiden have always commanded what is probably the most loyal and rabid fan base in the world, and yet they've never let the fame go to their heads. Here you see six totally down to earth men, playing music because they love it. And the crowds worship them for it.

This is an incredible documentary not just for fans of the band, but for fans of rock music in general. I daresay that if you go into this film not knowing much of their music, you're likely to come out a new fan.

I was checking out what was on TV the other night and found this tucked away after midnight. As a bit of a fan of Iron Maiden, (I've seen them a couple of times over the years) I thought I'd give it a go. What I found really surprised me, a very professional bunch of guys that happen to play some great heavy metal music (IMO). But more of my thoughts later, here's a very brief summary first (summary haters please load the plane while I write the next paragraph).

Iron Maiden hardly ever get their records played on mainstream radio and are seldom featured on mainstream Music TV. And yet their albums always sell well and they have a massive fan base all over the world. As part of their 2008 Somewhere Back in Time tour they provided their own transport in order to reach some of these fans in far-flung parts of the world. The transport took the form on a 757 jet, modified to accommodate the entire crew, the band and all of their equipment. Of course the plane was piloted (amongst others) by their lead singer and qualified pilot, Bruce Dickinson. We see the logistics of moving such a huge operation through India, Australia, Japan, Los Angeles, Mexico, Central and South America, before ending in Canada. Interviews with the band, the crew and many of the fans intersperse live performances of many of their classic songs. It gives a real insight into the lives of the band members and just what life is like on the road these days for this group of musicians who, let's face it, aren't too young any more. But that's enough summary, here's what I think of it.

As a fan of Iron Maiden, of course I like this documentary. As a fan of film, I think it's very well edited and gives a coherent chronological account of the international leg of the tour. The balance between the live performances and the interviews and the narration is just about right for me. It may be a little long for those that aren't fans of the band, but I guess if you're not a fan then you wouldn't choose to watch it. So, over all, a definite recommendation for fans of Iron Maiden, but maybe give it a miss if you're not.

For those that are fans, what follows is a list of live tracks included in the film: "Aces High", "Transylvania", "Wrathchild", "Moonchild", "2 Minutes to Midnight", "Revelations", "The Trooper", "For the Greater Good of God", "Number of the Beast", "Wasted Years", "Can I Play with Madness", "Powerslave", "Run to the Hills", "Heaven Can Wait", "Fear of the Dark", "Iron Maiden", "Rime of the Ancient Mariener", "Hallowed Be Thy Name" My score: 8.3/10

This was written by me for a metal forum. I am in no way associated with Iron Maiden, DVD retailers, or any of the like. I am a lifelong Iron Maiden fan going back to 1982, and I wanted to share my take on the new DVD release.

= "Flight 666: The Film," came out today, June 9th, and it is worth every penny of its purchase price. For anyone who saw Iron Maiden on The Somewhere Back in Time Tour, or has seen Maiden at any time in the past, I don't have to tell you how good of a show they put on, we all know, already. I wanted to just add my two cents about this DVD release, for anyone who was thinking about buying it, because not only is it an official Maiden release, it is also one hell of a bargain for what you get. = Whether you get the "standard" issue, or the "deluxe" issue (only difference is the packaging, and you get an expanded booklet in the deluxe version) you get two discs. Disc 1 is "Flight 666 The Movie," and Disc 2 is the concert footage from the film in its entirety, city to city. = All footage from both discs is shot in high def, so everything looks great, I can't imagine what this looks like on the BLU-RAY format, must be mindblowing. The sound mix is excellent, and each disc caters to various sound systems no matter how simple or how high end they are. Sound formats include Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1, NTSC-PCM, and DTS. Personally I always like DTS, so I was pretty excited. = As far as being a good bargain..... It is. I purchased this at B@$t B%y. They only had the "deluxe" edition which was listed at $16.99, but it's on sale for $11.99 !!!! It's less expensive than most audio cd's. = As far as the content is concerned, well that is left up to the viewer. I thought the movie itself was pretty entertaining, a good mix of live footage, and documentary footage. The live concert disc is excellent because they go song to song, city to city, and you get to check out different Maiden fans, and venues from all over the world. = As usual Iron Maiden delivers the goods with a class and integrity that most bands have never had, or lost a long time ago (ie. see Lars Ulrich in movie footage). Overall this is a quality DVD release, at a very fair price. It seems like Iron Maiden is always a step ahead of the game.

Before I first saw this vid 8 or 9 years ago, I liked Maiden but wasn't all that keen on them. Watching this Rockumentary honestly changed my life. I went from luke warm, to over the course of a few years of deep diving their music catalog via Spotify, recognizing that they are probably the GOAT of hard rock. Ever. I'm now an unabashed fanboy. Classically trained skills, unparalleled riffs & writing, battle hardened over years of experience, charismatic & fun. In particular, this iteration of the band starting in 2000 when they reformed as a six piece, with 3 world class guitarists, arguably the best rock bassist, brilliant & free drummer, and one of the greatest front men - - it's hard to argue. Their live performance work from about 2003 to 2015 is IMO the pinnacle of live virtuosity and chemistry. This movie lays it all bare. And they have their own freekin plane, and masses of rabid fans in every corner of the Earth despite the total lack of mainstream support. Just huge. Enjoy Maiden!