The recently completed Miracle on Metal Street is a delightful piece of cinematic mayhem about a timid freelance artist named George (Jonathan Le Billon) who has been commissioned by famous heavy metal band Rebortion to design their new album cover. There's one huge snag, however, because George has a major case of artist's block that only gets worse when the band's daunting frontman threatens to kick his a** if he misses the deadline. Just when it seems that failure is inevitable, George is visited by Scott (Frederick Lawrence), a bipolar demon with a penchant for Rebortion who inspires George through song-and-dance to make the most seriously bad-ass album cover ever.

Does this sound a wee bit tongue-in-cheek?

It probably should. Miracle on Metal Street has a retro metal vibe going on throughout its nearly 14-minute running time thanks largely to the fact that co-stars Jonathan Le Billon and Frederick Lawrence are nicely in sync with one another and clearly "get" what director Carl Bachmann has envisioned for the film that's penned by Max Stephen Kronick and Andy Paige. If you're looking for hardcore horror, you're likely going to be disappointed with the film but for fans who can appreciate the lighter and more entertaining side of the whole heavy metal stereotype this will be an entertaining flick that sort of brings to mind a recent feature indie from Travis Betz called Lo.

The best prospects for Miracle on Metal Street do likely exist on the indie and horror film fest circuits, both of which seem to have a woeful lack of more light-hearted horror fare. While that may sound like a contradiction, it's far from it with films ranging from the original Evil Dead to Shaun of the Dead to a host of others finding ways to have a "hell" of a good time.

D.P. Max Margolin's lensing is solid throughout the film, while everyone involved with the film deserves credit for finding the fun in the film without ever making fun of it. Miracle on Metal Street is just beginning its festival run. If you get a chance, check it out.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic