Wow, just “wow.” If you are at all a fan of the band or of music history see this movie while it’s still in theaters. This was not a VH1 “Behind the Music” docudrama telling the rise and inevitable fall of this iconic band, but a documentary centered on the genesis of Led Zeppelin, its distinctive sound and the recording of its first two albums. It’s all about the music, man.

They don’t whitewash the drugs, groupies or lifestyle, a la “A Complete Unknown” or other music bio-pics. There are pictures of pre-Led Zeppelin Robert Plant wearing a “Legalise Pot” t-shirt and comments from drummer, John Bonham’s wife, warning John to stay away from that no-good Robert, that he’s nothing but trouble. And Plant talks about being essentially homeless, living out a suitcase when he was recruited by Jimmy Page to form the band. But it’s all about their love of music and how they came together and produced the first two albums, using film recorded during those first couple years and audio interviews previously unknown before this film. 

I walked away from this film remembering hearing this music blasting out of my buddy’s sister’s boyfriend’s Chevrolet Camaro as he flew down the 395 heading to the high sierras for a week of family camping. I don’t remember which was more impressive: the way the engine growled as he downshifted to make the winding turns or how the music growled with the John Bonham’s drums, John Paul Jones’s bass or Jimmy Page’s haunting lead guitar. I didn’t know shit about music back then, but this was something much deeper than bubblegum music or family friendly harmonies. Loved it. 

[Movie viewed 2025-02-19 at AMC Town Square]

This week I’ll be trying to catch many of the 2025 Oscar nominated films, sometimes viewing two films a day, for a total of eight films in six days, just before next Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony. Yeah!

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Tags: 1970s classic rock, 2025 movies, Led Zeppelin, music bio-pic, video Mondays 

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