Official Fantasia synopsis from program notes written by Vincenzo Nappi
After learning of an evil rock ’n’ roll music promoter’s plan to use heavy metal as a means of enforcing society’s cyclical self-destructive nature and to keep individuals from true self-realization, a metallic-skinned and incredibly well-dressed alien beams down to earth to try to save humanity. However, as his presence attracts the attention of private investigators and corrupt police forces, the stranger must fight to keep society from reaching its hedonistic end.
Review
Devotees of genre-film musicals that combine horror and science fiction elements with rock and roll are bound to get a kick out of Canadian International Pictures’ terrific new 4K restoration of director Tibor Takács’ 1978 Canadian feature Metal Messiah. Written by Stephen Zoller and based on his play, the film is a gritty journey from the mind of noirish detective Philip Chandler (Richard Ward Allen) to the streets and rock clubs of late seventies Toronto, to places you can’t imagine.
The film is mostly narrated by Chandler before other members of its cast dive in with outrageous performances. John Paul Young, lead singer of The Cardboard Brains as Max the Promoter and Liane Hogan as cult leader Violet are just two examples of cast members ready to blow your mind, and believe me, there are more. The Messiah (David Jensen of the band Kickback, which performs in the film’s biggest, wildest set piece) is a sort of cross between The Man Who Fell to Earth’s Thomas Jerome Newton and a quieter version of The Tubes’ Quay Lewd character.
Metal Messiah is an odd offering of a rock musical that takes an anti-rock stance. If you’re not intrigued by now, let me further whet your appetite by saying that you will be certain to both scratch your head in confusion and rub your chin in wonder as you take in the madness that is Metal Messiah. Viewer mileage is certain to vary, but the trip is an engrossing, often baffling one to take.
Metal Messiah screened as part of Fantasia 2026, which ran July 16–August 2 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
