Movie Review: SUNSET SOCIETY (2018)

Who would win in a fight between Lemmy and god?
Trick question – Lemmy is god.

In spite of his death almost three years ago, Lemmy Kilmister’s legend lives on, as evidenced by the surfacing of Phoebe Dollar’s movie SUNSET SOCIETY, releasing in select theaters July 6th. As a lifelong dedicated Motörhead fan, I was thrilled when Shannon offered me the opportunity to watch and review this film.

Written and directed by Phoebe Dollar and Rolfe Kanefsky, SUNSET SOCIETY plays more like an anthology, so many short films attached at the hip, all entwined by the leadership of Ace (Lemmy), the Head Vampire of Los Angeles. Ace rules Los Angeles with the aplomb only Lemmy could have pulled off, because Lemmy has spent years ruling over the Sunset Strip, holding court at the Rainbow most nights when he wasn’t on tour. While Ace is our central focus, Sophia (played by Dollar) is the prominent character; the running theme throughout is a love letter in video form, she has been creating for Ace, a love letter she has been working on for years. The local vampire clan is rounded out by Ron Jeremy as Frankie (no, you do not see his dick), Dizzy Reed (keyboards for what is left of Guns n’ Roses) as Dagger who is bored of his immortality, Tracii Guns (vocals for L.A. Guns) as the prodigal child that cannot control his compulsions, and a bevy of attractive hangers-on.

The atmosphere of the film is well done, with a series of animated sequences that tell us the story of Ace, him becoming a vampire to who he is now; the animation is a bit gritty and quirky, and works well with the film, giving us definitive lines between Ace’s story, and the story we’re being told. The soundtrack is excellent, dark and brooding, which matches the vibe of the film. I give a lot of credit to the fact that the film was released by Cleopatra Entertainment, a division of Cleopatra Records, a company that has vast knowledge, and access to, a plethora of excellent goth and underground music.

It would be easy to write SUNSET SOCIETY off as another B-grade horror movie, but to metalheads and anyone familiar with the lore of the Sunset Strip in the 80s, SUNSET SOCIETY is a love letter to Lemmy and the Sunset Strip. It’s got blood, camp, redemption, and cartoons – what more could you ask for? SUNSET SOCIETY will be released in select theaters July 6 and VOD July 24, 2018.

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