Product Details

• Actors: Lemmy Kilmister
• Directors: Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski
• Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: RED GENERAL CATALOG
• DVD Release Date: February 22, 2011
• Run Time: 240 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B004GMYGTE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,643 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Lemmy: 49% Motherfucker, 51% Son Of A Bitch delivers on its aim to chronicle and quantify the metal forebear s hard-rocking, hard-living, bird-flipping proclivities, combining up-close interviews and live musical vignettes with commentary from a broad spectrum of famous admirers (Ozzy Osbourne, Ice-T, Jarvis Cocker?!). --Onion A.V. Club

But Lemmy gives the filmmakers enough time and enough candid access to create a profile of the man that goes deeper than just the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll even though in Lemmy's case, there's enough of a surplus of all three to power multiple documentaries. --npr.com

In the worlds of hard rock and heavy metal, Ian Fraser Kilmister, the singer, bassist and central piston behind the band Motörhead, is not only a musical influence but also a paragon of hard living, like Keith Richards, only without the pretty-boy band mate, Top 40 hits and hippie associations. --The New York Times

Product Description

Motörhead singer and bassist Lemmy Kilmister has spent the better part of the past four decades as the living embodiment of the rock and roll lifestyle. Four years in the making, the critically acclaimed documentary 'Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son Of A Bitch' gives fans an unprecedented and completely surprising look into his world. Directed by Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski, the film reveals Lemmy as never before and has already taken critics by storm, premiering to raves earlier this year at SXSW and screening at film festivals worldwide.

Boasting a star-studded lineup including Metallica, Dave Grohl, Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Jarvis Cocker, Joan Jett, Billy Bob Thornton, Slash, pro wrestler Triple H, and members of The Clash, Guns N Roses, Jane's Addiction, and more, the film offers a rare and revealing look at Lemmy's life with candid at-home interviews, studio sessions, and priceless live concert footage. 'Lemmy rocks,' raves Variety, while Mojo calls the film 'an unflinching and deeply humanizing portrait of one of modern music s truly iconic figures.'

The DVD, a-two disc set with 4 hours of bonus features, will available on regular DVD and as a BluRay release. The American version of the film will include more bonus material than the versions in every other country in the world. The extras include outtakes from everyone from Dave Grohl and Metallica to Alice Cooper and Slash (as well as all the other famous musicians featured in the film).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 64 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly What You'd Expect from Lemmy, but No Surprises January 30, 2011

By HeavyMetalMonty

Format:DVD

'Icon, noun: a very famous person or thing considered as representing a set of beliefs or a way of life.'

The dictionary definition above perfectly describes Lemmy. His single-minded tenacity in pursuit of the Motörhead cause has led to him becoming, rightfully, a heavy-metal icon. The only other rock stars who rival him as icons are dead ones. And they cheated. Lemmy, on the other hand, earned his iconic status the hard way: by living and staying true to himself at all times. He is a walking, talking, drinking, pill-swallowing, smoking, war-obsessed, bass-rumbling, gravel-throated monster. So that's Lemmy the man...what about Lemmy the movie?

I hoped this documentary would offer fresh insights into Lemmy the human being, perhaps exploring his softer side and showing facets of his personality that haven't been publicised. (What do you mean he doesn't have a soft side? We all have one...in some people, though, it's deeper down and better hidden.) Rush's 'Beyond the Lighted Stage' and Anvil's 'The Story of Anvil' are spellbinding due to the undiluted emotion they capture, which allows viewers to connect with the artists on a deeply emotional level. With Lemmy, however, displays of emotion don't happen. Some moments in the film approach poignancy, such as when Lem talks about finding the only woman he ever truly loved dead in a bathtub, the victim of a heroin overdose. He dishes out sage advice not to do heroin, but the viewer can sense that there are undercurrents of emotion beneath Lem's heavy-metal-robot shell. If I were the film-maker, I'd have explored that avenue more. During scenes where Lemmy and his son are together the awkwardness is palpable, as if neither father nor son is fully comfortable around the other.... I felt uncomfortable watching some of these interplays, and found myself wishing they'd give each other a hug as an expression of love. There is one genuinely touching moment involving father and son, but I won't disclose it in this review, as that would ruin the surprise for those who haven't yet watched the movie. Better to experience it for yourself.

We see Lemmy's apartment, his enormous collection of war paraphernalia, his favourite haunt (The Rainbow in LA), his routine, and meet several other big-name metal musicians (Dave Grohl, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Scott Ian, to name a few) who have been influenced by Mr Kilmister. The inventor of space rock, Hawkwind's Dave Brock (a surprisingly lucid man, considering the amount of psychedelic and hallucinatory drugs he has ingested), discusses Lemmy's time in Hawkwind and the reasons for their parting of ways. This isn't new information to seasoned Motörheadbangers, but the camera likes both Brock and Lemmy, and it's entertaining to hear these legendary stories straight from the horses' mouths.

The bottom line is that Lemmy - even though he doesn't bare the deepest, darkest parts of his soul - is magnetically watchable. The man, the facial hair, the boots, the tight-black-jeaned swagger, the perpetual cigarette, the Jack 'n' Coke, the Rickenbacker bass and, of course, that growl. If you're a longtime fan of Lem and his music you won't learn anything new watching this film. You won't see any gushed outpourings of emotion and tears. You will, however, be entertained.

As a footnote, I've been a Motörhead fan since I was in primary school. I own all their albums, have seen them live countless times, and was lucky enough to meet Lemmy backstage at Glasgow Barrowlands after a gig. He was a consummate gentleman, and I came to understand why people - even critics - generally have nothing bad to say about the man. What you see is what you get. There's no contrived rock 'n' roll debauchery. While he may keep his rawest emotions hidden behind a protective shell, Lemmy is friendly, honest, and walks it like he talks it. In short, he's one of the good guys. Read more ›

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The World is His.... February 6, 2011

By AMK

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

I ordered this from the UK and watched it for the first time this weekend. The documentary itself is thoughtful, balanced, often funny and well-edited. It doesn't produce any Oprah moments, for which we can probably all be grateful, but it certainly shines a pretty harsh light on Ian Kilmister, who recently had his 65th birthday. All in all, you'll take away from this a picture of a complex man, a product of hard times in the post-1945 UK, who has literally done it 'his way *and* the highway'. Anyone who thinks that being a musician is a soft life should watch this carefully--it's serious hard work and the fact that he can still, so-to-speak, get it up on stage is little short of astonishing. I saw Motorhead last month and my wife, who saw them for the first time, said she didn't totally enjoy it but she did understand the fascination: as wrestler Triple H puts it in a very lucid interview here, you've either never heard of Motorhead or you love them and follow them obsessively...and this documentary goes a long way to showing why Lem [I like that his intimates all shorten his nickname] is still going forward and making original music.

All in all, this doc works well on two levels. If you have only a dim knowledge of modern music, you could still find this a compelling account. Although it doesn't have the rather contrived dramatic dimensions of *Anvil: the story of Anvil* [will there be inayone in the audience in Japan?] or *Metallica: some kind of monster* [will they break up...how much is Lars gong to get for his art collection?], there is the implicit question.....how long can he keep going, is this the last tour, the last record? Well, as the lyric goes on Ace of Spades, 'I don't want to live forever....but apparently I am'.... The documentary shows some of the making of *Motorizer* and here we are now, three years later, with *The World is Yours*. Nonetheless, the cracks are showing but you can only come away feeling that this is a man doing what he believes in, and his pleasure in being on stage [with for example Metallica] is evident and genuine.

The other level--well, you have to cater to the obsessive and that's where the second DVD disc comes in. The UK version has over two hours of material, including over thiry minutes of Motorhead live in Berlin; Lemmy and Phil Campbell in the studiio; and some talking heads--but when that's Lemmy and Dave Grohl hanging out, that's worth your time and your money. It states above that the US version will have nearly four hours of material, so alongside my three different copies of *The World is Yours* I suppose I'll have two copies of *Lemmy*. It's worth it.... Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lemmy is a true Renaissance Man. February 17, 2011

By Ryan Clifton

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Lemmy seems to know a little bit about and have an opinion on everything. The bonus features did an even better job of illustrating that. His intellectual views on religion and history are great. I've read a lot of books on philosophy and he's said some statements that will really make you think. Especially his views on Reincarnation.

Also a very humble and nice man. While he may come off as brash to some, he gives credit where credit is due. Whether it be to The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix or Little Richard.

Just a great, great film. The bonus features did not let down. Well worth the price of admission. I'll prob watch this movie 20 times.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful Portrait of An Authentic Rebel April 3, 2011

By John R. Durant

Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase

In all of modern music, but especially among rock and roll or punk bands, a built-in tension about "selling out" necessarily prevails. We all know the narrative. Rebel rocker gives the middle finger to authority and everything that speaks of status quo or conformity while being paid obscene amounts of money to give that middle finger by authoritative institutions of the status quo. Watching this DVD , "Lemmy: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son of a Bitch" re-introduces a man who walks the walk of the cultural rebel through and through. From watching him sort through the hundreds of highly valued knives, guns, and WWII artifacts that cover nearly every inch (floor, ceiling, wall) of his tiny apartment in L.A. to seeing him rock like a teenager with David Grohl we become convinced that this man really has never and will never care what kinds of judgments society makes about him. He loves to rock and roll, reveres Little Richard as a major influence on his own music, lives hard, and has unmistakably British wit. He's impossible to categorize, and he wouldn't care if we tried. But, that knife cuts both ways. He's also impossible to type-cast solely in terms of his rebel motif. One of the most surprising moments in the picture is when he is sitting next to his son, an impressive musician in his own right, and the interviewer asks Lemmy which thing in the apartment he values most. Lemmy responds, "My son." This is the moment around which the rest of the film pivots, and the veiwer is forced to reevaluate what has already been seen up to that point, and all that comes after, in the context of this powerful expression of genuine love. Lemmy is the Johnny Cash of that next generation. And, as the Man in Black has become a legend that will live on for many decades to come, so will Lemmy's.... This documentary provides valuable insight into the life of a hugely relevant rocker who reminds us that it is we, the rest of us, who have perhaps sold our authenticity to the highest bidder. Read more ›