Quiet Riot
Well Now You're Here, There's No Way Back
Review by Ross Anthony

The documentary opens with a warm welcome into the life of a dad sending his daughter off to school, walking the dogs, cooking. Immediately, the filmmakers have exposed the drummer of a key 1980's heavy metal band as a regular human being. It's done with grace and humor, and even non-fans will likely immediately like Frankie. Without delay this intro gives way to a rather standard history of Quiet Riot's rise to fame set against the backdrop of a genre also struggling to break through the status quo. That "mini-doc within a doc" is interesting, but nothing special. Thankfully, once this "back story" business is taken care of, the documentary returns to its playful personality and much more emotionally engaging story of Frankie coming to terms with the death of the band's singer and frontman Kevin DuBrow, which is ultimately what the picture is about. Despite the famous, and really very interesting, people; this documentary is about dealing with grief, loss, anger, and finally forgiveness. The doc takes on these pretty lofty issues with a determined chin up, a refreshing vulnerability, and a willingness to not take itself too seriously.

Also of particular interest was the drama surrounding the trial and error method of finding a new frontman for a much later regrouping of the band. This was also handled with a nice mix of respect and humor as well as the many interviews with genre icons including the always entertaining Dee Snider.

While admittedly I did bang my head to "Feel the Noise" once or twice, I can't really say I was a fan of the group. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this doc and so did my girlfriend who isn't even a fan of the genre. So give it a look and a listen.

-- Books by Ross Anthony, Author/Illustrator --


  • Quiet Riot: Well Now You're Here, There's No Way Back. Copyright © 2014.
  • Starring Frankie Banali. Written and Directed by Regina Russell.

Grade..........................B+ (2.5/4)


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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186. Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow.


Last Modified: Friday, 17-Apr-2015 19:08:03 PDT