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From Tape Trading to Global Fame
In 1992, a former Maryland student named Mike Heath moved to San Francisco, taking four VHS copies of Heavy Metal Parking Lot with him. One of the tapes found its way into the music community when musician Bill Bartell became a fan, and often screened it at parties. Mike Daike, soon to become a roadie for Nirvana, got a dub from Bill and brought it on the band's tour. Another copy wound up with "Colonel Bob" Schaffner of Mondo Video A-Go-Go, a video rental store in Los Angeles that specialized in unusual fare. Mondo became a big booster of the film, renting it to all manner of customers including celebrities, musicians, and filmmakers.
After John received a call from film director Sofia Coppola, who wanted to use Heavy Metal Parking Lot for a cable TV show in 1994, he and Jeff dusted off the film and began to have screenings again. By the late 90s, the film became a regular staple at alternative film festivals and venues throughout the US. Today, the film continues to screen around the world, and is considered among the greatest rock documentaries of all time. |