'Dio: Dreamers Never Die' - Film Review

No Sunday Spins this week since we talked about records a lot already the past few days. Today's post is from our friend HIM. 

Review of Dio: Dreamers Never Die, directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton (2 hours and 17 minutes, 2022).

I can still recall sitting in my parent’s house, sans parents, with my (still) close high school friend late one night. Both of us were a touch, well, glazed. And, as the last few boops and beeps of "E5150" drifted into the ether, we both sat up and thought . . . what the holy hell is this?!?! Well, obviously, it was the surging start of “Mob Rules.” A moment like that is locked in time. And, while Iommi lit the match, it was Ronnie James Dio who kept that flame going.

Dio: Dreamers Never Die is about that period in Dio’s life, and more. It covers his doo-wop beginnings in Ronnie and the Recaps (for those who haven’t heard those songs, it is a rare and odd treat), his time in the Electric Elves, then Elf, which caught the attention of Roger Glover and Clive Davis. Then we hit the story most metal fans know: the soaring highs and questionable lows of his time in Rainbow with the mercurial Ritchie Blackmore; his heft in lifting a near-dead Sabbath to new heights only to see his time in the band fizzle in a cloud of white powder (nowhere near his nose, mind you); to the birth of the band Dio; the lean years in the 90s and early-00s; to the rise of Heaven and Hell before his tragic passing from stomach cancer in 2010.

The talking heads enlisted are too numerous to recount. But you get to hear from his Sabbath bandmates, including Bill Ward. You hear from others who worked with him over the years, like Craig Goldy, Jeff Pilson, and Doug Aldrich. Mick Wall provides the industry and insider background, while Wendy Dio provides access to moments both candid and emotional (more on that in a moment).

And there are scenes, some touching and others hilarious, exclusive to this movie. Jack Black’s recounting of Dio’s time working on The Pick of Destiny is priceless, not cloying. A very self-aware Don Dokken, looking like an unhoused miscreant who lives near my tent, offers a particularly honest assessment of Dio, the 80s metal scene in Hollywood, and of his nervousness while working on Hear n’ Aid. For raw honesty and clear emotion, Dan Lilker is a surprising and moving talking head. Sebastian Bach is, well, Sebastian Bach. But there is pure joy on his face as he plays “Bible Black” on his turntable, reminding us that he truly does love metal . . . even if he can’t get out of his own damn way! And Rob Halford makes it about Dio, not himself, when he offers up gracious amounts of praise.

The elephant in the room is Wendy Dio, his widow and manager. I have to say this: her involvement in the movie actually changed my opinion of her. She freely admits to their unconventional marriage and relationship. And, while she fiercely defends the firing of Vivian Campbell, she also allows audio recordings of Campbell airing his grievances. She comes across as, well, personable and dedicated to a man she truly believed in and, yes, loved. I feel like I better understand why she is so involved in his legacy. And only a cold-hearted fool could look at the footage of her and Dio in his final days and not feel a slight tickle in the throat or a tear in the eye. For that reason, I also apologize. I have, on several occasions, demeaned her. I think I was wrong. And I admit it. Fans are actually lucky that she is interested in keeping Dio’s work in the spotlight. This film is proof of that.

Dio: Dreamers Never Die also reminds viewers that Ronald James Padavona loved music and loved, truly loved, his fans. It also highlights the fact that, amidst the talk of dragons and rainbows, Dio was reaching out and singing to those who felt unheard, unloved, forgotten. While it will always be about how a powerhouse voice in a diminutive frame took on, and conquered, the world, Dio’s legacy is also this: he never stopped thanking those of us, his fans, who learned to dream a bit more and walk a bit taller because his music made it feel natural.