I can remember it as clear as day. I’m 12 years old, in the movie theater watching the greatest action hero of all time at the peak of his powers in a self-referential, almost too meta for it’s own good commentary on the monstrosity that was ’80s and ’90s cartoonish action films. The iconic star was Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the subpar, but subsequently under-appreciated film was Last Action Hero. Ripe with anticipation, a kid in a theater (me) watched another kid in a theater, watching a movie within a movie. The rabbit hole runs deep.

In the film within a film, Jack Slater, the title sequence literally explodes on-screen to the roaring riffs of the song “Angry Again” by one of my all-time favorite metal bands, Megadeth. This song wasn’t a previously popularized hit from a famous, big-selling Megadeth album. It was only available on the Last Action Hero soundtrack (and later on the Hidden Treasures EP) which also featured incredible tracks by AC/DC, 2 songs from Alice In Chains, and a superior-to-it’s-original rendition of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” accompanied by ’90s era composer du jour Michael Kamen and orchestra.

Continue reading →