NINETOES VS. OZZY: ESCAPE FROM NOW

How does Ninetoes feel about the documentary chronicling the end of Ozzy Osbourne’s life? We suggest you bring tissues.

Ozzy Osbourne faces his identity and mortality after his world stops. Dealing with health issues and Parkinson’s, he questions if he can perform again, while music remains his life’s cornerstone.

Directed by Tania Alexander

Starring Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, and Aimee Osbourne

Hey there, movie lovers! It is your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes HQ. Today, I am looking at Ozzy: No Escape From Now. I have popcorn in my system and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

At the outset, I am not necessarily an Ozzy Osbourn SUPERFAN; however, I do appreciate his music. I like his music, but he is not what I would call my go-to for music.

Yet this movie was made for me. It spoke directly to me. It hit me right in the heart, and I will tell you why before the end.

This movie is not a biography of Ozzy Osbourne’s life; it is a memoir of the last four years of his life. At its heart, it is about two men: The God of Heavy Metal, Ozzy Osbourne, and his human counterpart, John Osbourne. With Ozzy, he is larger than life, music is his superpower, his first love, his first joy. With John, he is the man living in a broken body, in constant, agonizing pain, facing the demons of his present. Around both of these men are his family, his support group, his reason for waking up in the morning.

If I had to sum this movie up in one single word, it would be heartbreaking.

Yes, he was 77 years old, and he was suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, but he had also suffered an accident in his home. He was coming back from the bathroom, it was dark, and he fell and hurt his neck, but that is putting it lightly. It turns out that Ozzy broke his neck. He needed surgery, it was done, and his agony was just beginning. The screws were coming loose, and bone chips were going into his spine. He was in constant agony. I do not know if most people can relate to this, but imagine the worst pain you have ever felt, now multiply it by ten, and imagine not being able to escape it. In essence, Ozzy Osbourne became a prisoner of his own body. Not only his body, but his mind. He was launched into a major depression. For those who may not know this, chronic pain and depression go hand in hand, like they are chained together.

The final four years of Ozzy’s life became a series of taking two steps forward and getting knocked back ten. Yet, as depressing as this is, there is one thing that brings him to life…his first love…music! And here we have the other thing this movie is about: the healing power of music, of engaging in the thing you love.

So, how did this movie speak directly to me? I know the effects of constant pain on the body and mind. I wake up and my pain is at a 5, by the time I go to bed, it is around a 9 or 10. In that, this movie spoke directly to my core. Do I have something to take me out of that as Ozzy did? Yes, I am doing it right now.

There is a lesson to be learned in this movie, and this goes for everyone out there: if you encounter someone with chronic pain or a chronic illness, never, and I do mean NEVER EVER, say “But you do not look that bad.” Believe me when I say you have no clue about the battle they are fighting within.

To me, this is a movie that everyone needs to see, regardless of whether you are an Ozzy Osbourne fan or not. It is about pain, it is about depression, it is about love, joy, family, and the healing power of music.

I give this movie 5+ buckets of popcorn out of 5!

Darren “Ninetoes” Perdue is a book and media reviewer. When he is not reading, he is watching true crime shows, cooking for his family, or working on a plan for universal domination. If you see him on his porch, say hi. He does not bite…much.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing. Thank you for understanding.