In 1985, two Reno, Nevada metalheads spent an evening smoking pot, drinking beer, listening to Judas Priest and then drove to a playground behind a church wherein they both attempted to kill themselves with a 12-gauge shotgun. One succeeded, one didn't. The parents of the subsequently grossly disfigured survivor then waged a highly-publicized lawsuit against Judas Priest, blaming the band's alleged use of subliminal messages for the deeds of their son and his deceased friend. As a devout metal fan at the time, I was predictably outraged and incredulous at this quintessentially frivolous abuse of justice. In 1991, a filmmaker named David Van Taylor directed a documentary about the case called "Dream Deceivers: The Story Behind James Vance vs. Judas Priest." I'd always been curious to see it, but never managed to track it down. Apropos of nothing, someone sent me a link to the film online today. You can watch it in its entirety by clicking right here.
Please be warned: There is some profoundly disturbing footage included here. Please proceed with caution.
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