"God Bless Ozzy Osbourne," screened at the historic Alcazar Theatre in Carpinteria on August 15, 2025, offering an intimate and candid look into Ozzy Osbourne's tumultuous career and personal struggles. The comprehensive production utilized archival footage, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights. Directed by Mike Piscitelli, known for his work on music documentaries like "L7: Pretend We're Dead," and Mike Fleiss, creator of "The Bachelor," the film blends a raw, visceral narrative with a compelling soundtrack that captures Ozzy's enduring influence on rock and metal. The directors met the Osbournes during production of their reality television series and became friends with the family. Ozzy’s son, Jack, produced the film, offering unparalleled access to the musical icon as he went about his daily life. From the earliest years of Ozzy’s life growing up in the burned-out ruins of post–World War II Birmingham to Ozzy’s 60th birthday, the film offers a fantastic insight into the life of the godfather of heavy metal.
Established in 1931, the Alcazar Theatre has a storied history as a Carpinteria community hub for independent and classic films. It features ornate Art Deco architecture and a commitment to preserving cinematic arts. The theater has been restored to its former glory in recent years and now features a state-of-the-art sound system that lent itself well to the thunderous live performances included in the Ozzy documentary. The theater offers a diverse entertainment schedule, including feature and foreign films, live comedy, live music, plays, and even drag shows.
Post-screening, Piscitelli and Fleiss engaged with the audience in a lively discussion, highlighting their collaborative process, the challenges of depicting Ozzy’s complex persona, and the theater’s role in fostering local cultural events, thereby emphasizing its significance as a nostalgic landmark in Carpinteria. The pair, who formed their own heavy metal band as a side project, California Wildebeest, was even invited to perform at Ozzfest. An audience member from Birmingham offered some insight into what it was like to live in the industrial English city. He also noted that many famous English rock icons had come from there, including Robert Plant, who had grown up near Ozzy's home. Rodney Browning, the guitarist of the band Dishwalla, a local Carpinteria resident, voiced his admiration for Ozzy’s solo guitarist Randy Rhoads, who plays a pivotal role in the documentary.
The event was a fundraiser for Parkinson's disease research. God Bless Ozzy Osbourne can be rented from Amazon or Apple TV. The schedule for the Alcazar Theatre can be found here: https://www.thealcazar.org
