‘God Bless Ozzy Osbourne,’ Indeed

In one of the last scenes of the rock-doc God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, the big man himself utters one line that could only be spoken by a man who has finally gained some clarity and perspective in his life: “The first person you should always learn to love is yourself.”

Sure, there were a few bumps in the road: He spent time in jail while growing up in England. He was kicked out of Black Sabbath. He divorced his first wife, then tried to strangle his second (manager Sharon). And this isn’t even half of it.

The film, co-produced by son Jack Osbourne and directed by Mike Fleiss and Mike Piscitelli, covers Osbourne’s entire life and career, showing viewers the true story behind the music from his struggles with fame to his problems with addiction, which surprisingly continued well into the family’s reality spectacle The Osbournes. Rounding out the DVD are never-before-seen interviews, tons of Black Sabbath archive footage, and clips taken from the film’s debut at the Tribeca Film Festival.

By film’s end, we see a subdued and sober Ozzy reflecting on his life, his mistakes, and his family. Viewers will likely arrive to a similar conclusion: I can’t believe that fucking guy is still alive!