OZZY OSBOURNE Documentary Gets New Title

The much-anticipated "intimate" documentary that delves deep into the life of heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne has had its title changed to "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" from the previously announced "Wreckage Of My Past". The film was directed by Mike Piscitelli and was written and produced by Jordan Tappis. It will be the first release from Jacko Productions, a company started by Ozzy's son Jack Osbourne.

Ozzy's four-decade track record as a culturally relevant artist is unprecented, but his personal struggles have been shrouded in myth and secrecy. Featuring never-before seen footage uncovered from the archives and interviews with Paul McCartney, Tommy Lee and others, "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" is the first documentary to take viewers inside the complex mind of rock's great icon.

Emerging from a working class family in war-torn England, Osbourne and his neighborhood friends formed BLACK SABBATH and invented heavy metal. Plagued by self-doubt, Osbourne the solo superstar went on an epic binge that lasted 40 years. "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" will relive the highs of his artistic triumphs as well as his fraught journey to sobriety, which Ozzy regards as his greatest accomplishment.

Filming for "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" began in January 2008. The documentary will reportedly include additional interviews with all the principal members of BLACK SABBATH, the various incarnations of Ozzy's solo band, family and friends.

Ozzy said in a recent interview that he was hoping the film would include footage showing the singer in "a bad mood" — so fans can see Ozzy's real personality. "I said to [my son], 'Jack it can't be how wonderful I am all the time because I'm not that way all the time, everybody wakes up in a bad mood, everybody is a bit of a dick sometimes and everybody has a good day,'" he explained. "I'm human, you know.

"I'm hoping he's put a bit of sweet and sour in there," Ozzy added, "A documentary about my life is great but for every good thing there's a bad thing you know. When I was out there drinking and doing drugs I don't suppose I was Mister Charming."

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Jack stated about the movie, "The hard thing is getting people to be honest and not have it be a fluff piece, because that's not what we're trying to do. I'm trying to paint a realistic picture of who my father is. I think 'The Osbournes', to a degree, tarnished the public's perception of my dad as a bit of a senile, funny, bumbling guy. Yeah, my dad can be that guy, but it's not him. I think that almost discredited who he is as an artist. My dad's not an idiot — he's nothing short of a genius, in my opinion. He does have huge flaws, and we're trying to really paint an honest picture of that."

According to Variety, Jack Osbourne filmed several of his father's concerts, compiled early archive footage, and was hoping to secure an interview with Ozzy's first wife. He was planning to put the footage together with Piscitelli and Tappis before talking to distributors.

"I want people to see John Osbourne as the guy I grew up with, the tormented, complex musician whose personal demons manifest themselves in so many crazy, unique ways," Osbourne said. "He's agreed to it but is putting up his guard, massively afraid of putting his true self out there on display for people to see."