Ed JamesBBC Radio WM and
Tanya GuptaWest Midlands
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Ozzy died in July, days after Black Sabbath played their huge farewell homecoming show at Villa Park, in Birmingham
A feature-length documentary examining the final chapter of Birmingham’s Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, has been described as a “a portrait of a man who refuses to just give up”.
Ozzy: No Escape from Now, released on Paramount+ on Tuesday, looks at Osbourne’s last six years, from his battle with Parkinson’s to his Villa Park farewell, including behind-the-scenes moments at the gig.
Executive producer Phil Alexander said the film was a “study in resilience” that had allowed Osbourne to express where he was and how he felt.
He said the star’s family were a key part, adding the aim was to document their journey and for them to see what they’d been through themselves.
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On the day of his funeral, Ozzy’s wife Sharon stopped to lay flowers in Birmingham’s Broad Street, where fans had left hundreds of bouquets close to Black Sabbath Bridge
Directed by Tania Alexander, and produced by Echo Velvet in partnership with the Osbourne family and MTV Entertainment Studios, the two-hour film includes interviews with Ozzy’s wife Sharon and children, Aimee, Kelly and Jack Osbourne.
Mr Alexander said the film could never have been made without Sharon Osbourne’s involvement and honesty.
“You see all the vulnerabilities. You do see the impact on the family that Ozzy’s recurring health issues have and you see the impact it has on him, but equally you also see the impact it has on his music.”
The former editor of Kerrang! magazine, Mr Alexander said when Osbourne was at his lowest ebb, music had a restorative power, adding: “You literally see it in front of your very eyes.”
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Thousands of heavy metal fans were at the final Black Sabbath concert
Filming Osbourne when he was ill had been difficult, Mr Alexander said.
“It was hard to make for me because I’ve known Ozzy for a very long time. I’ve known Sharon and Ozzy for over 30 years.”
What would be there “until the end of time” was Osbourne’s humour, he said.
“It is obviously a film that has a different meaning now he’s no longer with us,” he said, “but what you will see in the film is that sense of humour is totally intact.”
He also told how the Villa Park gig had been important because Osbourne wanted to say “thank you and goodbye”.
“It’s not really out of ego, it’s out of this thing of gratitude,” he said, “I think that’s a very very different impulse.”
