Slipknot: Day of the Gusano is basically the recorded footage from Knotfest Mexico edited with extra footage shot with Shawn Crahan Clown, Jim Root, and Jay Weinberg exploring parts of Mexico city and some of the attractions. Besides that, the film focuses too much time into Shawn, Jim and Jay, almost forgetting about putting a balanced focus on all of the members.
The audio in the non-concert scenes was very amateur. Boom mics could pick up wind and the I could barely hear the dialogue in some of those scenes sometimes it felt muted.
However, the moments when we hear some of their loyal Mexican fans (aka maggots) telling their stories and how Slipknot helped them through tough moments in their lives was moving. It shows that even though the it's metal and the music is aggressive and disorienting, they help many get through the rough times in their lives, myself included.
Basically, the documentary element isn't particularity well directed but the content thematically is decent. Because I saw it in theaters, it was different experience than waiting until it comes out on DVD/Blu-ray.
The main reason why I went to see this was for the actual footage filmed at Knotfest Mexico. It's an exhilarating experience on the big screen, fueled with sensory overload. We see the band members still going strong performing in front of thousands of "maggots". The songs they chose and played felt authentically Slipknot. This is the main strength and the most memorable part. They play a balanced mix of tracks from all five of their albums.
In conclusion, the thematic focus is a bit messy but in the end, it's Slipknot. The mood and exhilaration of the concert will keep you headbanging until the very last song. Very entertaining, just view at your own risk. An okay documentary, but a great concert experience.
