The total runtime of “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” is all of 17 minutes. But the legacy of what happened one evening in Landover has endured for 40 years.
Directors John Heyn, 68, and Jeff Krulik, 65, told The Banner they still kind of marvel at what they captured in their documentary short.
“We ventured out that day not really knowing what we were gonna get,” Krulik said. “We didn’t know what we were in for.”
What they got was a pure distillation of fandom that has been embraced by weirdos for decades. “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” showcases a slice of fans awaiting a Judas Priest concert who were partying outside the old Capital Centre. It features memorable outfits and accents and a healthy dose of genuine community.
The film will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a screening at 6:15 p.m. Sunday at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. Attendees will see 60 minutes of unedited source footage, and some of the subjects will appear in person. Tickets are $8-$14.
Heyn and Krulik were aspiring filmmakers when they met in 1985. Krulik, a Bowie native and current Silver Spring resident, was working on a documentary about the aging movie theaters in Washington, D.C. He was the subject of an article in The Washington Post that Heyn, a Baltimore native, read. Heyn responded to a callout for documentary subjects in the article and wanted to chat with Krulik about a short he had already made about the very same subject.
Their friendship and professional partnership blossomed from there. They filmed “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” a year later and have carried its torch since. They said the documentary was first screened by AFI in 1988, when the institution held screenings at the Kennedy Center in D.C. They thought that was the high watermark of the project.
“We told people we’d retire it in 1990 because we thought it ran its course,” Krulik said with a chuckle. “We’re so grateful because it’s so hard to keep attention and eyeballs on anything you do, especially 40 years on.”
Here are other events you can catch over the next week across the capital region.
Native and invasive plants
Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
The Alice Ferguson Foundation, which promotes environmental stewardship of local ecosystems, will lead volunteers in a demonstration on identifying and removing invasive plants around the group’s home base of Accokeek. Attendees can even take native plants to grow at home.
Admission is free.
Prince George’s 250 Block Party
Saturday, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
The Bowie Center for Performing Arts and the Bowie Branch Library will host live performances ranging from the Piscataway Indian Nation Singers & Dancers to psych rockers The Odyssey. You can also catch film screenings and panels about the history of Prince George’s County.
Admission is free.
Takoma Trukgarten
Saturday, noon-5 p.m.
Some of the finest regional breweries, cideries and distilleries are setting up shop in Takoma Park (at the parking lot near 201 Ethan Allen Ave.). Baltimore’s Union Craft Brewing, Hyattsville’s Sangfroid Distilling and others will converge alongside a pop-up record shop from D.C.’s best record shop, Joint Custody.
Tickets are $35-$55 and come with tasting tokens and a souvenir glass. Admission is free for those 21 and younger or people opting not to drink.
A homecoming show
Saturday and Sunday, 8 p.m.
R&B star Ari Lennox was born and raised in D.C., and if you’ve ever been to one of her concerts, she often has a regional chorus of dedicated fans ready to belt their favorite songs right back at her.
The 35-year-old released her third album, “Vacancy,” in January, and her coos sound as silky and soulful as ever. But on tracks such as the fittingly titled “Mobbin in DC,” about a paramour who just needs to get it together to be with her, it sounds like Lennox is having the most fun when she’s standing tall in her hometown.
She’ll play at the Theater at MGM National Harbor. Ticket prices vary.
Pride in the Park
Wednesday, 6-8:30 p.m.
Wheaton’s Brookside Gardens will kick off Pride Month in June with a comedy showcase. Five local stand-ups from Improbable Comedy will perform, and attendees can dine on eats from Palmetto Bay Cuisine and Catalyst Hot Dogs.
Admission is free and the show is intended for an audience ages 17 and older. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or picnic blankets.
Andrew Bird with National Philharmonic
Wednesday and Thursday, June 4
Violinist, songwriter and whistler Andrew Bird celebrates the 20th anniversary of his charming and compelling album “The Mysterious Production of Eggs” at Strathmore. Bird will be joined by National Philharmonic to add extra oomph to the elaborate production of standouts such as “Fake Palindromes.”
Tickets are $28-$138.
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