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OZZY & BLACK SABBATH
Back to the Beginning
PURPLE CARPET PREMIERE
October 22nd, 2026 Review by Bruce R Kilgour
On a warm Wednesday October evening, the 100-year-old Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles was host to one of the largest gatherings of metal and hard rock royalty in recent years. The occasion was the “purple carpet premiere” of the film “Ozzy & Black Sabbath – Back to the Beginning,” which documents the incredible 10-hour concert held on July 5th, 2025, in Birmingham, England.
That concert concluded with the planned final live performances by both Ozzy Osbourne (as a solo artist) and the original lineup of the legendary Black Sabbath (Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward,) who had not performed together since Ozzfest in 2005.
A limited number of tickets to the premiere were sold to the public for $20 a few days prior to the screening, with 50% of the proceeds donated to various Los Angeles homeless charities. The entire balcony and Broadway Bar area of the Orpheum were, however, reserved for about six hundred invited guests, musicians, and media.
I was fortunate to attend as invited press, and it was truly incredible to have the opportunity to mingle with the hosts – Sharon and Jack Osbourne – and the dozens of major artists present, many of whom had participated in the Back to the Beginning concert.
The two most popular attendees may have been Black Sabbath members Butler and Ward, judging by the fan’s reaction upon spotting them both before and after the screening. Guitarist Iommi did not attend, due to his busy promotional schedule for his forthcoming solo album.
Among the musicians who attended the event were Gene Simmons (KISS) and his wife Shannon Tweed, Slash (Guns N’ Roses), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Scott Ian (Anthrax), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Danny Carey (Tool), Travis Barker (blink-182), Mike Inez (Alice in Chains), Gilby Clarke, Lzzy Hale, Joe Hottinger and Josh Smith (Halestorm), Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne Band), John Bush (Armored Saint), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), David Ellefson (Megadeth), Tommy Clufetos (touring drummer for Osbourne and Black Sabbath), and Billy Morrison (The Cult, Billy Idol). Morrison was Osbourne’s closest friend and collaborator in his later years.
Rudy Sarzo, who toured with Osbourne in 1981-1982, was also in attendance with the entire current lineup of Quiet Riot, whose brand-new singer – 23-year-old John Torra – proved to be one of the media’s favorite interview subjects.
One of the coolest moments of the concert (also shown in the film) was the “drum-off” between Smith, Barker, and Carey during the Black Sabbath song “Symptom of the Universe,” during which Sarzo played bass. I overheard Barker and Carey recalling that moment as they posed for photos together.
Before the screening, Sharon and Jack appeared on stage to welcome everyone and offered their heartfelt thanks for the decades of support of the beloved Osbourne. Their speeches were followed by a lengthy chant of “Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy…”
The 150-minute film focuses on the Black Sabbath and Osbourne songs covered by the artists who participated in the original concert. Although several bands – such as Alice in Chains, Pantera, Slayer, and Metallica – also performed their own material at the show, those songs are not presented in the film.
The original pre-recorded video tributes from Osbourne’s peers that were shown during the livestream have been replaced in the film with voiceovers from the participating musicians combined with great archival footage of Black Sabbath and Osbourne.
Although the concert itself ended with the triumphant finale of the four-song Black Sabbath reunion set, the filmmakers chose to move the emotional performance of “Mama, I’m Coming Home” from Ozzy’s solo segment to the end of the movie, creating a powerful final statement.
There are many other surprises and highlights throughout the film, but I recommend that everyone grab some family and friends to experience this amazing documentary for themselves!
“Back to the Beginning” arrives in theaters worldwide on October 28th for a limited run, and tickets are available now.
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SID 261025 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
