Don Coscarelli Directed A Ronnie James Dio Music Video In The 80s?!
The legendary LAST IN LINE artwork from the DIO album.
Today as we honor and celebrate the birthday of Ronnie James Dio we explore one of our favorite partnerships in music and horror! The DON COSCARELLI x RONNIE JAMES DIO 1980s music collab for THE LAST IN LINE.
Don Coscarelli with Paul Giamatti. Coscarelli directed one of the most beloved heavy metal music videos of the 1980s.
In the 1980s, legendary filmmaker Don Coscarelli, best known for his work on the "Phantasm" series, took an unexpected yet memorable detour into the world of music videos. This detour led him to collaborate with the iconic heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio on the music video for the classic track “Last in Line.” This unique collaboration is highlighted in a new clip from the documentary, "Dio: Dreamers Never Die."
One of the scenes from the THE LAST IN LINE music video directed by Don Coscarelli
Coscarelli recalls the first time he heard "Last in Line" and how he pitched an original concept to Dio, centered around the simple yet evocative idea of "teenagers in hell." Coscarelli credits Dio with adding profound depth to the premise, stating, "He basically told me, ‘From birth to death, we’re all in a line, and imagine if you’re the last in line.'"
How cool is this behind the scenes photo of Don Coscarelli with Ronnie James Dio?!
Dio’s Murray
Moreover, Dio insisted on including his infamous mascot, Murray, in the video. Murray, the devilish figure who became synonymous with Dio's music, added a distinctive touch to the visual narrative.
Don Coscarelli directed THE LAST IN LINE by Ronnie James Dio
DIO Dreamers Never Die
"Dio: Dreamers Never Die," directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton, is the first documentary authorized by Dio's estate, with Wendy Dio serving as an executive producer. This film spans the entirety of Dio's career, from his early days as a doo-wop singer to his legendary status in heavy metal, featuring never-before-seen footage and personal photos. It also includes interviews with notable figures such as Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Glenn Hughes, Vinny Appice, Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Sebastian Bach, Eddie Trunk, and Jack Black.
There was some very cool behind the scenes videos of the music video shoot in the documentary.
There was also a great feature for Rolling Stone Magazine on Coscarelli’s video:
Rolling Stone profiled THE LAST IN LINE music video in a 2022 issue around the release of the documentary.
You can watch THE LAST IN LINE music video directed by Don Coscarelli below:
