Grade: 82 (A-)
For every band that makes it huge, there’s about 1,000 that
don’t. Take Anvil, for example. The Canadian metal band influenced virtually
every major band on the thrash metal scene (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax,
Slayer), not to mention finding fans among Guns n’ Roses and Motorhead, but for
whatever reason never managed to make a major mark for themselves outside of a
tiny cult following. Not being a devoted heavy metal fan (in terms of heavier
rock and roll, I prefer punk), I hadn’t heard of Anvil before the release of
Sacha Gervasi’s documentary Anvil! The
Story of Anvil, but the film makes a case for Anvil’s relevance even after
their heyday.
Headed by singer/guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow and drummer
Robb Reiner (seriously), Anvil just can’t catch a break. It’s been over twenty
years since they played major festivals alongside The Scorpions and Bon Jovi.
Kudlow, Reiner, and the other bandmates now play tiny locations to dozens
rather than thousands, work lousy day jobs in order to fund their heavy metal
dreams, and deal with balancing time with their families and time on the road.
The group manages to catch a number of breaks only to have them fall through-
their European tour is poorly attended, their manager constantly screws up
arrangements, they’re often not paid for their work, and the recording of their
thirteenth album, This is Thirteen,
is fraught with tension only to be turned down or ignored by major labels. But
the members soldier on in spite of the odds. They love the music too much.
Anvil! has been
described as a real-life This is Spinal Tap. There’s no doubt
several similarities (lousy conditions, touring in obscurity, a show in Japan,
a trip to Stonehenge), but it’s far too glib and easy a comparison to hold much
water. Gervasi is a talented filmmaker, but he’s also a fan, and he doesn’t
undersell the pain or the passion of the members of Anvil at any point.
Sometimes his fandom is a bit too much- he doesn’t much explore why Anvil might not have made it big in
the 80s- but the fact that he finds humor in their situation without mocking
them is what counts. Above all else, Lips and Reiner are likable, downright
nice guys just trying to do what they love for a living, and Anvil! is a frequently moving experience
because it takes them seriously. The film wasn’t exactly a smash hit when it
was released, but it was well-reviewed enough that Anvil has since seen a spike
in popularity, opening for Saxon and AC/DC. If that doesn’t speak to the power
of the movies, I don’t know what does.
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Did you know that you can like The Film Temple on Facebook and follow @thefilmtemple on Twitter? Well you do now!
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