Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #893 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-06-15
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 80 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Nearly three decades on, is Anvil! The Story Of Anvil finally the film that finally gives This Is Spinal Tap a run for its money? Quite possibly so. The recipient of far-reaching acclaim, and with a real run for being named film of the year, this is a superb documentary, that is all the more staggering for being true.

Anvil! The Story Of Anvil follows the band of its title, a heavy metal group who enjoyed moderate success in the late 70s and early 80s, but kept going even when the light of fame and success shone elsewhere. Thus, we meet the band’s members--Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow and Robb Reiner--as they hold down day jobs, record an album and head off on a European tour that could have been taken straight out of the Spinal Tap playbook.

As Anvil! The Story Of Anvil develops, though, there’s a drama at the heart of it that mixes in with the many frequent laughs. And, as it turns out, it’s a film that out of nowhere manages to move you, pretty much the last thing you expect of it.

This is, and there’s no two ways about it, a quite brilliant film, and one of the very best documentaries in some time. It’s outrageously entertaining, very funny and yet human to the core. Anvil! The Story Of Anvil is going to take some beating, and don’t be surprised if it’s another three decades before anything else comes close to it and This Is Spinal Tap… --Jon Foster

Synopsis
ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL is the sensitive and irresistibly funny story of unsung heroes of Canadian heavy metal Anvil. Jewish teenagers Robb Reiner and Steve "Lips" Kudlow met in the mid-seventies in a Toronto high school and soon decided that rock was their destiny. Anvil was forged. The band gained a cult following among heavy metal enthusiasts during the eighties, but never really made it in the often cruel and clueless mainstream rock circuit. Not withstanding a plethora of eager fans including Metallica and Guns ‘N’ Roses, who have frequently cited Anvil as a source of inspiration, the Toronto based outfit got irremediably swallowed by oblivion. But rocking out isn’t just a matter of attitude or luck; it is instead a vocation which Anvil never turned its back on, while patiently waiting for its call to greatness. Director Sacha Gervasi (THE TERMMINAL) witnessed Anvil’s fall from grace directly, having worked as a roadie for the band in its heyday. Moving and hilarious, ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL documents Reiner and Kudlow’s last shot at stardom and follows them on the road during an often farcical European tour. The film’s recurring grotesque and surreal situations could see it mistaken for an attempted mockumentary, when it is nothing more than the heart-felt portrait of two stubbornly dedicated dreamers.

Customer Reviews

Admirable and Life-affirming
The previous reviews were excellent, especially in discussing the conflicts that arise in Anvil.

I admire Spinal Tap for how the situations, characters and most of all the music actually pay homage to the whole rock genre it so archly satirises. I approached Anvil suspecting it would be a diluted version of the original spoof, maybe even playing on the heavy metal clichés for cheap laughs, but that's not the case. Although Anvil initially promises to expose the failed dreams of two ageing and deluded rock musicians - and there are many uncomfortable and hilarious scenes - by the end of the film you only want success and recognition for them. Their passion, optimism and friendship deserve nothing less.

Beyond the human journey, the documentary is so well crafted, for example, the cohesion of the Japan angle, the understated meetings with other rock musicians and the suspense of the ending. I actually had a tear in my eye on several occasions such as when Lipps' wife is interviewed, but I think these aspects were made more poignant by the exquisitely excruciating Spinal Tap sequences - look out for the rendition of Thumb Hang, the `I'll tell you in one, no two, no three words' conversation, and the textured toilet painting.

I'm not a heavy metal fan but it's difficult to be cynical about these people or the music; this film is so admirable and life-affirming - it's just great.

Either heartbreaking...or inspirational!
More than any film that I've seen in a while, this documentary stirred up a wide range of emotions in me, and at times I wasn't quite sure what to feel.

Let me first say up front that this is a great film which I really liked, and is well worth checking out whether you're into heavy metal music or not. Hence one of the many emotions referred to was laughter! As you may have heard, the film is at times hilarious in a "you couldn't make this up" sort of way (apparently some people mistake it for a Spinal Tap style mockumentary, and you can see why - a confusion that isn't helped by the drummer's name being Robb Reiner!). It has some classic lines and situations, and is very watchable. Certainly a film that you can enjoy watching either on your own or in a group.

My conflict came when I tried to work out what to feel towards these aging, passionate musicians. We're often told by inspirational books and films to "follow our dreams" - as a feel good message to motivate us to make the most of our lives. So what are we to make of this band that refuses to give up their art, in the face of obscurity and indifference, and despite the strain that this puts on the rest of their lives? Maybe this depends on what you personally feel about their music: to me they seemed out of touch and out of time...no more than a relic, and oblivious to the fact that they are no longer relevant, or indeed that even if they were still relevant it is hard to get your money back from making an album in this digital download age, or from touring when they've been replaced by younger bands that the kids can relate to. At times you are left with the uncomfortable feeling that they are being exploited.

But right there is the twist and the contradiction that leaves me confused! Because it is as a direct result of their refusal to give up or face the facts of their situation that has resulted in this film being made about them, which has in turn led to them getting a second bite of fame. And it wouldn't surprise me now if they HAVE made money on their album as a result of their new found fame, even though that seemed inconceivable during the film as they desperately tried to find a record label who thought it would be worth releasing. And if this is true, then take nothing away from them...they deserve it!

So many contradictions. Should I pity these guys and feel sad for them and their broken dreams...or admire them for their boundless enthusiasm and refusal to accept life's limitations, and feel happy for them that in some strange way it now seems to have paid off!? Well, I'm certain that in the wake of the film they have no regrets, and feel in some way vindicated, so hats off to them. For the rest of us, I guess all we can do is sit back and enjoy the ride.

In summary, a fascinating and enjoyable documentary, which I recommend.

Brilliant documentary
This is a brilliant, moving documentary that is one of the highlights of the movie year. It was in turns hilarious (like when Lips starts on one of his rambles!), heart-breaking (the empty European basements the band plays in) and heart-warming (the brilliant ending in particular).

Although Lips can be a bit of a klutz and Reiner can be a bit pessimistic (with some justification given their years without major success), together they are brilliant characters and totally likeable. Their long-lasting friendship is really moving as are the scenes when, recording in the UK, they momentarily split up the band in a moment of acrimony only to patch it up soon thereafter. Lips wears his heart on his sleeve and his honesty and lack of pretention is very welcome given the music industry is full of divas. This is simply the tale of honest, hard-working friends trying to live their dream and sacrificing nearly everything to fulfill it. The scene where Lips tries his hand at hard-pressure telesales to fund the band and can't bring himself to lower his moral principles was wonderfully touching. I was really rooting for them both and the band throughout and only the hardest-of-hearts wouldn't want to see their dreams realised and for them to be successful.

Even if you don't like heavy metal and have never seen This Is Spinal Tap, this is really worth seeing. Yet more proof that, in recent years, documentaries are outshining mainstream Hollywood.