"Anvil! The True Story of Anvil" - movie review

Hey maybe now someone will reissue their albums so fat nostalgic guys like me can afford 'em.

SpectreFate wrote:

Hey maybe now someone will reissue their albums so fat nostalgic guys like me can afford 'em.

This fat middleaged nostalgic guy would also like to see these albums reissued.

Lips and Robb Reiner were on VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" last night to pimp the movie... pretty cool stuff, even though I ordinarily avoid this show due to my distaste for Eddie ("did I tell you I'm a close personal friend of Ace Frehley?") Trunk ...

According to Anvil's Facebook page, the band will be appearing on the Jimmy Kimmel Show this coming Thursday. I don't stay up that late so we'll see if I remember to set the ol' DVR to record it.

I'll have to try and remember they will be on. I dont have DVR you lucky SOB!

I posted in the other Anvil movie thread that I just got to see this last week and I really enjoyed it. I came across it on the internet so I couldnt pass up watching it. Now ive been on the look out for their cds. I didnt realize how hard they would be to find. Ive been coming across a few here and there. I have one store getting me a few next week. I just hope they arent too expensive since they are imports. I boght one from him last week and it was $17 so anymore more than that i'll have to pass. I came across some decent deals on ebay, cdinzane and sentinel steel so i'm sure i'll get all their stuff by the end of the month lol.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

I'll have to try and remember they will be on. I dont have DVR you lucky SOB!

Knowing me, I'll probably forget all about it and won't program it to record the Kimmel show anyway Though even if I forget, I'm sure the clip will be on YouTube the next morning so I'll see it one way or the other.

oh yea very true YouTube is good for that.

It makes me soooo happy that these guys finally get some attention for their music. Granted, I'm not the biggest Anvil fan, but they definitely played a role in the thrash/speed boom in the 80s. Plus Lips and Robb seem like such nice, down to earth guys.

What saddens me though, is that their fame will probably be short lived. The next couple of months you'll see all kinds of Hot Topic posers buying an Anvil shirt and downloading an album or two. Then when everybody's seen the movie the hype'll slowly die. I REALLY hope this won't happen, but we all know how fads come and go.

Dave the Boss wrote:

Plus Lips and Robb seem like such nice, down to earth guys.

Caught the movie in MN. Really good movie! Met Lips and Rob before and after the show.

Lips; yes he's a very cool, very nice dude. Rob; not so much. He was kind of a prick.

SideShowDisaSter wrote:

Lips; yes he's a very cool, very nice dude. Rob; not so much. He was kind of a prick.

In just about every interview I've seen with Lips and Robb involving this movie, Lips does most, if not all, of the talking, and Robb sits there staring off into space, saying very little and looking like he'd rather be somewhere else. I guess he's just not used to having the spotlight on him, or maybe he's just anti-social.

Seriously, the two of them together remind me of a metal version of Penn and Teller ... a motormouth (Lips) and a guy who never talks (Robb)

Hey FF looks like you were right. Heres the Jimmy Kimmel show on Youtube haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70_gjO5Ri78

From watching the movie I gather that Rob is a really depressed person. I think he goes to therapy for his depression as well. Im not 100% sure about that but thats what I took from watching the movie.

Man, I SSSSSOOOOOO want to see this movie. Anvil have been a favorite of mine since I was in high school. (Yes, that was a long time ago!)

look it up on the internet thats how I got to watch it. I'll buy the real thing when it comes out though cause it was that good. I already watched it twice.

Where?

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

Hey FF looks like you were right. Heres the Jimmy Kimmel show on Youtube haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70_gjO5Ri78

From watching the movie I gather that Rob is a really depressed person. I think he goes to therapy for his depression as well. Im not 100% sure about that but thats what I took from watching the movie.

I recorded the Kimmel show when it was on last week, finally got to watch it last night. Cool to see Anvil getting on a "real" talk show but it would've been cooler if they'd been the musical guest instead of whatever emo-pop band did play.

As for Robb's depression, I wouldn't be surprised. If I'd spent the last 30+ years of my life in a band that was constantly wallowing in obscurity I'd probably be depressed too.

Yea I thought it was stupid that they didnt play but hey atleast they were on.

Haha yea being in a band so long and having so many ups and downs I guess would get to you after 30 years. Its been a little over 10 years for me and ive felt the same way but then I just think to myself that its something else to do besides work. We have fun doing it and thats ok for me, because really we might never get anywhere and if I keep that in my mind id just go nuts. So I just take it day by day. If someone picks us up great if not oh well, we do what we can on our own. Ive been surprised by the people that have bought our cd already especially the ones that just happen to see some tiny add and send us letters. That right there just makes me happy.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

Hey FF looks like you were right. Heres the Jimmy Kimmel show on Youtube haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70_gjO5Ri78

From watching the movie I gather that Rob is a really depressed person. I think he goes to therapy for his depression as well. Im not 100% sure about that but thats what I took from watching the movie.

I recorded the Kimmel show when it was on last week, finally got to watch it last night. Cool to see Anvil getting on a "real" talk show but it would've been cooler if they'd been the musical guest instead of whatever emo-pop band did play.

As for Robb's depression, I wouldn't be surprised. If I'd spent the last 30+ years of my life in a band that was constantly wallowing in obscurity I'd probably be depressed too.

I've spend the last 15+ years "in a band that is constantly wallowing in obscurity." I guess you either do it because you love it, or you don't do it at all.

ultmetal wrote:

I've spend the last 15+ years "in a band that is constantly wallowing in obscurity." I guess you either do it because you love it, or you don't do it at all.

Good point, Ult. No offense intended, by the way. I was just sayin' that in Anvil's case, they were considered to be "the next big thing" at one time, they were all set to become rock stars, then sh*t happened and they missed the brass ring by... THAT...much. I could see how that might eat at a guy 25+ years later.

Last week I was traveling through the Detroit area. I had some time to kill, so I decided to catch a movie. I don't have a laptop at this time, so I decided I would give my ex girlfriend a call for some dates & times of some movies in or around the Detroit area (She's around a computer most of the time). I found out that the Anvil documentary was playing at a theater in Royal Oak, Michigan at the Landmark Main Art theater. I actually didn't envision there being any matinee shows on a weekday for some reason, but there was, and I partook in what ended up being just a fascinating documentary.

I will be the first to admit, I've never owned an Anvil album (though I always remember seeing their albums while perusing through the metal section). I think it speaks volumes when a documentary makes the viewer feel like they've had a personal investment in these individuals, even when many haven't. I saw this documentary on a Thursday afternoon, but why was I not surprised to see only 5 other people in attendance? The lack of a movie audience more or less has been synonymous with their career up until this point. In fact, the young lady behind the counter even stated to me that the movie hadn't really done that well at this particular location. What a shame. People, who might be turned off by this genre of music don't understand what they're missing.

Without delving into it too much, I was wondering what your thoughts were regarding Robb's home versus that of Lips home? Lips looks like he's bordering on that of abject poverty, whereas Robb seems to live in a much more comfortable setting. I also found it funny that Robb's sister was much more vocal than that of his wife. In fact, whenever Robb's wife was a part of the interview, there was Robb's sister. This made me wonder if Robb and his wife live with his sister? Can anyone answer this question?

For those who haven't seen this documentary, please go see it.

That is the only problem with this documentary. The only people who are mainly going to see it are metal heads and really it is for basically anyone whos into metal or not. Its a great look at how crappy the business can really be.

I did notice the thing with Robs sister and wife. His sister didnt have any belief in his music it seems during the filming of this. I wonder if she feels differently now.

Fortunately VH-1 has purchased the rights to this movie, so after it's done it's theater run, expect to see it every other hour on VH-1 Classic.

Quote :

VH1 acquired the exclusive rights for "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" and will release the film on television and DVD under its Emmy Award-winning "VH1 Rock Docs" franchise this fall. VH1 has been heavily supporting the initial theatrical distribution by Abramorama with a network-wide, multi-platform promotional campaign.

From Blabbermouth:

Steve "Lips" Kudlow, the guitarist/vocalist of the Canadian heavy metal legends ANVIL, spoke to the National Post about his band's upcoming opening-act shows with AC/DC at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts on July 28 and Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 31.

"Doing the gig is the easy part, getting the gig is what's tough," says Lips. "I last saw AC/DC
with my 11-year-old at the Air Canada Centre. Now, he'll get to see me
open for the band in the States. It's bombastic, man. Really, really
incredible stuff."

ANVIL landed the gigs based on the overwhelming response to and incredible buzz created by the critically acclaimed documentary "Anvil! The Story of Anvil".

"What it came down to is the fact that AC/DC will benefit because they're the guys who extended a hand to help ANVIL out," Lips adds. "I don't know if they saw the movie or not. I just know a decision was made by Angus [Young, AC/DC's guitarist] and he wanted see ANVIL triumph and succeed."

In between recording their new album and playing Gillete Stadium in Boston on July 28 and Giant Stadium on July 31, ANVIL is also looking at possible tour dates with METALLICA and hoping to join AC/DC on August's Canadian leg of their tour.

"All this stuff that’s happening to us now could never have happened if we didn’t play for more than thirty years," Lips
says. "I got to tell you, man, it couldn't happen at a better time in
our lives. It bought me a retirement fund, if nothing else."

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is the directorial debut of screenwriter Sacha Gervasi ("The Terminal") and was produced by Rebecca Yeldham ("The Kite Runner" and "The Motorcycle Diaries"). The film follows Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner and their band, ANVIL, which released one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982's "Metal on Metal". The album influenced an entire musical generation of rock bands, including METALLICA, SLAYER, and ANTHRAX, who all went on to sell millions of records. ANVIL,
on the other hand, took a different path — straight to obscurity. The
film is both entertaining and touching as it follows their last-ditch
quest for the fame and fortune that has been so elusive to them. "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is a timeless tale of survival and the unadulterated passion it takes to follow your dream, year after year.

Praised as "the best documentary I've seen in years," by documentarian Michael Moore, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" contains appearances by an array of heavy metal icons, including METALLICA's Lars Ulrich, former member of GUNS N' ROSES, Slash, ANTHRAX's Scott Ian, and SLAYER's Tom Araya, among others.

That's very cool news, these guys deserve SOME kind of break.

good to hear folks stepped up to the plate

I really want to see this movie - I haven;t seen it playing around here