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Steve "Lips" Kudlow, Robb Reiner

In 1981, Canadian heavy metal band Anvil released their first album, Hard 'n' Heavy, which earned them a potent reputation among discerning headbangers and established them as one of the pioneering ac... read more read more...ts of the speed metal movement. Anvil had a loyal following in their native Canada and they shared stages with some of the biggest names in heavy rock, but the lucky break that would have elevated them to real stardom never came, and legal troubles helped to derail the group's career in the mid-'80s. Years later, the likes of Metallica and Slayer would cite Anvil as a key influence, but lead vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner struggled to keep the band alive, recording new material for tiny independent labels and trying to organize club tours as they juggled day jobs, families, and adult responsibilities. Documentary filmmaker Sacha Gervasi follows Kudlow and Reiner as they struggle to keep their ambitions alive despite 35 years of missing the brass ring in Anvil! The True Story of Anvil, which paints a sympathetic but warts-and-all portrait of the unexpected consequences of the rock & roll dream. Anvil! received its American premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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89% liked it

7,864 ratings

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98% liked it

133 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Sacha Gervasi

Release Date: April 10, 2009

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DVD Release Date: October 6, 2009

Stats: 1,391 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,391)

  • danperry17
    December 29, 2011
    danperry17
    You don't need to love metal, you just need to love honest artists. In the early going, you can't help but compare it to This Is Spinal Tap, and start to wonder how much of it is put on, but you quickly realize that this story is too common and too pure to be faked. There are hun... read moredreds of bands out there who almost made it... and next to none of them can say they've been together 30 years, like Anvil has.

    When Anvil was unable to follow up their shot - the final slot on a tour of Japan that also featured Scorpions and Bon Jovi - they wound up doing everything themselves. The Story of Anvil is a touching documentary that can bring you to tears in some places - Lips and Robb never quite lose that fanboy joy, no matter how badly things go, or which members of which big bands don't remember them - and it can make you laug out loud in others. Typical line: "The tour went wrong. Everything went disastrously wrong. But at least there was a tour for things to go wrong on. I don't regret a minute of it." Talk about an optimist! At its core, this film is about two regular guys who just love what they do, and who keep doing it, for themselves and for each other. As every struggling artist knows, you have to imagine that Sisyphus is happy. Excellent documentary, a wonderful surprise.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    September 1, 2011
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "At fourteen, they made a pact to rock together forever. They meant it."

    At 14, best friends Robb Reiner and Lips made a pact to rock together forever. Their band, Anvil, hailed as the "demi-gods of Canadian metal, " influenced a musical generation that includes Metallica... read more, Slayer, and Anthrax, despite never hitting the big time. Following a calamitous European tour, Lips and Robb, now in their fifties, set off to record their 13th album in one last attempt to fulfill their boyhood dreams.

    REVIEW

    "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is a rock documentary that focuses on an extremely influential, yet now totally obscure, Canadian speed trash metal band. That's the story of Steve "Lips" Kudlow who teamed up with his high school buddy Robb Reiner in 1973. By the early 1980s they recorded their seminal album "Metal on Metal" and toured along with Scorpions, Whitesnake and Bon Jovi in Japan. They were to become famous like their peers, yet something didn't work out as Lemmy of Motorhead aptly put it: "sometimes, you have to be in the right place at the right time". 25 years later the two band members live like ordinary people providing for their families through hard work. Director Sacha Gervasi is a long-time fan of the band who has crafted a motion picture that goes from funny (the archival footage of the band) to realistically sincere and poignant (the band's constant struggle with elements out of their control). The movie rings true throughout depicting the band dealing with numerous challenging situations which include: the organizational problems on their European tour, the discord between Kudlow and Reiner while recording their 13th album and the lack of the proper record label which would release their CD. At this point, the movie gets far more universal as it deals with the situation of numerous under-appreciated outfits in the cruel music business. Gervasi never lets things go too dark though retaining the joyous, almost celebral tone of the movie. In a nutshell, "Anvil!" is about never giving up one's dreams no matter what. Gervasi's love letter to the band is surprisingly tender, yet far from glorifying.
  • blkbomb
    June 5, 2011
    blkbomb
    We have all heard the saying, "life isn't fair." Anvil! the Story of Anvil shows how unfair life can be. Anvil toured with Whitednake, Scorpions, and Bon Jovi on the 80s. Those bands exploded, but Anvil did not. Also to add insult to injury, peers love them. At the start of the d... read moreocumentary, you hear from huge names who cite Anvil as a major influence and a great band. Slash, Lars Ulrich, Lemmy, and Scott Ian talk about how great the band is and was. If they are that good, they should be famous, but somehow they got lost in the shuffle. Many bands would give up on themselves , but they show their true hearts and push through and that's what we see in the documentary. A band that's not rich, not famous, but resilient.
  • fb619846742
    November 25, 2010
    fb619846742
    An honest, emotional, and riveting look at a heavy metal band from the 80's that never quite took off like they possibly should have. This is the real-life version of "This Is Spinal Tap", as director Sacha Gervasi follows around a band who are still stuck doing small gigs at bar... read mores, sometimes not even getting paid for it. What's most interesting is the relationship between lead singer Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner, who formed the band in the early 80's, experienced initial success, but saw it spiral out of control due to poor management and bad production of their work. Many times I was reminded of the film "The Wrestler" as well in the sense that these guys only know how to do one thing, and that's to rock - even if they're over 50 now. It is hard not to admire these guys by the end of this documentary.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    September 29, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    As a diehard metalhead, it was obvious that I was going to watch this film. This is the story of Anvil, one of the first trash metal bands to come out. Not from San Francisco, but from Toronto, Canada. Anvil were forging powerful metal albums before the big four (Metallica, Slaye... read morer, Anthrax and Megadeth) came into play. Anvil seemed to have a bright future ahead of them, and they always gave amazing performances. Unfortunately that was not to be, and Anvil instead of being a great success like every other band in their genre, went into obscurity. Anvil The Story Of Anvil takes a look at the band during a not so spectacular tour, some dates they ended to playing to up to only five people. The film is a real life Spinal Tap, as the guys in Anvil only want to make it. Thus they set about to record their thirteenth studio album, This Is Thirteen. This film shows exactly what a music industry to put an artist through. What these guys have been through is very unfair as they're tremendously talented and well respected by their peers. Anvil The Story Of Anvil is a heartbreaking film about perseverance and how dedicated two people can be to what they love. Now people may think that what these guys are doing is in vain. However, I think otherwise, Anvil is a very talented band, and even if they never made it, they've recorded some ground breaking albums, notably Metal On Metal and Forged In Fire, both albums are terrific slabs of metal history, and they definitely have a place in the formation of Speed Metal. Anvil The Story Of Anvil really impressed me and I loved it very much. Even the non metalhead may like this film because its not your typical heavy metal documentary. I find it's a documentary that shows the human side of a band, and that to me is whats very appealing. I love the music, and I love the band. Sacha Gervasi has directed this phenomenal documentary and as a diehard Anvil fan himself, he gave these a very much deserved second chance with this. Now Anvil have enjoyed subsequent renewed success, hopefully many fans of metal will know how great these guys truly are.
  • SirPant
    June 29, 2010
    SirPant
    Anvil is like a cross between Spinal Tap and The Wrestler but in real life. It's funny, it's sad, it's uplifting and it's probably the most inspiring documentary I've ever seen and one of the best films of the last few years. It's absolutely brilliant and I thoroughly loved it!
  • JonathanHutchings
    April 4, 2010
    JonathanHutchings
    Anvil follows two original members of the once-popular metal band, who are now in their fifties. Both Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner (no, not that Rob Reiner) are fascinating, with their never-die attitude, life-long friendship, and constant brotherly quarrels. Back in the 8... read more0s, when their brand of metal was dominating the airwaves, they were primed for success, sharing the stage with giants like Bon Jovi, Scorpions, Motley Crue, etc. Unfortunately, and perhaps, inexplicably, they never got their break; and, astonishingly, they have been trying to make it ever since -- at the cost of financial instability and frequent absences from home. The film succeeds because both Kudlow and Reiner are extremely funny and entertaining, but beyond entertainment it's easy to have a profound respect for these crusty rockers and it's even easier to feel sorry for them. Perhaps the most touching aspects of Anvil are the interviews with spouses, siblings and parents, as they demonstrate the degree of tolerance required to stick with middle-aged men still pursuing a 16-year-old's ultimate rock star fantasy. The amount of unwavering support these people have for the band, even though their dream, by all accounts and measures, is virtually unattainable, is truly heart-warming. Well-shot and edited, Anvil is an underdog saga even non-metalheads will root for. It effectively tows that fine line between chuckling at its protagonists' somewhat absurd situation and celebrating their sheer unwillingness to give up. It's heartbreaking at times to see these guys struggle for so long with little or no day off, but that's also what is so endearing about the film. These guys want nothing more than to get their music to a large amount of people, and their unbridled passion is both inspiring and touching. Anvil has a lot of heart and will not disappoint.
  • kiriyamakazou
    January 16, 2010
    kiriyamakazou
    A documentary that makes a mockumentary, which preceded it by over 20 years, look irrelevant. THIS is Spinal Tap, only their name is Anvil and they are very real. As many have stated before, this is a film with amazing power. It really does make everything seem OK. Here are two m... read moreen that refuse to give up on their dream or each other. Kudlow is a wonderful character and wonderful man, full of raw passion and a childlike confusion. The scenes where he approaches his peers in a fanboyish way make him truly endearing. He should be level with these men, many of whom he has met before but never remember the encounters. Sometimes you laugh at them, but in a way that can't be considered cruel. Kudlow and Reiner are a sweet couple and this is their moment. This is how people should live their lives, with responsibility, but always with one (and sometimes two) eyes focused on that dream.
  • Beefy
    October 17, 2009
    Beefy
    Boy does it feel good to give a movie four stars again! Funny, touching, and unexpectedly life affirming, this documentary had a smile on my face almost the entire time. Even if you're not interested in metal music, dont' let it deter you from seeing this film. It will make yo... read moreu feel pretty darn good.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    October 12, 2009
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    Heartfelt, funny, and passionate... "Anvil: The Story of Anvil" is a spectacular documentary about one band's 30 year quest of making the big time. It's also one of the most inspiring documents ever captured on film, and one of the greatest films about rock music and the music in... read moredustry. Not to be missed.

View All Anvil! The Story of Anvil Reviews

Critic Reviews

Ruth Hessey
September 11, 2009
Ruth Hessey, MovieTime, ABC Radio National

While it's undoubtedly comical and touching, a pall of middle-aged gloom hovers over the antics of Canada's longest surviving death metal band. Full Review

Cary Darling
July 10, 2009
Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News

A winning and surprisingly moving documentary about -- wait for it -- a struggling Canadian heavy metal band that apparently influenced a generation of hard-rockers including Metallica, Anthrax and Gu...

Roger Moore
May 29, 2009
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Cute if predictable. Full Review

Josh Freedom duLac
May 15, 2009
Josh Freedom duLac, Washington Post

Now THIS is Spinal Tap. Full Review

Colin Covert
May 7, 2009
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

It's an affectionate portrait of performers starving for applause, achingly funny as only real life can be. Full Review

Michael Phillips
April 24, 2009
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

The new documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil succeeds every which way, as '80s metal nostalgia, as a twisted sort of reality-show attempt at a comeback, as an unexpectedly touching portrait of a frie... Full Review

J. R. Jones
April 24, 2009
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

Gervasi has tapped into a powerful if much-overlooked truth: humanity rocks. Full Review

Ethan Alter
April 24, 2009
Ethan Alter, Hollywood Reporter

An engaging account of the life and times of an obscure Canadian heavy-metal band.

Tom Long
April 24, 2009
Tom Long, Detroit News

A study in the cost of pursuing a dream that's probably the wrong dream, Anvil! The Story of Anvil looks for the high notes but doesn't -- or can't -- shy away from the lows. Full Review

Peter Hartlaub
April 24, 2009
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle

Anvil! The Story of Anvil is a very funny documentary, following original band members Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner (seriously), on a disastrous European tour and an attempt at a comeback album. Full Review

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