The Story of Anvil is Melville-esque in the quest for stardom
These albums stood apart from the trends; each one is a triumph of creative indulgence that looks inward to create singular and vital music.
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I really had to fight back the urge to to shudder when I asked the woman behind the safety glass at the ticket booth at Midtown Art Cinema for two tickets to see Anvil The Story of Anvil on Memorial Day. When she lazily replied, “$20.” I thought yikes! Really? That’s $10 a piece. ... I wouldn’t pay that much for an Anvil album if I found one in the used record bin. ...Or at least I wouldn’t have before watching director Sasha Gervasi’s documentary film about the Canadian metal band that soared to metal heights in the mid ’80s, but has persisted in obscurity over the decades that have followed.-
The band’s 50-something frontman Steve “Lips” Kudlow still beams with childlike excitement when talking about achieving success as a rock star, which has cruelly taunted the band for more than 30 years.-
Lips and his childhood buddy and drummer Rob Reiner fight a Melville-esque battle that threatens to destroy their friendship at nearly every bump in the road.-
The truly brilliant tension in the film arises in the sacrifices they make and in the dynamics of every relationship the band’s members share with their wives, children, siblings and fans.-
The film beautifully synthesizes This Is Spinal Tap with a reality TV-like flair, but these are by no means the guys that you love to hate. Visual clues that allude to the Spinal Tap parallels are none-too-subtle either, as we see volume knobs cranked to 11, and the boys in the band even pay a visit to Stonehenge when they travel to the U.K. to record with producer Chris Tsangarides.