 Best Sellers | | Home Anvil: The Story of Anvil | |
|  | |  | | | Anvil: The Story of Anvil | | | | | | | |
List Price:
| $24.98 | |
Our Price:
| $21.13 | |
You Save:
| $3.85 (15%)
| | Shipping: | Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. | |
*Shipping:
| |
| | | SKU:
0894316800122 | | In Stock | | Availability:
Usually ships in 1 business days | | |
|
| | Description | At 14, Toronto school friends Steve Lips Kudlow and Robb Reiner made a pact to rock together forever. They meant it. Their band, Anvil, went on the become the 'demigods of Canadian Metal, ' releasing one of the heaviest albums in Metal history, 1982's Metal on Metal. The album influenced a musical generation, including Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax, that went on to sell millions of records. But Anvil's career took a different path... straight to obscurity. Director Sacha Gervasi has concocted a wonderful and often hilarious account of Anvil's last-ditch quest for elusive fame and fortune. His ingenious filmmaking may first lead you to think this is a mockumentary, but it isn't. It's fascinating to see the reality of their day-to-day lives as they struggle to make ends meet, take a misguided European tour, and engage in antics on the road-which is not always lined with fans. | |
| | Product Details | | Actors: | Robb Reiner, Steve 'Lips' Kudlow, Tiziana Arrigoni, Scott Ian, Lemmy | | Director: | Sacha Gervasi | | Format: | Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, Closed-captioned, NTSC | | Language: | English | | Subtitle: | French Canadian | | Number of Discs: | 1 | | Studio: | VH1 Films | | Run Time: | 80 minutes | | DVD Release Date: | October 06, 2009 | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 87 reviews |
| |
| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 87 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 29 found the following review helpful:
 Never Give Up Jan 05, 2010
By Daniel A. Modell
Anvil: the Story of Anvil chronicles the journey of the band from near fame to near obscurity and back again in the unyielding pursuit of a dream. The band battles through a series of uproariously funny events, maddeningly frustrating encounters, and, finally, agonizingly poignant exchanges. Their story, expressed in the crunch of distorted guitars, the abandon of the stage and the rebelliousness of leather and long hair will excite a very pleasant nostalgia for those steeped in the ethos of 80's metal music. But the incomparable glory of this documentary is that, in the deepest sense, it is not about music at all. Music is simply the means through which deeper themes are voiced. In the end, The Story of Anvil is about loyalty, friendship and perseverence: the single-minded perseverance to follow your deepest aspirations, unbowed, in the teeth of any and all opposition.
28 of 33 found the following review helpful:
Anvil: The Band That Didn't Make It, But Should... Oct 04, 2009
By Jym Cherry
"Writing Under The Influence of Rock 'n' Roll!"
The Story of Anvil is a Rock 'n' Roll cautionary tale for those of us living out our Rock 'n' Roll dreams. You can be an innovative band, have the respect of your peers, and have the same access to fans but still not make it into big time Rock 'n' Roll. The story of Anvil is also a story of hope, friendship and following your artistic vision to create something that not only do you like but will be there after you're gone.
Anvil is a Heavy Metal band created by childhood friends Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner. They've been together as a band for almost 30 years and while bassists have come and gone they still share a dream to make it to the big time. Their belief in themselves isn't unrealistic, as proved by interviews by such Heavy Metal luminaries as Lars Ullrich, Lemmy (from Motorhead), and Slash attest to. They credit Anvil with being Heavy Metal innovators not only in their music such as songs like Metal On Metal, which Ullrich says other bands used and borrowed without ever looking back, but in stage appearance such as Lips early penchant for wearing bondage outfits onstage, and using dildos as a guitar slide.
There is a pathos present too. As the band embarks on a European tour that was managed by an amateur promoter, they played bars where the band almost out number the patrons, or a bar owner that tries to rip them off. There's also the family and friends who are shown and they understand and support the dreams and ambitions of Reiner and Kudlow. A sister of Kudlow going so far as to front money for Anvil to record with Heavy Metal producer Chris Tsangarides (Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy).
Why didn't Anvil make it? The movie isn't about that, although, Lips and Robb wrestle with it a little. Lips seems to think it's because in 25 years of Rock `n' Roll they never had good management. Another reason that might explain why they didn't make it goes uncommented on by either the filmmaker or the band themselves. It may be the reason they didn't rise in the Rock `n' Roll world is the band members themselves. During a recording session, which they shelled out 13,000 pounds to producer Chris Tsangarides and for reasons not clear at first, Lips blows up at Reiner and even goes so far as to say Reiner is "fired." After an impromptu therapy session run by Tsangarides, Lips and Reiner make up. How much of this played into their not making it to the big time? The movie doesn't delve into that aspect at all, and keeps the focus on their struggles of the present.
Some reviewers and critics argue that Anvil just wasn't as good as other bands they were contemporaries with, such as The Scorpions, Bon Jovi, Metallica. I'm not much of an expert on Heavy Metal but both in the vintage footage of them playing in Japan and in hearing songs off their new album This Is Thirteen they sound as good as any other band in the oeuvre. Their music has moments where the music has something of interest, but my only complaint is the same I have for any other Heavy/Speed Metal band, is they blow past those moments too fast looking for the next interesting phrase.
The movie seems to elicit Spinal Tap comparisons. Maybe it's because the format resembles Spinal Tap so much. We can't leave out the coincidence that the drummer and founding member of Anvil is Robb Reiner. But there are some Spinal Tap moments in the movie such as when the band is recording and the producer turns up a volume control that you quite clearly can see goes to 11! There is also Reiner's painting of a giant anvil in the middle of a park. Other paintings of his are quite good, reminiscent of Edward Hooper. There are moments the band itself seems cognizant of being like Spinal Tap, such as when the band is being lead to the stage and Lips is delivering a monologue about them being lost backstage.
One question I asked myself while watching this movie is, it's very cool to have all those heavy hitting, heavy metal rockers saying how cool and innovative Anvil is, but couldn't they ask Anvil to open for them? That might get them the exposure they need. Hopefully, this film will bring Anvil a larger audience.
21 of 26 found the following review helpful:
Great documentary! Must-see for even non-metal fans! Aug 10, 2009
By C. E. Hoskins
This movie was great, my boyfriend is a big fan of theirs and he showed me a YouTube clip of the movie. The clip almost brought me to tears, these guys really are endearing, so we went to see the movie and it was GREAT! You see their high's and lows (mostly lows!), and you're rooting for them throughout the whole movie. The band was big in the 80s' when metal was real popular. Then once the metal craze died down things started going sour for them...they had to get "real" jobs but they still had thier dream of playing in front of huge crowds. The ending was great (and fairly predictable!) but you really do grow fond of the guys in the group because they are trying SO HARD to make it again in the music industy. The bond between Lips and Rob is a true testament to friendship and it's a huge part of the movie. Rock on Anvil! You've got a new fan!
6 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Sometimes the "Good Guys" Win (Even 20+ years later!) Oct 18, 2009
By msmugler
As a metal head and documentary fanatic, I was worried that this movie would never live up to the "hype". I stand corrected. I was a teenager in the 80's and hung with many of the metal bands of the day. I had the chance to see Anvil, and loved the music and the show they put on (which was later copied by many of their contemporaries). I didn't keep up with them over the years, but in all fairness they were hardly a household name.
Now for the movie review...The direction of the movie was superb. You get a real sense that the band members have a genuine love for both the music and each other, despite the odds of crappy management and languishing in virtual obscurity for over 20 years working against them. In Lips, I found myself amazed by his tenacity, cock-eyed optimism, and love for his music and friends. The scene between he and Robb where he says he could "jump off a bridge, but that would be the easy way out" and Robb's subsequent reply made me tear up.
The most pleasant suprise is that AC/DC, who were NOT in any of the promos for the movie (hint..hint..Slash & Lemmy)actually took Anvil out on tour with them this summer. Its one thing to say "what a great band, what ever happened to them?" and another to put your money where your mouth is and give them a gig!
Whether you're a metal fan or not, this is a great movie that just may renew some of your faith in the human race. I'd like Lips to know that I am trying to use a little of his optimism in my own life!!!
Great luck to you guys!!!
6 of 7 found the following review helpful:
It's about time for Anvil to get noticed Oct 07, 2009
By Darryl Keck
"High Volume Press"
I absolutely love this movie. I've been an Anvil fan since 1982 and was a member of their fan club in 1983. Seeing that the band still have the same passion as well as the desire to make it to the big time is inspiring. I could write a hundred great things about what I love about this movie, but the thing I think the movie fails to do is really dive into the reason they initially lost their momentum early on. The movie should have mentioned that in 1984, their 4th album was a compilation that featured a few new songs, which was hardly a good move for them. Then, they had a three year absence before coming out with "Strength of Steel" in 1987. Three years out of the public eye was disastrous for them. By the time they released the outstanding "Pound for Pound" in 1988, most metal fans moved on to something else and Anvil drifted into obscurity. Most will say the point of the movie isn't about that and I agree, but a movie called "The Story of Anvil" shouldn't leave out vital information like that because anyone can tell that these factors probably played into it. I see they have a book out too, so I'll have to read this to see if they touch on this subject there. I still give the DVD five stars because it's an incredible movie and is extremely brave in the approach. It deserves a 6th star for Lars Ulrich's incredible interview in the DVD extras. As much as I've complained about him in the past, I can't say a bad thing about him anymore!
See all 87 customer reviews on Amazon.com
| |
| |
| |  | |  |
|
| You May Also Like |
