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| | Anvil: The Story of Anvil | | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | VH1 Films | | Release Date : | | 2009-10-06 | | Store Price : | | $24.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $20.99 | | Usually ships in 24 hours | | |
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 Go see it
Submitted on: 2009-11-25 |
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Whether you are a fan of heavy metal or not, ANVIL - THE STORY OF ANVIL should be on your 'must see' movie list. The film chronicles the lives of Canadians Steve 'Lips' Kudlow and Robb Reiner, who started a heavy metal band together when they were 14, vowing to 'do it until we're old men'. In the 80's they toured the world with the icons of heavy metal music - many of whom claim them as an influence. But ultimately there was no real audience, fame or payday for ANVIL. Now in their 50's, the film follows them as make their way, holding down low-paying jobs to pay the bills, all while continuing to churn out poorly produced records and holding on to the dream of becoming rock stars.
Parts of this movie are laughably absurd - most notably the European 'tour' that is pure Spinal Tap with its empty venues, fights, getting lost and showing up late to gigs, and throttling bar owners to get paid. If it wasn't real life it would be hilarious, but it's real and it's heart-breaking. All of this bad luck and trouble falls squarely on the shoulders of Lips and Robb and tries to pull them apart.
But it is also what makes this film so compelling, because at its heart the story always returns to Lips and Robb, who continue to believe that the dream is still out there and that there's a chance to get a piece of it. They never stop believing in each other.
This story is all about perseverance and redemption. When that redemption comes, it's brief. But you also can see that for Lips and Robb it's enough - enough to keep the dream alive for them.
Near the end of the film, as Lips drives from one record label rejection to the next, you hear him say "The music lasts forever. Maybe the debt does, too, but the music lasts forever".
That statement captures this story beautifully, as well as the unrelenting optimism of its two subjects. |
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More Human Than Human
Submitted on: 2009-11-22 |
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Anvil the band is of course past it prime and even if they were young guns just getting started, their sound played out some 20 years ago. I don't single them out; I think the same can be said for every band that aped their style and ultimately went on to become much bigger names. That brand of rock belongs a legion of die-hards, but has been out of mainstream consciousness for a very long time now and will not return except branded as "classic". I listen to rock, but not often and nothing that sounds like them or the Scorpions, or Twisted Sister or G&R for that matter. It is what it is.
Anvil: The Story of Anvil on the other hand is compelling. One of many things that has stuck in my craw about the music business (the entire entertainment business really, but that's another day) is how people are packaged, glossed up, given "credible" back-stories, pumped up to be larger than life and then trotted out like micro-deities to perform for the rest of us little people for our money. It is condescending, ridiculous and is overwhelmingly successful at playing us for fools. Even the term "rock star" strikes me as hypocritical junk food when you consider it refers to a person who, more often than not, considers himself or herself an _artist_. I don't blame the performers, I blame the machine. I blame the entertainment industry, modern "show biz", a long line of scavengers and snake oil salesmen who have refined the art of stripping artists of their humanity and turning them into products, brands, and ultimately commodities. In music, movies, even sports, you see this play out in the same way. Take something real and package it in whatever flavors we are buying at any given time and push it into distribution.
Its easy to forget that all of these celebrated products are really just like us. Anvil, by virtue of being a prototype that was left in the dustbin in favor of more refined, more highly processed and polished versions of itself is here, caught in amber. This film draws you in by making you think that it is about a "real life Spinal Tap". Put another way, we are going to watch a bunch of failed jerks, losers who weren't worthy of the mantle of "rock star" in the rarefied air of the likes of big name hair bands.
Well, they are that. Most of us are that. Any of the millions of kids who have ever windmilled an air guitar and wanted to be a rock star but ended up driving a UPS truck or selling annuities is that loser; I'm that loser. But what makes this film really cool is that you know that these guys, despite their inability to achieve their dream to be successful trained seals for The Man, still ended up winning their own personal games. They continued to windmill the axe and twirl the sticks long after the rest of us became too self-conscious (or to mature, whatever words you choose) to do so. In other words, their idealism never died. They did grow up, although their siblings and parents would clearly disagree with that notion. They show respect for one another, seem to love each other as much as any brothers I have ever met, and they are kind hearted men. They disappoint their wives as many men have, but their wives are still around so that speaks to qualities that weren't necessarily on display for the camera. Apparently, their wives are the kind of people for whom money is not as important than their mate's happiness and their dreams.
You really can start off looking at this story as a tale of 2 idiots who don't want to grow up and possibly never see beyond that. If you do care to look beyond that, a little, you will see that these guys are just like a lot of people you come into contact with every day who are affable, friendly, a little off maybe, but human, normal as you and me and oh by the way they have a passion for metal that has led them to kick out the jams for 30 years in their free time and once in awhile share the stage with some of the biggest names in rock. We should all suck so bad. |
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I love it!
Submitted on: 2009-11-21 |
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I was not heavy metal fan, but I just love this DVD and it made me cry.
I realized that they have talent and really good songs. I recommend this DVD to all my friends. |
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Friendship / Perserverence / Resilience 101 for all of us
Submitted on: 2009-11-19 |
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I had barely heard of Anvil back in the 80's. The bands logo refreshed my memory from the record stores or the rock magazines (i.e. Hit Parader, Circus, etc.) back then.
Never heard Anvil's music on Houston, TX rock stations but, then again, the Speed/Thrash Metal bands didn't get much airplay down here back then anyway. It was always "word of mouth" down here that promoted this type of music....even with the Fab Four speed metal bands (i.e. Metallica, Megadeath, Anthrax, & Slayer).
I guess I am 30 years too late but that's ok. Anvil's spirit kicks ass. It is their spirit that keeps them going. It is the bond between Lipps and Rob that is most certainly uncommon in modern times in all relationships accross the board. Most have just given up after 1 year in the music industry. Many fade away. You could say the same for marriages, business, etc..
This band went to the ashes after a rise to what was considered "the top" of the metal world with many other bands. After spending many years in the ashes, Anvil now has risen above the ashes with the help of this documentary and, quite frankly, their name. A bitter sweet ending.....no, a bitter sweet beginning!
There are many things from this movie that all of us can take and apply to ourselves such as: 1. Strength 2. Perserverence 3. Commitment 4. True Friendship 5. Resilience 6. Love for making music 7. Love for Family 8. Believing 9. Faith 10. Hope 11. Conviction 12. Conflict 13. Barely making ends meet.....and on and on.
Friendship / Perserverence / Love / Hope 101 for all of us in some form or fashion. |
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 Shows the truth about the music industry.
Submitted on: 2009-11-14 |
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One band has 10,000 fans show up for their gigs, 2 years later they are gone.
Anvil had the talent to make an impact into the music industry but for some reason things didn't go right for the band.
I personally have met guitarist and other musicians that have never even been in a commercial band, let alone a garage band. Its hard to find the right people, trends come and go, styles change it seems overnight when you least expect.
I think anyone metal fan or not would like this documentary.
One thing is for sure if you really want fame and acceptance you will never get it.
I strongly believe that if you get into the music business you should like entertaining people. On the other hand if all you want if fame, forget it.
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