Anvil: The Story of Anvil

I must admit that I'm not much of a fan of heavy metal rock, and that I had never heard of the Canadian band Anvil before the documentary about them created some buzz. It has won several awards from critics groups as the best non-fiction film of 2009, so I figured it was worth a look. It turns out to be a heartfelt, fascinating real-life This Is Spinal Tap.

The film opens with footage from a heavy metal festival in Japan in 1984, featuring bands like The Scorpions and Bon Jovi, who would go on to sell millions of records. Also included in the bill was Anvil, who were well-respected by their cohort but would not catch on with the public. Interviews with members from Metallica, Slayer, and Guns 'n' Roses testify to Anvil's greatness, but twenty years later they were in complete obscurity, working day jobs, but still together, hoping to make more music and make it big.

The two founding members of the band are singer and guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner, who have a relationship like brothers. They are both interesting characters and make for good drama. Kudlow is fiery, temperamental, and a romantic, while Reiner is more stoic, but nonetheless dedicated to supporting Lips' vision. As Slash points out, how many bands last thirty years? "The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Anvil," he answers his own question.

The film has two segments. The first involves a pathetic tour to Europe, where they play before some enthusiastic but mostly sparse crowds. Their manager, a well-meaning fan, seems overwhelmed, and they get stuck in train stations and are enraged when a club in Prague tries to stiff them of their money.

Lips sends a demo tape to a man who produced them years before, and to almost everyone's surprise he agrees to make their next record in England, if they can raise the money. Lips' sister loans him the money, in a scene that would take someone heartless not to be moved by. During the recording session, Lips and Reiner have it out, and their reconciliation is so raw and revealing it's thrilling.

The film was directed by Sacha Gervasi, an Anvil fan and ex-roadie. There are many winks and nods to the resemblance to Spinal Tap (beyond the delicious coincidence of Robb Reiner's name), such as a side-trip to Stonehenge and a closeup of a dial on an amp that goes up to 11. Gervasi clearly has affection for the group but is not above telling it like it is, showing a concert hall in Romania that seats 10,000, but only has 174 fans in attendance. A scene in which Lips goes to work as a telemarketer has the kind of uncomfortable tinge of reality that frequents TV shows like The Office.

But in the end you can't help rooting for these guys, and I see on the Net that this film has given them a bit of a boost, including an appearance on Conan O'Brien, their first ever network appearance. I trust that Lips did not wear his regalia from 1984--a bondage harness--nor did he wave about his trusty prop--a large dildo. Rock and roll, man.