Anvil: The Story of Anvil (2008)

Since 1978, Anvil has become one of heavy metal's most influential yet commercially unsuccessful acts. In 2006, after a fledging European tour Anvil sets out to record their thirteenth album and continue to follow their dreams.

Director:

Sacha Gervasi

Stars:

Scott Ian, Steve 'Lips' Kudlow, Robb Reiner

20 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Scott Ian	...	Himself - Rhythm Guitarist, Anthrax
Lemmy	...	Himself - Bassist, Motörhead
Malcolm Dome	...	Himself - Journalist, Metal Hammer Magazine
Lars Ulrich	...	Himself - Drummer, Metallica
Slash	...	Himself - Guitarist
Tom Araya	...	Himself - Bassist, Slayer
John Zazula	...	Himself - Manager of Metallica, Anthrax, Anvil (as Jon Zazula)
Steve 'Lips' Kudlow	...	Himself - Singer, Lead Guitarist, Anvil
Robb Reiner	...	Himself - Drummer, Anvil
Cut Loose	...	Himself - Anvil Fan
Mad Dog	...	Himself - Anvil Fan
Gary Greenblatt	...	Himself - Original Bassist, Anvil
Toby Kudlow	...	Herself - Steve 'Lips' Kudlow's Mother
Jane Reiner	...	Herself - Robb Reiner's Wife
Andrea Reiner	...	Herself - Robb Reiner's Sister (as Droid Reiner)

Storyline

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, 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.

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Plot Keywords:

canadian | repetition in title | heavy metal | friendship between men | friendship | 

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Taglines:

At fourteen, they made a pact to rock together forever. They meant it.

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Music

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 February 2009 (UK)

Also Known As:

Anvil!

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$34,651 (USA) (10 April 2009)

Gross:

$666,659 (USA) (18 September 2009)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Tiziana Arrigoni: "S" like Sodom.

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: 17 Again/State of Play/Crank High Voltage (2009)

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Soundtracks

"Bombs Away"
Written by Steve 'Lips' Kudlow (as Kudlow), Robb Reiner (as Reiner), Glenn Gyorffy (as Gyorffy)
Performed by Anvil

User Reviews

A truly heart-warming and hilarious rockumentary

I did not expect to enjoy this film as much as I did. 'Anvil' are an ageing Canadian metal band who had 5 minutes of fame before falling short of the big-time. Now they are family men, living humble lives but never forgetting their ultimate dream and passion, so here we follow their last endeavour to make a worldwide success of their band. They are genuinely talented musicians and performers, as testified by the likes of Guns 'n' Roses, Metallica and Anthrax who were influenced by them. However, you don't have to be a fan of metal music to enjoy this heart-warming rockumentary, as you become completely endeared to the central characters – the emotional and sentimental Lips and his best friend and band-mate since they were 14 years old, Robb, the calmer and more enigmatic of the two. The initial impression is that the film could be a spoof, but whilst it is as comic as Spinal Tap, it is in fact a story of the real emotions of real people; making it a thoroughly enjoyable watch.