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Anvil: The Story of Anvil, 2008
This documentary profiles the members of a late 70s/80s rock group called Anvil who were innovative and influential, yet never really broke big. The documentary fills in the band’s history and follows as they attempt a tour and a comeback.
This is a complex, funny-but-tragic look at the tribulations of trying to make it as an artist.
Everything is complicated in this movie, where at times the enemy is the world, at times the enemy is the record company, and many times the enemy is the conflict within the band itself. The wildest section of the film is the middle act, in which band members “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner embark on a months long tour of Europe coordinated by a well-meaning woman who is in way, way over her head. As the missed trains and sparsely-attended gigs add up, tempers flare. In the midst of it all, though, the band puts on energetic, heartfelt shows.
Thanks to Kudlow’s particular brand of optimism, the band exists in this strange limbo between having “never made it” and the chance that they might still get their moment in the sun. Kudlow is an interesting character--a man who stubbornly resists the gravitational pull of the “real world.” He smiles as he does his job delivering meals for a local school system, but in his heart he knows that he belongs on a stage, performing. The problem, of course, is that making a living as a performing artist is incredibly challenging. As you watch, from the outside, you feel torn between wanting to hop on the optimism train with Kudlow and anticipating the pain of what will happen when they don’t succeed.
Kudlow is an interesting character. The man exists on a permanent rollercoaster of emotions, and oscillates wildly between a golden retriever-like charisma and wild outbursts that are incredibly alienating. Reiner is a lot more low-key, and the bust-ups that happen between them feel like watching an old married couple fight. While I was rooting for the men to be happy and successful, at times the emotions at play were so volatile that it was profoundly uncomfortable to watch.
For the most part, though, the film really finds the sweet spot of comedy and tragedy. A sequence where Kudlow takes a job working in a direct sales sunglasses call center threatens to annihilate the line between documentary and mockumentary. It’s like a parody of Glengarry Glen Ross, only with sweaty bros selling sunglasses instead of real estate.
As with all great documentaries, interest in the subject matter--in this case heavy metal--is absolutely not necessary. Outlandish and full of heart, this one is definitely a must-see.
Anvil: The Story of Anvil, 2008
This documentary profiles the members of a late 70s/80s rock group called Anvil who were innovative and influential, yet never really broke big. The documentary fills in the band’s history and follows as they attempt a tour and a comeback.
This is a complex, funny-but-tragic look at the tribulations of trying to make it as an artist.
Everything is complicated in this movie, where at times the enemy is the world, at times the enemy is the record company, and many times the enemy is the conflict within the band itself. The wildest section of the film is the middle act, in which band members “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner embark on a months long tour of Europe coordinated by a well-meaning woman who is in way, way over her head. As the missed trains and sparsely-attended gigs add up, tempers flare. In the midst of it all, though, the band puts on energetic, heartfelt shows.
Thanks to Kudlow’s particular brand of optimism, the band exists in this strange limbo between having “never made it” and the chance that they might still get their moment in the sun. Kudlow is an interesting character--a man who stubbornly resists the gravitational pull of the “real world.” He smiles as he does his job delivering meals for a local school system, but in his heart he knows that he belongs on a stage, performing. The problem, of course, is that making a living as a performing artist is incredibly challenging. As you watch, from the outside, you feel torn between wanting to hop on the optimism train with Kudlow and anticipating the pain of what will happen when they don’t succeed.
Kudlow is an interesting character. The man exists on a permanent rollercoaster of emotions, and oscillates wildly between a golden retriever-like charisma and wild outbursts that are incredibly alienating. Reiner is a lot more low-key, and the bust-ups that happen between them feel like watching an old married couple fight. While I was rooting for the men to be happy and successful, at times the emotions at play were so volatile that it was profoundly uncomfortable to watch.
For the most part, though, the film really finds the sweet spot of comedy and tragedy. A sequence where Kudlow takes a job working in a direct sales sunglasses call center threatens to annihilate the line between documentary and mockumentary. It’s like a parody of Glengarry Glen Ross, only with sweaty bros selling sunglasses instead of real estate.
As with all great documentaries, interest in the subject matter--in this case heavy metal--is absolutely not necessary. Outlandish and full of heart, this one is definitely a must-see.