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Derek Malcolm's rating
Anvil rocks on regardless
By
Derek Malcolm
19 Feb 2009
Anvil are a Canadian heavy-metal outfit who try to keep rockin’ into their fifties, and generally don’t succeed. Wives and even their children abjure them to stop but they just keep going, between lousy, ill-paid jobs and gigs in small towns no one else would want. Are they fools or heroes? Sacha Gervasi, the director of this documentary, makes them out to be the latter. But he doesn’t baulk at describing them as heroic fools as well.
Anvil would say, of course, that they missed their moment in the Eighties when they appeared on the same bills as Bon Jovi and Whitesnake and that those artists now regard them as precursors of the genre. No wonder they want to go on. You can’t help admiring their guts, even though you know they are not very good. You also can’t help hoping they will somehow or other get noticed again. A large number of no-good bands are now millionaires, so why shouldn’t Anvil stave off poverty?
After the screening of the film I was at, the band suddenly sprang on stage and went through their favourite numbers, to a standing ovation from the audience, some of whom were blubbing.
That’s as much a tribute to the film as to Anvil, nice as they seem. It paints them without patronising or posturing, rocking on regardless.
Film Trailers by Filmtrailer.com
Even if you don’t like metal, this is a movie to enjoy almost as much as Cut Loose and Mad Dog, their most faithful fans, undoubtedly will.
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Reader views (1)
We think ANVIL has deserved more attetion and success as legendary 80s Heavy-Metal band. We have had seen them already in the early 90s in Berlin right after the fall of the Berlin wall and we finally could see many of the huge Heavy Rock legends in a united germany. Tonight we´ve been to the cine and enjoyed the movie Anvil! The story of Anvil. The movie expressed the reality that you cannot get rich only by play live gigs/concerts if you haven´t got a good management and promotion. So you have to do your usual jobs to pay your monthly charges and live a pleasant dept-free life. Many of popular metalbands continue their daily jobs to manage their lifes and families and invest in their bands..
Very good documentation that movie.....
Not every popular metal band enjoys royal benefits and payments like METALLICA, SLAYER, JUDAS PRIEST; KISS, AC/DC and many more.....
ANVIL IS GONNA GET THE GREAT DEAL in THE NEXT UPCOMING FUTURE WITH THE LATEST THIS IS 13 ALBUM.
We wish the best and plenty of Money after all the successful years for the band and their families .
Alexandra and Stephan from Berlin
- Alexandra Goericke, Germany- Berlin 10365, 12/03/2010 22:50
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