TALE OF THE TAPE
Title: Anvil: The Story of Anvil Title: This Is Spinal Tap
Tomato Meter: 98% Tomato Meter: 95%
IMDB Rating: 8.0 IMDB Rating: 8.0
Starring: Robb Reiner, Steve Kudlow Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean
Director: Sacha Gervasi Director: Rob Reiner
Box Office: $0.66 million Box Office: $4.9 million
Academy: n/a Academy: n/a
Year: 2007 Year: 1984
OK Heavy Metal fans, its time for two of rocks most lovable failures to go head to head. It's Rockumentary vs Mockumentary as we go metal on metal.
As a documentary, Anvil is a bittersweet look at an almost forgotten Heavy Metal band that came close to success, but fell short of the brass ring. Director Sacha Gervasi documents the bands early career with highlight reels and interviews with Rock icons like Slash, Scott Ian and Lars Ulrich praising the bands early work. Then we see the band today, playing in clubs in front of 30-40 people. Anvil is about as far down on the totem pole as they come. Lead singer Steve "Lips" Kudlow is one of two original band members left. Deep in debt, and working menial jobs, he keeps the torch of his rock-n-roll fantasy lit by playing anywhere he can get booked. Drummer Robb Reiner seems less enthusiastic about carrying on, but comes off as an appendage to Steve, and has no real identity for himself. We follow the band around as they go on an Eastern European where they are stiffed on their pay, suffer setbacks, and follow other bands around a metal festival hoping someone would remember them. Finally, they grab for straws as they try for one last shot by making their 13th album. Stress and frustration take their toll on their relationship, but it seems in the end it was a success, as they play to a huge crowd in Japan that has rediscovered their music.
Sound familiar? It should. This was done 23 years ago with This Is Spinal Tap. Spinal Tap was an aging British Metal Band trying to go for one last shot of glory. With poor album sales and low attendance numbers, Spinal Tap cuts another album, "Smell The Glove" in hopes it puts them back on the map. Spinal Tap encounters just about everything that can go wrong on tour. They get lost backstage, several shows get cancelled, a miss-communication causes a monumental stage prop of Stonehenge to be crafted at only 18 inches tall. The relationship between Nigel (Christopher Guest) and David (Michael McKean) gets strained as Nigel quits the band. In the end, Spinal Tap does find success in Japan as there is a revival of their music there.
The difference is Spinal Tap doesn't exist. Or more to the point, a fictitious band concocted by three very talented actors/musicians/comedians, Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, and Michael McKean. The film was intended to be a comedy, but gained such a cult following that Spinal Tap has appeared in concerts, music festivals, Mtv, as well as coming out with albums and cd's. Anvil, on the other hand is a case of life imitating art. There story and Spinal Taps may be similar, but Anvil's is far more tragic as it is about real people, with real issues. By some strange twist of fate, it seems they also share another bond. Did you notice Spinal Tap is directed by Rob Reiner, and the drummer for Anvil is Robb Reiner? Cooky, isn't it?
Despite Anvil's rags to better rags story, Spinal Tap has enjoyed more success and recognition over the years than Anvil ever could. In fact, Anvil's release of 13 sold 1,400 copies in the United States in its first week. Spinal Taps latest "Back From The Dead" 2009 sold 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week.
Anvil: The Story Of Anvil is, as a film, a brilliant documentary, where Spinal Tap is a well crafted comedy. So both have true artistic merit. But at the end of the day, Spinal Tap will be remembered more for all they never did as opposed to all that Anvil could have been. Anvil puts up a dramatic fight, but goes down in round 5.
Winner: This Is Spinal Tap
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