Anvil first burst onto the scene back in the early 80s with bands like Bon Jovi and Whitesnake only to be left behind on the path to rock stardom. I have to confess, being a fan of metal, I had never heard of Anvil until this movie came out. It might be that I live in the South. It might be that they are Canadian. It might be a little of both.

Besides just being the story of a real-life Spinal Tap, at it's heart there's a story of a pair of childhood friends who made a promise to each other: to be rock gods. Now at 50, we find the lead singer, Lips, and drummer Robb Reiner*, still pursuing that dream. And after a disastrous tour of Europe, they return home to record their 13th album,"Smell the Glove" "This is Thirteen." When Lips popped the carton and pulled out the CD, I would not have been surprised to see it "none more black."

While Spinal Tap stands as something of a monument to mockery, it's difficult to mock Anvil, especially as a person who knows what it means to pursue a dream that crushes your soul. I felt a horrible sadness for Lips as he talked about his depressing workaday life, only to see him become that rock god, if only for a few minutes a week. And that was when the tears came. Yes, I cried while I was watching Anvil. I found their infinite patience and positive outlook touching... in a goofy kind of way.

No, Anvil: The Story of Anvil is not a monument to mockery. It is a monument to the philosophical ideology: it's not the destination, it's the journey.

Or maybe it was "fake it till you make it." I may need to watch it again.



*Spinal Tap was directed by Rob Reiner.