One of my favorite movies of all time is American Movie — u seen it? It’s the one where this dude Mark Borchardt and his buddy (Mike Schank = awesome) struggle through all types of hell — mostly self-created — to film their dream horror movie, The Coven. I love that flick so much because above all the movie is about determination and dreams, and the guts to not give up in the face of insurmountable odds, and the inextinguishable fire one needs to see these visions through — no matter how ludicrous they are (and make no mistake, they are ludicrous).

The hipshot no-brainer comparison for Anvil! would be the genius Spinal Tap, and you wouldn’t be that far off base — there’s a close-up of a dial turning up to 11, reflective moments in front of monuments (in Spinal Tap’s case Elvis’ grave, in Anvil — yes, that’s right, Stonehenge), the guys playing a 10,000 seat arena with 100 people there, etc. Hell, even the drummer’s name is Robb Reiner. But although Anvil! The story of Anvil in so many ways is the ironic reflection of Spinal Tap, in actuality it’s much more similar to American Movie. Why? Cos these dudes just won’t quit, no matter how obvious it is to everyone that they should have hung up their guitar straps literally two decades ago. And it makes me root for them all the harder.

You don’t have to like metal to like this doc, just like you don’t have to love tightrope walking across skyscrapers to like Man On a Wire. And if you can make it through without getting misty-eyed at least once, then you’re 100x more man than the Madman.

“Sometimes things goes wrong. Things went drastically wrong. But at least there was a tour for it to go wrong on.” – Steven “Lips” Kudlow

Amen brother, amen! Out now on DVD…

(For all drummers out there, hit the Jump to see a video of Robb Reiner absolutely killing it at a recent Milwaukee film showing. You see why Lars Ulrich testifies that Reiner was one level above all other metal drummers)