Back in January of 2008, Anvil! The Story of Anvil premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Quickly mounting a swell of interest, a little over a year later, on April 10, 2009, it had a limited theatrical run. Also met with tremendous success, some might say the documentary gave the under-appreciated Heavy Metal band a second chance to get the recognition they rightfully deserved. In fact, it did, because they finally were getting better backing from record labels, just respect on proper tours, and they broke into charts with the re-release of This Is Thirteen in 2009, before following suit with 2011’s Juggernaut of Justice, 2013’s Hope in Hell, and 2016’s Anvil is Anvil. Now over four decades into their journey, Anvil still is going strong with a very busy year in 2022 – this included the release of Impact Is Imminent in May, a US tour also in the summer, and a theatrical re-release of Anvil! The Story of Anvil in September. Now, the Heavy Metal lifers return with the 2-disc Ultimate Edition of Anvil! The Story of Anvil on January 20, 2023.
Odds are many have caught this documentary at some point in the thirteen years since its initial release, but for those who have not, this new 2-disc Blu-ray set has everything you could ask for. For a start, this release is newly remastered with better imagery and sound. Additionally, there is a new interview with Director Sacha Gervasi, as well as more interviews on disc 2 including a 93 min interview moderated by former MTV Host Matt Pinfield with Gervasi, plus Anvil’s Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner. Giving you more insight into Anvil, their story, and more, the set really lives up to the name ‘ultimate’ edition.
All this in mind, it is important to reflect on the film itself and how important it is. As mentioned, this film really gave Anvil a chance to get more publicity. Most true Heavy Metal fans have loved and respected Anvil for years, but for whatever reason, they just never received the praise of their peers such as Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, or any other big name Heavy Metal band. Tragic, considering Anvil were pioneers on the scene in the early ’80s, Anvil! The Story of Anvil is an education for Metal fans of all types. Beyond this, the film is extremely inspirational. Why? because you witness firsthand how passion and dedication supersede any fame or fortune. Spending a day in the life of Lips” Kudlow and Reiner you experience the resilience of the human spirit and how powerful one can be if they have the right frame of mind. And this is even more redeeming to experience thirteen years after the initial release of the documentary, because Anvil is still going and their determination has paid them back… because now even the most fair-weather of Metal fans know who they are.
The bottom-line is Anvil! The Story of Anvil is still a fantastic documentary. More about the human spirit, friendship, love, and pursuing happiness in the momentary glimpse in time that we call life, Cryptic Rock gives this film, and this new Ultimate Edition release, 5 out of 5 stars.
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