Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008)

The heavy metal band Anvil enjoyed fifteen minutes of fame back in the early 1980s. That was followed by a thirty-year slide into obscurity, despite recording a dozen albums. At age 14, Toronto singer/guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner vowed to each other to spend their lives chasing the dream of rock stardom. This documentary finds the duo in their early fifties, still rockin' but also comparing their lofty dreams with harsh reality. They both work menial jobs (including an eight-hour stint in telemarketing) to support their families. An incompetent manager took them on a European tour where they played to a Romanian "crowd" of 174 people in a 10,000-seat venue, missed trains, weren't paid, etc. But their enthusiasm, earnestness, and commitment to their craft never waiver. At the end of the film they've borrowed money to cut their thirteenth album ("our best ever!"), which they sell out of the back of their van, and play a gig in Japan at the 9:45am slot. But they have lived their dream, and that's a whole lot more than many people can say.