Anvil! Guys

How can Sacha Gervasi's Anvil! The Story of Anvil not wind up being nominated for Best Feature Documentary Oscar? It's got heart, it's about over-the-hill, down-on-their-luck artists getting their groove back, it's well made, it's connecting with audiences, it's funny, it's lowbrow-highbrow. How can Academy's doc committee ignore it?


Anvil's Rob Reiner, "Lips" Kudlow this morning at Gemma -- Sunday, 4.19.09, 11:55 am

This is what I was thinking, at least, as I sat this morning with the Anvil! guys -- Gervasi and band members Steve "Lips" Kudlow, Robb Reiner and Glenn Five -- at a table at Gemma, the Bowery Hotel restaurant.

Who doesn't love Anvil!? It's got a 97% positive Rotten Tomatoes hoi polloi rating and a 100% positive creme de la creme one. Gervasi told me that Dustin Hoffman recently flipped for it and has actually seen it three times. I ran a review three days ago and called it "one of the saddest (as in funny-sad) and most recognizably human, emotionally touching rock-music documentaries I've ever seen."

I mainly spoke with Gervasi and Five. ("Lipps" and Reiner were at the other end of the table.) Here's an mp3 of our chat.

I was told the band did q & a's at the Angelika Film Center yesterday and are doing two more tonight. They're attending the Cannes Film Festival from 5.16 through 5.18 (i.e., market screenings) and plan to throw a party on a yacht out in the bay, and will perhaps stage a concert somewhere during their stay. The Anvil! DVD will come out sometime between late July and early September, and concurrent with this Anvil will begin a new tour called "The Anvil Experience" in which the film will be shown followed by a concert.


42West partner Cynthai Swartz, daughter Sarah Abramson.

Everything about Anvil! says "life can be fair, second chances are possible, not every loser or also-ranner bounces back but these guys sure did."

42West partner Cynthia Swartz and 42West publicist Scott Feinstein organized and attended the brunch. And on top of this was the Portman coincidence.

Portman Again<< previous | next >>For A Price

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 19, 2009 at 11:30 AM

comment #1

Ryansi51 Author Profile Page says ...

so who picks up the tab, 42West?

Posted by Ryansi51 Author Profile Page at April 19, 2009 12:33 PM

comment #2

GKLondon Author Profile Page says ...

Good to have you posting MP3's again, it seemed like you went quiet for a while there. I still often listen to the Cuaron and Fincher chats from ages back. Keep up the good work.

And while the celeb encounters are on the menu, I saw Spike Jonze walking down the street here in London the other day. Didn't say anything to him though, wanted to remain 'cool' and not outwardly show my enthusiasm for anything at all. Should have licked his damn face. God I love that dude's work.

Posted by GKLondon Author Profile Page at April 19, 2009 12:38 PM

comment #3

Jeffrey Wells Author Profile Page says ...

You know what the response is. You know what it is.

Posted by Jeffrey Wells Author Profile Page at April 19, 2009 12:40 PM

comment #4

CitizenKanedforChewingGum Author Profile Page says ...

Great idea about screening the movie with a bonus concert...

Talk about getting your money's worth (even if does end up being a few extra bucks)!

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum Author Profile Page at April 19, 2009 12:55 PM

comment #5

mjevons Author Profile Page says ...

Jeffrey,


don't you ever get tired of writing over movies no one gives a heck about?

Posted by mjevons Author Profile Page at April 19, 2009 1:02 PM

comment #6

btwnproductions Author Profile Page says ...

Maybe you don't care but this looks terrific.

Posted by btwnproductions Author Profile Page at April 19, 2009 1:43 PM

comment #7

EDouglasCS Author Profile Page says ...

This is already one of the most overrated docs of the year bar none and it's nowhere even CLOSE to being the best. Heck, if I had written a review after Sundance last year, I probably would be one of the negatives on RT because I thought it was an extremely manipulative film that made viewers think that this band had hit it big because they followed their dreams long past the point where they should have festered... um... no... playing the 11AM slot at a big Japanese festival is not fame and fortune... and the real story is what happened AFTER Sundance and how the movie has helped get them a manager and interest from labels.... but that doesn't make it a great doc. The fact that it's barely 80 minutes shows you how little useful material Gervasi had after working on this for 2 years. Sure, it's funny and I guess it's "feel good" if you haven't worked in the music business as long as I have and seen friends with far more talent struggling far too hard to get nowhere against the steamroller that is the music biz... but as a doc.... it's not even in my Top 5 docs for the year after just four months.

Posted by EDouglasCS Author Profile Page at April 19, 2009 1:45 PM

comment #8

Chris Willman Author Profile Page says ...

Wow, EDouglasCS, you really, really do not get it. Who leaves the movie thinking, or thinking they're supposed to think, that the band has "hit it big" by playing at 11 a.m. in Japan? This is a great movie. If you want to see the documentary about how the documentary helped the band, maybe you should make that one. Most of us will keep on cherishiing this one, which bears little resemblance to the Cinderella story you mistake it for.

Posted by Chris Willman Author Profile Page at April 19, 2009 2:07 PM

comment #9

CitizenKanedforChewingGum Author Profile Page says ...

Someone take away EDouglas's metal card already.

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum Author Profile Page at April 19, 2009 2:39 PM

comment #10

Travis Crabtree Author Profile Page says ...

Haven't seen it, but I plan to. Hard to imagine it winning an Oscar unless it detours into exposing evil corporations or Anvil's hand in leading this country to war in the middle east.

Posted by Travis Crabtree Author Profile Page at April 19, 2009 2:54 PM

comment #11

BurmaShave Author Profile Page says ...

When EDouglasCS auto-erotically asphyxiates himself during a screening of VALENTINO: THE LAST EMPEROR, don't let anyone say he didn't warn us.

Posted by BurmaShave Author Profile Page at April 19, 2009 4:03 PM

comment #12

corey3rd Author Profile Page says ...

How can it not get nominated? For the same reason Grizzly Man and Hoop Dreams was ignored.

Far as winning the Oscar - the path is already being dominated by "Burma VJ." Does anyone in Anvil get shot to death by the Burmese Army? Does anyone in Anvil get chased down an alley by armed troops?

The slot that might go to a documentary about music should be snagged by "Smile Till It Hurts: The Up With People Story." That movie will make your jaw drop as you get the dirty inside secret about the Up With People kids that used to perform at halftime of the Superbowl.

Anvil's "award" is all the attention and the band getting the love. Damn shame this film didn't come out 10 years ago when a movie might move CDs instead of just inspiring kids to download their songs off websites promoted by Roger Friedman.

Posted by corey3rd Author Profile Page at April 19, 2009 8:55 PM

comment #13

CitizenKanedforChewingGum Author Profile Page says ...

Looks like Corey missed the point of the film, too. If he even saw it, that is...

Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum Author Profile Page at April 20, 2009 9:58 AM

comment #14

rr3333 Author Profile Page says ...

If only they made a documentary in an alternate universe about 'Bon Jovi' with the flat/bloated/no-talent Richie Sambora talking about what might have been.

In a perfect world, this would have happened.

Posted by rr3333 Author Profile Page at April 20, 2009 11:32 AM

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free games Author Profile Page says ...

Maybe you don't care but this looks terrific.

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apotek online Author Profile Page says ...

Thanks for the review. This is already one of the most overrated docs of the year bar none and it's nowhere even CLOSE to being the best. apotek online

Posted by apotek online Author Profile Page at March 19, 2010 11:01 PM

comment #19

dd Author Profile Page says ...

And while the celeb encounters are on the menu, I saw Spike Jonze walking down the street here in London the other day. Didn't say anything to him though, wanted to remain 'cool' and not outwardly show my enthusiasm for anything at all. Should have licked his damn face. God I love that dude's work.


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