the Ill Opinion #5: Anvil: The Story of Anvil

Stop me if you've heard this story before: Classic metal band that takes itself too seriously gets one more shot at the big time, and a camera crew is watching their every move, showing how much this band cares and wants to be as successful as possible.

This is not Spinal Tap. This is Anvil.

A Canadian metal band that started between two childhood friends in high school, Anvil has been hailed as influential on a generation of metal musicians (i.e. Slash, Lemmy, Scott Ian, etc.). And yet, the success has never been there, in sales, or in crowd attendance.

Why do I bring this movie up, you ask? For a lot of reasons in regards to musicians, bands, families, and the mortality of a band or musical act.

If you're a musician: watch this film. Watch it and notice how the passion and will to make something work in light of real life problems, and how friendship can sometimes make your passion for whatever you do that much stronger, that much more real.

If you're a band: get everyone together and watch this film. It's a much-needed slap-in-the-face for every band, because it shows you two things: the fact that yes, failure is very very likely. You may wind up to be just like Anvil. But...it's a sign of how the meaning of "success" can vary case by case. Sometimes, just putting that album out is the victory, not the sold-out tour dates.

If you're a family member of the above parties: watch this film. There's a lot to be said about families and musicians sometimes not seeing eye-to-eye, and this film exploits those relationships, examines them, and highlights how both the difference in opinion and the willingness to embrace the ambitions of a family member affect those around it.

In closing, with this film being on Netflix Instant, you really have no excuse to not see this film.

And this was the Ill Opinion. Stay gold.