Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner, Anvil band members and the subjects of the documentary “Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” are set to make their appearance as guests on the couch of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” airing May 14 on ABC at 12:05 a.m. ET/PT. With recent features in Rolling Stone and Newsweek, the guest spot marks a stellar comeback for the 30 year-old band whose film has made $257,061 to date in limited release.
“Anvil! The Story of Anvil” is the directorial debut of screenwriter Sacha Gervasi (“The Terminal”) and was produced by Rebecca Yeldham (“The Kite Runner” and “The Motorcycle Diaries”). The film follows Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner and their band, Anvil, which released one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982’s Metal on Metal. The album influenced an entire musical generation of rock bands, including Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax, who all went on to sell millions of records. Anvil, on the other hand, took a different path—straight to obscurity. The film is both entertaining and touching as it follows their last-ditch quest for the fame and fortune that has been so elusive to them. “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” is a timeless tale of survival and the unadulterated passion it takes to follow your dream, year after year.
Praised as “The best documentary I’ve seen in years,” by documentarian Michael Moore, “Anvil! The Story of Anvil” contains appearances by an array of heavy metal icons, including Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, former member of Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, and Slayer’s Tom Araya, among others.
Celebrities unconnected to the film have rallied around it, urging their fans to see “Anvil” in theaters. Among them are: Ryan Gosling, Dustin Hoffman, Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, John Mayer, Mandy Moore, Keanu Reeves, Morgan Spurlock and Rob Thomas.
“Anvil! The Story of Anvil,” currently playing in theaters, is distributed by VH1 in association with Abramorama. This fall, VH1 will release the film on television and DVD under its Emmy Award-winning “VH1 Rock Docs” franchise.
