ANVIL Film Director: 'The Whole Point Was To Encourage People Not To Believe That It Was Real'

February 23, 2009

Sacha Gervasi — the director of "Anvil! The Story of Anvil", a mockumentary-like true account of fiftysomething Canadian heavy-metal practitioners Robb Reiner and Steve "Lips" Kudlow who, after a desultory European tour with their band ANVIL, decide to record a 13th album in a final attempt to fulfill their boyhead dreams of stardom — was interviewed by Scotsman.com ahead of the film's February 13 premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival 2009.

On comparisons to "This Is Spinal Tap":

"The whole point was to encourage people not to believe that it was real. It was structured in such a way so that you wouldn't be sure, so when the story turned, it really turned in a way you weren't expecting. People expect it just to be funny because it's about heavy rock, but by the end of the film, it's completely not that. We're really using 'Spinal Tap' as a Trojan horse to get to the audience."

"I said to the guys right at the beginning, 'People are going to laugh at you in the first 20 minutes of film and that's all part of the journey, you just have to accept you're really funny.' But it's not like they don't get it (the 'Spinal Tap' parallel]. These guys are totally self-aware.

"But I understand that sense of discomfort too, and I think that seems to be why the film is working. On the one hand you're kind of looking at these characters from the outside, but you're also identifying with them. It's not just funny, it's not just emotional — it's all blended up together, which is what life is."

On the fact that, thanks to the film, others are starting to appreciate the band —record companies are waving deals at them, SLAYER's manager has decided to represent them, and COLDPLAY's booking agent is organizing their gigs (they'll play the Download festival later this year):

"This has been the best part of the film, because when the movie ends, the story isn't over. Whenever the band play, that's when the audience gets the chance to see there's a real happy ending."

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