Blueshadow's Bon Jovi Blog » Anvil

Anvil: The Story of Anvil – You Need to See This Movie!

admin — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:13:42 +0000

I managed to catch part of the Anvil documentary on VH1 Classic Saturday night. (That has actually been the one good thing about all of the stuff the cable company has been doing lately; they added VH1 Classic to the standard cable lineup, which is awesome.) I’ve been meaning to watch it since I first heard about it from Eddie Trunk’s show on satellite radio, but the nearest theater showing it was over an hour away, and the DVD has proved to be difficult to find. But I finally got to see it on Saturday night.

I will be buying the DVD from Amazon now though. Because, while I didn’t get to see the whole thing, I did get to see enough to convince me that I absolutely have to see the entire thing, and I need the DVD. This movie is just that awesome. I would even go so far as to say that this movie has redefined what a music documentary should be. If it’s not at least nominated for an Academy Award, it will be a tragedy.

I don’t cry easily at movies; as a matter of fact, until I watched this movie, I never have. The depth of the bond between Robb and Lips is just amazing, and the endless hope, strength and enthusiasm that they have is just awe-inspiring. And it’s touching. I cried at the end. I won’t spoil the end, if you haven’t seen it yet. In terms of emotional impact, this is quite possibly the most affecting movie I have ever seen.

Everything that the guys from Anvil are getting now, they totally deserve. And if you haven’t seen this movie, you totally need to. Just a warning though, the DVD seems to be hard to find in some places. I’ve been looking for a copy of the DVD around here for several months now, and I haven’t been able to find it in a brick-and-mortar store. (I’m sure that I could have found it in the Virgin Megastore in Times Square, if it was still around, and yes, I’m quite steamed about the fact that the space is now occupied by a Forever 21. But that’s a rant for another day.)

Metal on Metal headed for Rock Band

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:56:58 +0000

Thanks to the popularity of the Anvil Movie, they’ve actually gone back and re-recorded their song Metal on Metal so that it can be added to Rock Band.

One, for the Anvil guys, this rules. It’s already been proven what Rock Band and Guitar Hero can do for a band in terms of popularity. The games appeal to a wide variety of people and as a result, they introduce music to people that might not otherwise have sought it out. This could be a big step forward for their careers.

Two, this will increase the overall quality of the available content for Rock Band. Yes, a lot of it is pretty good–but a lot of it is also pretty awful. Once they got through a lot of the classics, they ran into trouble because there really isn’t that much new stuff out there that’s really good. But Anvil is still putting out quality hard rock, all of which would make a worthwhile addition to the game’s library.

I’m going to have to drive into Philly to see that movie soon.

When We Were Beautiful Premiere

admin — Sat, 02 May 2009 02:36:43 +0000

Yes, I know, the new Bon Jovi documentary debuted at the Tribeca film festival. Unfortunately, I was not in any kind of position to get in to see the movie.

(I do, theoretically, live close enough to drive to Tribeca. However, driving into Manhattan is somewhere near elective dental surgery on my list of fun activities, and besides, I actually have to work in the morning. Not happening.)

So far I haven’t heard much–just enough to be reassuring that this movie, despite its awful title, did not descend into art-house garbage. Now we’ll wait for it to make it to DVD–I don’t hold out any hope for this to make to an actual theater in my area.

Still bugging the local theaters about the Anvil movie though. Somehow, I think that will be the ultimate winner in terms of pop culture in the long run. Anvil finally made the cover of Rolling Stone thanks to that movie.

I so want to see both movies. The Anvil movie I want to see just because it sounds like a good movie. As for When We Were Beautiful, I understand there’s eye candy–there’s at least one backstage shot of Jon taking his shirt off. He always does know how to play to the women.

The Anvil Movie needs a wide release

admin — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:45:02 +0000

For a movie with an almost unprecedented 98% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it sure is hard to find a theater playing it.

I first heard about Anvil: The Story of Anvil on Eddie Trunk Live on XM Radio. (I didn’t hear about it on That Metal Show because nobody in this house is willing to shell out for that extra package that includes 500 obscure channels that you only spend 45 minutes a month watching. VH1 Classic is never in the basic tier.) So far the trailers look excellent. The critical reviews are high, with that extra little touch of condescension that indicates that not only is it a Good Movie and High Art, but ordinary people actually stand a chance of understanding and liking it.

Unfortunately, the movie is in extremely limited art-house release. It’s playing at theaters in Philadelphia and New York City, but no place really closer than two hours away by car. That’s a bit of a drive for a movie, even with gas prices having gone down. Never mind that one location involves driving through the Meadowlands and the other involves a drive down the Schulkill Expressway, neither of which ever appeals to me.

Call your local theaters and bug them about the movie. You want to see it. I plan on bugging every theater I can call, because I want to see this movie without risking my life on the highway. You should do the same, especially if you’re an unreasonable distance from a theater showing it.