VIA PRESS RELEASE | Utopia and Abramorama have partnered to release the remastered documentary, Anvil! The Story of Anvil! (2009), alongside Portobello Electric for a special one night engagement in 200 theaters nationally on September 27th with select extended theatrical runs through October at National Circuits including AMC and Regal Cinemas.
The rerelease is timed to the film’s 13th year anniversary and features remastered picture and sound, as well as a new exclusive-to-theaters epilogue interview with director Sacha Gervasi (My Dinner with Hervé, Hitchcock) and Anvil’s Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner, moderated by former MTV host Matt Pinfield.
A special documentary premiere and performance will be presented in conjunction with Beyond Fest on September 22, 2022 in Los Angeles at the Saban Theatre, with a live concert by Anvil and appearances from surprise musical guests. This will be followed by a Q&A with Anvil’s Steve “Lips” Kudlow + Robb Reiner, producer Rebecca Yeldham, and director Sacha Gervasi, moderated by Steve-O of Jackass fame. Purchase tickets HERE. Additionally, a separate sneak peak of the film will take place at Angelika Film Center in New York, NY on September 13. Peter Dinklage will host the event, and he will also moderate a special Q&A with Anvil and director Sacha Gervasi. Purchase tickets HERE.
Abramorama first released the critically acclaimed documentary in 2009 and have partnered with Utopia and Portobello Electric to bring the film that captured audiences’ hearts back to theaters. “Sorry, am I on magic mushrooms right now?,” said director Sacha Gervasi. “Is this film really being released into theatres again? Someone please wake me!” Abramorama’s CEO Richard Abramowitz stated, “Exhibitors across the country have been wildly enthusiastic about booking Anvil, to the tune of 200 theaters. I can’t wait to wake Sacha and tell him.”
Anvil! The Story of Anvil! follows Canadian heavy-metal band Anvil as they delivered a highly influential 1982 album Metal on Metal that would inspire the likes of Anthrax and Metallica, and then dropped off the map to begin what would become decades of toiling in obscurity. Director and former Anvil roadie Gervasi follows guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner as they stumble through a harrowing European tour and reflect on failure, friendship, resilience and the will to follow even the most impossible of dreams.
The documentary received widespread critical and public acclaim following its release by Abramorama and features appearances by an array of heavy metal icons, including Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Motörhead’s Lemmy, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, and Slayer’s Tom Araya. The film is tied for 6th place as one of the highest rated documentaries of all time on Rotten Tomatoes with a 98% certified fresh rating, and a 90% audience score with over 5000+ votes.
It was named one of 2009’s best documentaries by numerous film critics associations, including Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, and Las Vegas, as well as the International Documentary Association, the Online Film Critics Society, and the National Society of Film Critics. It also made the year-end Top 10 lists in publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, Village Voice, and many others.
