[[quoteright:236:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anvilthestoryofanvil_9059.jpg]]
''Anvil! The Story of Anvil'' is a 2008 {{rockumentary}} film by Sacha Gervasi. The film follows the life of Canadian HeavyMetal band Anvil, that saw some success in the 1980s, but, unlike their contemporaries like Music/{{Whitesnake}}, Music/BonJovi or Music/{{Metallica}}, never got their big break.

The film follows the band's key members, vocalist and guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer [[AlmostFamousName Robb Reiner]] (no, not ''[[Creator/RobReiner that]]'' [[Film/ThisIsSpinalTap Rob]] [[Film/ThePrincessBride Reiner]]) as Anvil goes on a poorly organized European tour. While it starts out hopeful enough, soon they find themselves playing in small clubs for no more than a dozen people. Back home, they begin working on their 13th album. Things start to look up as they collaborate with renowned producer Chris "CT" Tsangarides, but tensions are rising in the band.

''Anvil! The Story of Anvil'' is a heartwarming story about two guys who have spent their whole life chasing their dream, keeping at it against ''all'' odds out of loyalty to [[ThePowerOfRock their art]] and to [[ThePowerOfFriendship each other]].
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!! "Tropes! The Story of Tropes":
%%* AscendedFanboy: Glenn Five is proudly this.
* BarBrawl: Lips gets in one when he realizes he isn't getting paid for his gig.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Don't [[BerserkButton refuse Lips his pay]] for playing a gig.
* BlackSheep: When Lips' siblings are being interviewed, on-screen text shows they are all well-educated professionals. They note that Lips was never interested in following the conventional path and would have always pursued the arts, no matter what.
* BookEnds: The story begins and ends with a concert in Japan.
* ChekhovsGun: At the gig where the band wind up not getting paid, we see a nerdy looking guy in a suit and glasses having a great time in the crowd. After the BarBrawl, he swoops in and gives them his business card - turns out he's a lawyer!
* ClusterFBomb: Lips sure knows how to drop 'em when he's mad.
-->'''Lips:''' You fuckin' piece of shit, you fuckin' ''pay me!!!'' I fuckin' ''worked!!''
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: The title.
* DespairEventHorizon: Robb is about to give up on Anvil in the process of recording ''This Is Thirteen''. Lips and CT talk him out of it.
%%* {{Determinator}}: ''Every one'' of them. If you have to give them credit for only one thing: These guys are unstoppable!
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Washed-up hard rock band, struggling to get some love and respect, is saved by [[spoiler:Japanese fans]] - [[Film/ThisIsSpinalTap Again!]]
-->We're going to do it together. We're gonna get there. We're going to fucking do it. Since we were fucking 14 years old, and here we sit in our fucking fifties, man... ''We're gonna be rock stars!''
* FallenOnHardTimesJob: Lips is shown working as a delivery driver for a catering company. Downplayed, in that he acknowledges it's a humble life, but points out it's also an honest one that's allowed him to own a home and raise a family.
* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: In-Universe. [[spoiler:This trope's other name "Big in Japan" figures literally as the band finds more success there than at home.]]
* GilliganCut: One member of the band, standing outside of a club, says that the place is totally packed. Cut inside to Anvil playing their set to about four headbangers, one of them sitting in an office chair.
* GloryDays: That festival in 1984, when they shared the stage with [=Whitesnake=], Music/{{Scorpions|Band}} and Bon Jovi. Anvil was the only band on stage that didn't make it big.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Lips and Robb.
* HotBlooded: Lips is as emotional as you'd expect from a metal singer.
* HumiliationConga: One misfortune after another keeps befalling the band. It's no wonder that Anvil has been referred to as "The real-life Spinal Tap."
* ICouldaBeenAContender: Somewhat tragic example. For various reasons, they just missed grabbing the brass ring in the 80s, and Lips still believes they could hit the big time if circumstances were right. Luckily, the film itself gave them a bit of a boost.
%%* IronButtMonkey: Lips and Robb.
%%* NiceGuy: Everyone in the band.
* NiceJewishBoy: Lipps and Rob are both Jewish and are shown to be very friendly, easy going and well spoken. Though Lipps does let his anger get the better of him several times throughout the movie, but never without some very serious provocation.
* RayOfHopeEnding: [[spoiler:Anvil have to sell the best-sounding album of their careers independently, and are still struggling to make any kind of name for themselves, but, being {{Determinator}}s, they keep at it for the good times... like bringing the house down at the Japanese festival at the end.]]
* RealityIsUnrealistic: Director Sacha Gervasi crafts the movie in such a way that the audience isn't sure if Anvil is for real or if the whole [[StealthParody film is some sort of elaborate hoax]], intended as an affectionate parody of rock documentaries. This is [[IntendedAudienceReaction intentional]].
%%* RedOniBlueOni: Lips is red, Robb is blue.
%%* RefugeInAudacity: Lips' infamous vibrator solos.
* {{Rockumentary}}: A deconstruction, sort of. This is what happens when Spinal Tap happens in real life, and it's not pretty.
* ShoutOut: At one point, CT Tsangarides turns one of the volume knobs up to eleven. Also, they visit [[Film/ThisIsSpinalTap Stonehenge]].
* ToiletHumor: Robb, an art collector, has a painting of a ''turd'' in his house for reasons that are never explained. Unsurprisingly, his wife demanded that he put it where guests wouldn't see it. Also mentioned are the infamous "vibrator solos" that Lips used to do.
* VitriolicBestBuds: Robb mentions that he and Lipps have gotten into physical confrontations more than once over the years, and they also have a ''very'' heated argument while recording for their new album. Despite this, the two are as close as brothers and are practically inseparable.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: Of course, it doesn't have Anvil's resurgence of attention after the film's release, but it did announce their 14th album ''Juggernaut Of Justice,'' and point out that Anvil eventually did settle their dispute with that club in Prague.
* WhiteDwarfStarlet: Lips and Robb have now been able to quit their day jobs and live off music.
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