MovieChat Forums > Anvil: The Story of Anvil (2009) Discussion > Hilarious! Steve 'Lips' Kudlow is a ret...

Hilarious! Steve 'Lips' Kudlow is a retard

posted 15 years ago by typhoon02
22 replies | jump to latest

Hahahahaha. Seriously, did anyone else find the whole documentary so funny that it's really sad?

It's a band of 50 year old kids ignoring everything around them, yet expecting to be recognized and still become rich and famous.

Obviously, Steve 'Lips' Kudlow has no self-awareness of any sort. This "documentary" (if it seriously is a documentary and not a comedy) exposes the band to their retarded roots and decisions.

This isn't a negative review, I love this film! It's hilarious!!

My thoughts on the band:
Awesome drummer, good musicians, horrible lyrics, horrible songs, no self-awareness for any aspect of the band or their own music.

Anyone agree or what?

[–] winosaur 15 years ago

I don't know. Beyond the obvious Spinal Tap aspects of their story, I think what made it a compelling documentary was how sincere Kudlow is and how dedicated he is to his music. The fact that the odds are weighted heavily against him, and that he seems oblivious to that, only adds to the story's appeal.

Yeah, he's deluded if he thinks a band of 50-something has-beens/never-wases is going to set the world on fire.

On the other hand, thanks to this film, Anvil is more recognized and more popular than ever, and is currently touring venues that it wouldn't have had a hope in hell of playing two years ago. So maybe Lips wasn't so deluded after all!

[–] tgallo 15 years ago

He's doing what he enjoys.....financial success or not....how is that retarded?

[–] typhoon02 15 years ago

If you want to live by ignorance, then yes, it is bliss.

[–] tresac 15 years ago

I think that's precisely what the film is examining: where is the line between determination and lunacy, what is the definition of "success"; and finding happiness in the journey, even if the destination isn't what we hoped.

Foolish or not, it's hard not to have at least some admiration for these guys who've managed to not only persevere in the face of overwhelming opposition, but to still find the joy in doing it...

Yes, I do sometimes wish I had that kind of "ignorance."

[–] wilson_igat 14 years ago

@tresac: very well said my friend

Dear Jesus, please deliver me from your followers. Amen.

[–] jokeco68 15 years ago

How is this display of perseverance ignorant? Ignorant of what exactly? The accolades from Lars, Slash, Lemmy and Scott of Anthrax at the beginning makes it clear that Anvil was a great band that got left behind and that happens to a lot of bands. From what I heard they were demoing they sounded pretty good on their latest production as well so I wouldn't say they were ignorant to their own shortcomings. They identified that they were getting very old and they also identified that so many of their albums lacked any production values except for the work they had done with CT so Steve recognizes that and reconnects with CT to have another go. I really don't see any ignorance on display in this film at all, if anything, what makes this film so great is that Steve is very aware of his past and present and his ability to put things into perspective makes for some of the finest moments.

Everyone gets everything he wants.

[–] tgallo 15 years ago

do you have to make money with everything you do?

most of us have hobbies that cost us money

why can't his music be the same?

[–] danhollow 13 years ago

Are they really retarded for not giving up? If anyone ever made an impact in the world, it only happened because they didn't let other people decide for them.

[–] johnnymahon 15 years ago

typhoon02, what you posted is extremely ironic. Lips wasn't deluded, because over the past few years Anvil has become famous. I can drive down to the nearest FYE to buy their CD's. Their movie is such a success that when I talk to random people, it's not uncommon that they have watched their film or heard of it. It's an all-time great documentary and look how well it does with critics and on imdb. These guys are big enough that they've toured with AC/DC recently.

So they weren't deluded; they were right. Lips said in a recent interview that if he had given up on Anvil, retirement would have been extremely difficult or even impossible. This documentary equaled big bucks. Anvil is officially a success.

One of my favorite scenes is when Lips walks out of the record label with Rob and says that they have history, and that's what matters. He was exactly correct, since it's history that made this movie and what propelled them into their modern stardom.

typoon02, I'm afraid you are objectively wrong.

[–] everlone_2000 15 years ago

It's a band of 50 year old kids ignoring everything around them, yet expecting to be recognized and still become rich and famous.

I think you've over-simplified what the band meant to the guys in it. It was clearly not just about being rich and famous. If it was about being rich and famous, they would have thrown in the towell long ago. I don't think it's true that they 'expected to become rich and famous at all'. Steve Kudlow says at one point "Everything that could have gone wrong on that tour did go wrong. But at least there was a tour for it to go wrong on".

These aren't the words of someone waiting for fame and money to land on them. This is the sound of someone who understands that getting kicked in the teeth for something close to your heart is well worthwhile. Yes, he wants greater recognition for what he does - who wouldn't - but it's clear he's not in it for the fame and the money. How could he be, when for most of his career he's been playign to empty rooms? That's what makes the movie fascinating, surely, because there's something far more nebulous that kept them in the game for the last 30 years.

[–] soonerpike697 14 years ago

The guy is a true optimist which made it weird that he spent all his time with Robb who seemed incredibly negative...

[–] Howlin Wolf 14 years ago

I think insulting his intelligence is uncalled for, but I will say that he reminded me of the peddler that sold Chucky to the Barclay family in the first Child's Play film!

Love United. Hate Glazers.

[–] s-scoltock-542-522961 14 years ago

I think you are being deeply insulting to him

Slighty deluded perhaps but "a retard"? in my experience only retards call people retards :P

I wish I had such a positive outlook on life. Take the 'European tour' public transport to tiny clubs in eastern europe playing to *beep* all people making no money. He looked on it as a good thing as was glad he did it

[–] bureau203 14 years ago

I think they were all seriously deluded if they thought their music had any mainstream metal appeal. The lyrics seriously are the worst I've heard in a long time, probably since Europe's "The Final Countdown." But at least Europe has the excuse that they were using a language foreign to them.

Great documentary, and I feel for the band members, but seriously, they're just overgrown teenagers with very little sense between them.

"I've seen things that would make you want to write a book on how to puke."

[–] drnossal 14 years ago

You know, it's hard to get too down on these guys. I watch them and I think of the scene in Up in the Air where George Clooney is firing some middle-aged manager named Bob:

Ryan Bingham: Your resume says you minored in French Culinary Arts. Most students work the fryer at KFC. You bused tables at Il Picatorre to support yourself. Then you got out of college and started working here. How much did they pay you to give up on your dreams?

Bob: Twenty seven thousand a year.

Ryan Bingham: At what point were you going to stop and go back to what made you happy?

Crap on the Anvil guys if you want, but they never gave up their dreams for $13 an hour, something I'll bet few other people can say.

[–] beresfordjd 14 years ago

You have overlooked the point that Lips and Anvil have had the last laugh. I think this movie has achieved what the band are looking for. So you have dreams that don't come true right away-if you have faith then it is a possibility to reach your goal.
Now I am not a metal fan but applaud this band for not giving up. the movie made me laugh and cry, despair and admire. That is a good result in my mind.

[–] popzeus78 14 years ago

I just watched this for the first time last night, and I completely disagree with the OP. Do you know how many bands in the world actually become successful compared to how many do it just because they love to? True, the members of Anvil seem to have a bit of bad taste left in their mouths after getting mere inches away from success in their early days, yet they still go out there and rock for their tiny fan base, but most importantly, for themselves. The European tour looked like it was one disaster after the next, but the montage of them playing on stage showed them having a blast and giving the fans their all.

Like anther poster pointed out, the scene where they're told that there's money in their history was a pivotal point in the film, especially knowing that they have become more successful after the film brought their music to a wider audience. Even still, I would guess had this documentary never been made, Lips and Robb would still be out there rocking on the weekends because that's what they love to do, and I find comfort in that.