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Pretty much everyone describes long-running Canadian metal band Anvil as "the real-life Spinal Tap." They went virtually unnoticed for most of their thirty-year existence until the documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil became an audience favorite on the festival circuit last year. The film will start its Seattle run at the Varsity this Friday, but you can see it first at El Corazon tonight (7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show), at what's being dubbed "The Anvil Experience," an all-ages screening of the film followed by a live performance by the band themselves. Tix are $15. more ›

Here we are at Day 16 of the Festival. If by now you're long tired of SIFF, you're in luck: STIFF starts tonight. And if you're tired of our takes on this year's festival films, check out reviews by Blue Scholars' MC Geologic. In addition to everything below, this weekend also offers the last chance to hit up two great documentaries, both of which we've previously mentioned, and both of which deserve another shout-out. Anvil! The Story of Anvil is a crowd-pleaser on the "real-life Spinal Tap" (today, 4:30pm @ SIFF Cinema). Meanwhile, Man on Wire, an unexpectedly moving doc about the French tightrope walker (and his friends) who conquered the WTC's Twin Towers, is the best thing we've seen at the fest so far (tomorrow, 11am @ the Egyptian). more ›