Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)

Been looking for films to watch with my teen boys, and this was on my list and then a lot of friends agreed it would be a winner. Definitely was, even though my kids are not at all into skateboarding by any stretch.The film is well set-up (who knew that Venice was indeed meant to echo the canals of Italy, not me) and thanks to Craig Stecyk's instincts to document so much of the history as it was happening, really has a time-travel you-are-there flair.The scene at the '75 Del Mar skateboarding contest where Z-Boys make their debut and lead by the youngest, and arguably wildest, skater is just a triumphant moment for teens in general. It's that shattering of the boring archetype that should be encourage even by those of us sitting on our archetypes.And the detailed character studies are also quite engrossing in and of themselves, that classic "sell-out" mentality versus needing to make a living and might as well as be you profiting from the revolution that quickly becomes packaged. Usually I think of this in musical notes, but skateboarding nailed it here.And surely music was involved, my wife I think was drawn to join us based upon the mix-tape soundtrack. (And it pleased one of my boys who has bumped into Bowie sadly posthumously, to spot so many slices of said Thin White Duke.). I do have to say that it was Devo's "Gut Feeling" that was used to do a lot of the heavy lifting in the DVD packaging, so there with Hendrix, Led Zep, Bowie, and Iggy are the Spud boys?!?! It is a helluva riff! E-G-C-A! The lone female skater doesn't get too much focus, but perhaps preferably for her is just tossed in with the boys. Even though I think she was the only one who won at that contest that is a key moment in the film. The swimming pool scenario, and this notion of the rich dying kid wanting to share his love of skateboarding with the ne'er-do-well stars of the burgeoning sport, again just a small but significant piece of the story. Really that sets up the almost astronaut-launch that is just delivered in the film as good as any car chase in a boilerplate action film.The tone of the filmmakers is reverential, and moments like that are mythic, but then the interviewees are largely such "dudes" (in the best possible sense...and yes even Peggy Oki) that it makes for a fascinating watch.RIP several of them since the original release. It was interesting how the film created a dark aura around Jay Adams. Was he the most pure and the most corrupt character? Well they focus on the former but hint at trouble beyond the weed (later I read something about a bar fight not sure about all the details on that).For me it was great that my boys enjoyed the film, and got an appreciation for all of the skaters, but especially Adams who would have been a kid they might have ignored (or not gotten along well with) in school, but to see his side of the story, not just the flamboyant burst at that contest....but even later his commitment to just the excitement of skateboarding just for that excitement's sake. That got their wheels spinning I think.My wheels are spinning on whether this film is taught in modern-day film courses on documentaries? Or is it too much of a labor of love from an outsider. But wait, is that the point of the film?

For those of us who are old enough to remember the impact on the sport, &,know of what we speak...these guys re-energized the sport.I'd been f'ing around on a skateboard since I was about 7 or 8.But when I picked up my first issue of Skateboarder mag I was turned on to a whole new way of riding.And these guys were the first wave of vertical/surf style riders. The only thing was that all we had to go on were photos.So we had to figure out how to get to the point of having that one wheel on the coping...and then how to get back down without losing it.We weren't able to see the whole completed move.We never even knew if THEY were really pulling off some of that stuff.To watch this & be able to SEE them riding was still a rush for me LONG after I'd given up riding.In retrospect,it's easy to view them as being bitter.But when you put aside all of the personality issues...These guys did for skating what Zeppelin did for Rock.And you can only fully appreciate that if you were there.For TRUE skate fans...this is a history lesson.

Dogtown and Z-BoysSummary: Dogtown and Z-boys is a documentary about a group of revolutionary teenagers that changed the world of surfing and skateboarding in Venice (Dogtown), California as we know it today. With their low pivotal style, they embarked on a Larry Bertlemen influenced journey that would lead to countless successes and a couple failures. After the Dogtown articles were featured in a reinstated Skateboarder Magazine, the sport was revamped and the members of the Zephyr skateboard team forgot about Jeff Ho, and looked to be on summer vacation for the rest of their lives by joining other skateboard teams that could afford to pay them like movie stars. The original Zephyr Skateboard Team put together by Jeff Ho (Zephyr Surfshop Owner) and Craig Stecyk (Photographer) included Jay Adams, Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, Bob Biniak, Chris Cahill, Shogo Kubo, Paul Constantineau, Jim Muir, Peggy Oki (the only female), Nathan Pratt, Wentzle Ruml IV, Allen Sarlo, and David Ray Perry. All of the original members except Jay Adams and Chris Cahill are still well and surfing/skating. Jay Adams, at the time of the documentary, was serving time on drug related charges. Chris Cahill, at the time of the documentary, was last seen in Mexico.Themes: The themes of this documentary are kind of read-between-the-lines, but if there were a clear-cut theme it would be that even kids can spark revolutions. Other themes would include extensive partying in one's past may lead to an unfulfilling future, and by planning and being careful with one's assets a very rewarding future could be at hand.Other Works: Stacy Peralta (Writer and Director) has a fairly wide range of documentaries that he has either written, produced, or directed. Most with a common theme of surfing or skateboarding, such as Riding Giants, Sk8 TV, The Bones Brigrades, and Lords of Dogtown. He has also done films with a theme of growing up in America as a teenager, films such as: Influences: From Yesterday to Today, Crips and Bloods: Made in America, and The 70s: The Decade that Changed Television.Subjects: The subjects of Dogtown and Z-boys are the original members of the Zephyr Skateboard Team excluding Chris Cahill. Peralta included Jeff Ho and Craig Stecyk in the interviews. Other subjects were people who grew up during the 70s reading the Dogtown Articles as well as skateboard enthusiasts. Skaters from the Dogtown area, but not on the team were interviewed.Editing: The editing of this film was phenomenal in my opinion. There were scenes of the subjects talking so that the audience could see who was speaking and get a sense of the character, but would immediately cutaway to archival footage that would explain what the speaker was saying. When a song could explain the emotions of the subjects better, such as when Jay Adams' unfortunate life was a subject of talk, the song Old Man by Neil Young was played, which evokes many emotions. Sean Penn was the narrator for the film and he explained the transitions throughout the film. The film was presented chronologically from the time the Zephyr surf team was put together, to creating the skateboard team, to all of the Z-boys leaving the team to join other skate companies or create their own company. Cinematography: The film was shot in an interesting way. The film of the subjects speaking were all in black and white and all of the archival footage of the Z-Boys surfing or skating were in color. Of course the footage from the 70s was grainy, but that only enhanced the film. The interviewees were mostly shot in the same area it appears, but all were outside. All of the footage was very well-controlled even the archival footage which I found very surprising. Music: "Seasons of Wither"-Performed by Aerosmith "Toys in the Attic"-Performed by Aerosmith "Generation Landslide"- Alice Cooper "One Way Out"- Performed by The Allman Brothers "Lollipops and Roses" and "Whipped Cream"-performed by Herb Alpert "Into the Void" and "Paranoid"- performed by Black Sabbath "Godzilla"- Blue Oyster Cult "Aladdin Sane" and "Rebel Rebel"- David Bowie "Fastcars"- The Buzzcocks "Gut Feeling"- Devo "I'll Give you Money"- Peter Frampton "Funk 49"- James Gang "Ezy Rider" and "Foxy Lady" and "Freedom" and "Bold as Love"- Jimi Hendrix "Sidewalk Surfing"- Jan and Dean "Achilles Last Stand" and "Hot on for Nowhere"- Led Zeppelin "Six Underground"- The Sneaker Pimps "Surfrider"- The Lively Ones "Cat Scratch Fever" and "Motor City Madhouse" and "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang- Ted Nugent "Us and Them"- Pink Floyd "Bad Boys"- The Pretenders "Maggie May"- Rod Stewart "I Wanna be Your Dog" and "Gimme Danger"- The Stooges "Children of the Revolution"- T-Rex "Bad Reputation"- Thin Lizzy "Disco Inferno"- The Tramps "Hannah"- Rob Trower "Rocky Mountain Way"- Joe Walsh "Old Man"- Neil Young "La Grange"- ZZ TopThe music in the film make the movie. Every one of these songs contributes to what the subjects are saying and evoke emotions that would not have been called to mind otherwise.

I must say that this has to be the best documentary I have ever seen in my life. I first say the movie at my friends house, and didn't get a chance to finish watching it. From that point on, I spent my free time trying to find the movie. I never found it, but on my birthday, my friend who knew I had the hardest time finding the movie,got it for me as present. Sean Penn does a great job of narrating the documentary. I loved how it told the story of each of the Z-Boys and the history of Dogtown. I have been to Venice and the surrounding area many times, and had never known what had taken place, until I saw the documentary. I didn't get a chance to see the actual movie, and I heard it was nowhere near what the documentary was. I don't know if I actually want to see the movie, but who knows.