Dogtown and Z-Boys (2002)
This is a documentary about surfin' and, more importantly,
skateboarding in America. It's primary focus is a group
of skaters that came out of Southern California in the
mid-70's, the Zephyr Skating Team, which produced such
amazing skaters as Tony Alva, Jay Adams, Shogo Kubo
and Stacy Peralta. Peralta, in fact, is the director
of the documentary, so what we get here is an insider's
entree to the story. And not only is the film fantastically
assembled, from sight to sound, but it acts as a practical
encyclopedia on skateboarding in America.
The early part of the film takes great pains to
really set-up the story. But this pain is easily rewarded
with fascinating knowledge and engrossing insight. We
hear the whole histories and get incredible insights
so that the chronicle which follows is much more clear
and understandable. I hope I make sense here: The film
is a practical primer on skateboarding in America. And
after giving us this knowledge, it opens up to the story
of the Zephyr Team so that we deeply understand and
appreciate exactly what the importance of their story
is. It elevates its story to history - and rightly so.
That Peralta is a part of the story may skewer
the film into being more testament than "objective documentary"
but that's okay. This is one documentary where objectivity
is not as important as the sheer volume of insider history
which can be gleaned. This is more a sort-of 21st Century
"You are There" kinda thing.
Even if you are not a big fan of skating, the film
works to make you one. Through narration by the perfect
Sean Penn to recent interviews with the participants
to archive footage, the film covers every angle of the
tale it tells. And the filmmakers obvious love (and
respect) of the sport only serve to infect the viewer
with the same admiration. To see the 70's footage of
Team Zephyr skating is fascinating, but coupled with
the historical perspective the film gives, it becomes
a pop (culture) record, if you will.
This is skating as an outsider sport. This is skating
as punk rock. This is skating at revolution. This is
the seeds of modern X Games style skating and surfing,
and it's relevance to modern pop culture could not be
more important. To hear the story, from the guys - and
girls - who lived it is nothing less than awesome.
The film is loaded, saturated, with loving images
of young Californian blonde boys using their bodies
as machines, grooving in the sun to the most freeing
and exhilarating action one can image: skating. Looking
at these gorgeous young men, often shirtless, skate,
swirl and grind is beautiful to behold. There's something
poetic and emancipating about the image of a hot guy
skating. It is the seeming ultimate antithesis to "responsibility."
Like the work of the "naturalist" photographers in the
60's and 70's in male erotica, the photographic images
of Craig Stecyk and Glen E. Friedman glisten with youthful
innocence and careless abandon. It is often jaw-dropping
in it's inherent beauty.
Stecyk and Friedman worked as photographers at
Skateboarding Magazine in the 70's and their work permeates
the film. Sure, much of the 8mm and 16mm images are
faded, scratchy and poorly shot, but their appearance
only serves to widen the punk aesthetic which gives
the film it's raw and "in-the- moment" feel. Truly it
is their still photos, however, which become such an
important part of the film. These captured, crystal-clear,
moments reflect not only the motion but the raw energy
of the early days of the sport. Seeing them here, in
a sort of cinematic slide-show, elevates them to art.
Even more wonderfully, Peralta often uses post-production
effects to shake, roll, zoom, and jiggle the images
so that the motion which they capture is undercut with
the motion of cinematics. These effects are just one
of the things which keeps "Dogtown and Z-Boys" from
becoming stagnant and dull.
Finally, mention must be made of the music here.
Blasting both punk and rock tunes, primarily from the
70's, the soundtrack often seems like a skimmer tape
of the best classic rock station ever. From Iggy to
Bowie to ZZ Top to Neil Young, the film is rarely without
musical accompaniment. And it all sounds great. Most
often used to propel the film and give it constant forward
momentum (echoing the sport), the music in the film
can occasionally slow down to bring us poignant and
important moments in the story. The use of Bowie's "Aladdin
Sane" and Young's "Old Man" are particularly effective.
"Dogtown and Z-Boys" is an important film about
late 20th century culture. It reflects a naive and wild
time before corporate sponsorship and big money made
whores of alternative sportsmen. It reflects a youth
culture with time on their hands and freedom in their
grasp. And it shows us the story in such a loving and
reverent way, never pedantic or egotistical, that we
can't help but be moved.
We were so young once. And so free.
Note:
Also with Wentzel Ruml, Allen Sarlo, Peggy Oki,
Bob Biniak, Jim Muir, Nathan Pratt, Paul Constantineau,
Henry Rollins, Jeff Ament, Skip Engblom, Jeff Ho, and
a small cameo by Tony Hawk. Peralta, Friedman and Stecyk
are also interviewed for the film.
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Report
Card
Content:
A+
Completeness: A
Cinematography\Lighting: A+
Special Effects\Make Up: A+
Music: A+
Final
Grade: A+
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