Review: Anytime a documentary causes a film company to spin off a fictional story, you know it has to be good, and Dogtown and Z-Boys is no exception. From the moment the film starts, you are hooked and despite the lengthy journey into the lives of a few skateboarders, when the credits roll, you are praying for more. Sound too good to be true? Maybe it is, but this is easily one of my favorite documentaries and follows a style similar to Murderball and Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. In fact, much like a heavy metal album, Dogtown opens with a fast pace, opting to build upon itself rather than cut back. There are a few slow parts interjected towards the end, but they flow smoothly with the rest of the film and, instead of acting as a pause, they serve to investigate areas the film’s regular pace would ignore. So what makes this such a great documentary besides the pacing? The characters mainly. Here is a story about a group of outcasts who participate in a reject sport that refuses to acknowledge their new style. They are truly the David's (albeit with an extreme attitude problem) trying to overcome the Goliath like world they live in. That alone makes the story worth watching, but when you throw in the most creative and innovative skateboarding to date (yes, admit it, you enjoy those Tony Hawk games as mush as I do) and a group of teenagers with egos bigger than most dictators, you have a documentary worth sitting down for. Of course, all this is hard to capture on film, especially a few decades after it all occurred, but Stacy Peralta manages to harness the emotions and energy of the era. It's of no surprise that Peralta himself was a member of the Zephyr skate team (and a legend in his own right) and therefore able to gain as much access to the group as humanly possible. Some might argue that this would create a level of biasness that would tend to only benefit his point of view, but he does an excellent job of making the story about the group, not about himself. One could argue that there are more important documentaries out there, that there are more socially aware or useful stories in existence, but in the end I could honestly say this is one of my favorite documentaries and I could easily watch it over and over and over again without getting tired of it. Trust me, this is a must see. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 5- I knew nothing about skateboarding or this specific group, at the end, I know the facts and understand the persona. Entertainment: 5- I could watch this 600 times and probably still not get tired of it. Technical: 5- A fast pace that they manage to maintain throughout the entire film. Overall: 5- It's everything a fun, exciting and engaging documentary should be.
Dogtown and Z-Boys
Format: DVD Year: 2001 Running Time: 91 Min Distributor: Agi Orsi Productions and Sony Pictures Classics Producer: Agi Orsi Director: Stacy Peralta Date Reviewed: 5-25-2007 Story: A new style of skateboarding emerged in the 1970s -- showcasing moves borrowed from famous surfers -- and with it, a skating culture was born. Legendary skateboarder Stacy Peralta (Riding Giants) directed this fast-paced, award-winning documentary that focuses on the Z-Boys of Venice Beach, Calif. This innovative group of guys became legends in the sport, and the depth of their influence is felt in a variety of sports -- and society - today (NetFlix).