Lords of Dogtown

I am not a fan of surfing or skateboarding (although learning to surf is on my bucket list), but I decided to watch this film due to some of the names on the cast list such as Emile Hirsch, Heath Ledger, and a small appearance by Jeremy Renner. (Heath Ledger... what talent!)

The film begins as a surfing movie, then transitions into skateboarding, but the execution is amazing. I hardly watch movies without checking the time left, due to my incessant need to know everything, yet I didn't feel inclined to do so during this film. What that means is that the film has a perfect flow, it will keep you interested throughout the entire film.

It's a fictionalized film of "The Z-Boys" and how they revolutionized the sport of skateboarding. The film has much to do with skateboarding, but the main scenes are coming-of-age related and it really shows the simplicity of life that we take advantage of. There's many things you can take from this film: from fame, fortune, and success to humbleness, health, and friendship.

I thought this film would be a somewhat decent, but I was so wrong, it is an inspirational and interesting piece of art. I highly recommend this film if you have an open mind. If you aren't moved by the end, then you aren't human.

I will start out by saying that I really do love this movie, but I'm not here to rant and rave about it. This movie is fascinating to me because I do love the skate culture and seeing a movie about characters who started modern skating was, as I said, fascinating. However, I realize that most of the world doesn't think that. With that in mind, I will continue. This movie is not a documentary about skating!!! If you want a documentary then check out Dogtown and Z-Boys directed by a Z-boy himself. It is full of stories about how the Zephyr team came to be and the way life was in Venice Beach at the time. I personally love the documentary as well, but Lords of Dogtown is not meant to be a Hollywood representation of the documentary. If you are looking for that, DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE!!! Lords of Dogtown is meant to be a story about the characters that fills in the gaps the documentary leaves about how these people felt, mainly Jay Adams, Stacy Peralta, and Tony Alva. The camera angles are not straightforward, the cinematography is rough, and its not a cookie cutter film. But that, in my opinion, is why it works so well. A lot of the Z-Boys themselves were on staff for this movie and helped to make it as authentic as it could be while still holding the attention of movie-goers. These guys were very impressed with the way the film was produced and, for the most part, were very pleased with how it represented the time. If you love skate culture then chances are you will fall in love with this movie like I did. Even my parents, who are definitely not into the skate culture or the 70's, still enjoyed this movie and were interested about the documentary afterwards. This movie definitely made me more interested in what skating was all about and I can't get enough about these guys now. I highly recommend this movie as well as Dogtown and Z-Boys.

This was a great movie on friendship in the '70's, and a look at how the sport of skateboarding took off. I'd wanted to see it for awhile, so with Heath Ledger's death, didn't hesitate anymore. I didn't recognize him as the surf shop owner Skip, for the first several scenes. I think he added poignancy to his role, as did others who, in the film, fought their way to who they are. Interesting to know this is based on lives of people still in the skateboarding business, including the man who started off Tony Hawks career. It's good to have work out there yet to see Heath Ledger's talent shine. I'd recommend this movie to people who like to observe people, even if you're neither a skateboarding fan or a Ledger fan.

Because I work with Swedish subtitles I had the chance to see this movie a while ago. I liked it. Lords of Dogtown has a great cast such as Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, John Robinson, Nikki Reed, Michael Angarano, Johnny Knoxville and Rebecca De Mornay among others.

In the mid 1970's, a group of teenage surfers from a tough neighborhood known as "Dogtown" in Venice, California pioneered a revolutionary new style of skateboarding. Riding the waves at the Pacific Ocean Park pier, the Z-Boys, known for their aggressive style and hard street attitude, combined the death-defying moves of surfing with the art of skateboarding and became overnight sensations and local legends. With empty pools as their canvas, the Z-Boys paved the way to what is now referred to as "extreme sports," and created a lifestyle that spread infectiously to become a worldwide counterculture phenomenon. But all of this fame would take its toll on the friendships that they thought would last a lifetime as the sport that started out as an afternoon hobby turned into big business.

Everyone was good, especially Heath Legder. He stars as Skip, the Z-Boys' party-animal ringleader whose money-hungry ways tear the boys apart. The director Catherine Hardwicke was not the first in mind of making this movie, she took over after David Fincher decided to leave the project for another feature. She did a great job creating the life among skateboarders, surfers and party animals in the 70's California. It's about the Z-Boys. They made skateboarding an art form, infusing it with the death-defying grace of surfing. I think this movie is worth a 7/10.

I grew up in California and this movie REALLY brought me back to the 70's and what was happening in the skateboard world. The actors were totally on mark with their portrayals of these guys and how things were back then in California at that time. I'm a girl and I was into skateboarding at that time. I saved my own money to buy my own boards. I even remember my mom came home one day and gave me an article from a magazine about Alva. I met him later in the 80's and he's a very down to earth guy. If you grew up in Cali at this time, you will LOVE this movie and if you didn't you will get the true idea of what it was like then. Awesome job guys on this film! A definite classic!