All This Mayhem

This is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review on IMDb.

Just a tiny bit about myself, I'm from the US, born in '87 and grew up a dyed-in-wool BMXer with skater friends. Even tho people talk about rivalry between camps really we all had camaraderie and a sense that we were part of a revolution or movement. The Tappas brothers(upon whom this documentary is centered) were instrumental in a way that I'm only beginning to understand or appreciate. For the record, their names were a faint memory from the X games for me. This gets off to a slow start but the historical knowledge alone was compelling.

Can you imagine a determined Australian kid whose sole mission on earth is to defeat Tony Hawk at skateboarding? Now can you imagine that he eventually actually did it, but was to humble(or injured...) to even appreciate the moment? That's only beginning to scratch the surface. The way Tony Hawk is painted as a villainous character( & at least partially I feel now, righteously so) seemed like slaughtering a sacred cow on first impression after faithfully watching the X games growing up but now I have a deeper understanding of how money and grown man rivalries complicate everything.

In summation, this movie is ultimately a a grim spectacle. It gets way more bleak and desperate than you might ever expect. There's a murder of some sort. LSD, Cocaine, Prison Stints. It's ultimately pretty dark but that's the how the story happened.

Rags to riches to rags ---- an all too familiar story!

Tas and Ben Pappas, two Australian brothers, through their personal drive and commitment, become stars in Australia on the skateboard circuit. They both have talent and ambition to make it as a team. And they do! In Europe they reach the top and then the tumble begins. It's a sad story to witness youth gain so much then loose so much.

If you are a skateboarding enthusiast this is a top documentary to watch. Director Eddie Martin doesn't hold back on anything while telling the ten years of Tas and Ben Pappas rise and fall.

I wondered just how can two achieve so much even while indulging in drugs and other substances but their youth kept them going - youth passes by and they were unprepared for that fact.

I went into a cinema without a clue what I was going to watch! For the first ten minutes I was hesitant and didn't know if I would sit through the entire movie. I have no particular love for skating but can relate to that ethos from teenage years.

In the end I stayed and began to enjoy the roller-coaster that this doc takes you on.

The use of well sourced actual footage of their childhood/teenage days up to to the pros and after paints a vivid account and perfectly documented time line of their lives and careers. The added PTC's from Tas Pappas and others add that missing dimension and beautifully tie it all together in a classic doc style.

Utterly compelling and keeps a great level of suspense. Really enjoyed this movie. NOW I like skating!

I must say I went to the cinema not expecting to much, But it exceeded expectations to the point where i would put it up to one of the best docos this year easily. It reminds me of "The Lords of Dogtown" documentary. But blows it out of the water. It is a must watch, as it shows a lesser known side of Australian sport. All this Mayhem will appeal to a wide range of people, especially people who played the Tony Hawk games and noticed the Australian Skaters weren't in the games. It has a completely different view on the world of skating and follows the tragic story of, to me are the most influential Australian skaters to date. Enjoy GO WATCH THIS FLICK

I wasn't friends with the Pappas brothers, only ever watched them skate when they would come to town, but growing up a skater myself with many of the same freedoms and benefits that come along with getting paid to do it, this documentary is all too real.

This is a must-see regardless of your craft or sport, because unlike many documentaries about famous athletes who fall to addiction, depression and/or violence, you feel a real connection to these kids. They're your neighbors kids, your classmates, your friends, your bullies... No matter how you relate, there's a genuine feel that will grab your emotions and make you pray there's a happy ending. Although in your gut you know in the end there won't be the Pappas brothers holding hands and skipping into the sunset to Leslie Gore's "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows".

My only negative about the documentary is the soundtrack. Just awful.