Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)

The Age of Commercialism

SERIOUSLY. This is what the crap Hollywood still puts out?

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

One of my all-time favorite docs is unconventional (as the subjects focused on) in its approach (as Sean Penn is narrating he coughs, and director Peralta left it in there) and snobbishly grants an elitism to its stars who were groundbreaking influences in the popular skateboarding thriving today, giving birth to what populates the X-games and skateparks globally now. From broken or dysfunctional home lives and families, a group of surfing kids and teens gathered together as a collective in a poor area in California near the beach (Venice and Santa Monica), mentored by surf-board makers/marketers forming the "Zephyr team", they would emerge as pioneers who demolished the traditional methods quite passé as they derived from the "fallen collapse of skateboarding" in the 60s and brought new moves/style to the sport. Revolutionaries with lots of ego, attitude, personalities, and edginess, these kids would soon move into their own individual paths (some to fame, others to obscurity), leaving behind the Zephyr team which saw the company end prematurely. Dogtown and Z-Boys has great music, some delightful archival footage and photos that bring vitality and energy to an era that lives on in the adults who once were those innovating, skilled boarders/surfers during the 70s, and lively interview subjects grandly reliving the past and acknowledging how it felt and what they were like at the time. Most tragic is Jay Adams' story as he was considered the most talented among the group and because of drugs, the skateboarding skill was squandered and he never benefited from what he contributed to the sport. Stacy Peralta being a part of that whole scene and having nurtured the sport on the skateboard and talent who followed after him has a keen insight on the subject and area where the Zephyr team honed their craft. The Dogbowl, Zephyr's first competition, and the pool invasions during California's major drought where the skateboarders snuck in to homes and took to their back yard pools all are significant highlights. A detailed history of Venice and Santa Monica, surf/skateboard culture, the kids who would later define a brand new way to look at skateboarding, and the 70s for which the subjects existed enrich the documentary. I totally dig pretty much everything about it. The approach Peralta incorporates is rather similar to who and what he is documenting: messing with film (speeding it up or backwards, disrupting a flow of information by applying a new chapter just as an interview is ending, or leading montages whenever he sees fit) and/or flooding the doc with lots of interviewees and images/action in rapid succession. But this film always stays on point: these people are highly regarded and appreciated. Alva, Adams, and Peralta are the skateboarders with the most focus, while the Zephyr founders and those fortunate enough to be a part of this amazing experience get their just do to a lesser extent. The back slapping is constant so if you don't like seeing these people comment on how awesome each other are, Dogtown and Z-Boys might just annoy/bother you.

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-Boys is a documentary about the Zephyr Skateboarding Team, and their influence on skateboarding. It also focuses on the history of skateboarding. It was directed by Stacy Peralta, a member of the original Zephyr Team, and was written by Stacy Peralta and Craig Stecyk, another member of the team. The documentary stars the members of the Zephyr Team and is narrated by Sean Penn.The documentary talks about the beginning of skateboarding, and how it evolved from surfing. It discusses skateboarding's popularity in the late 60s and the 70s, its decline in the 80s and its 'rebirth' in the 90s. Skateboarding was introduced in Dogtown, the nickname of the poor side of Santa Monica, California. The Zephyr Team originated from the Zephyr Surf Shop, which manufactured the first modern skateboards. The documentary mainly consists of the original Zephyr Team members talking about the past in the Zephyr Team, the competitions they won, and their popularity and prestige. It focuses on three particular members of the team; Peralta, Tony Alva, and Jay Adams, three virtuosos of skateboarding, and probably the best three members of the team.The interviews in the documentary were usually voices over archival footage from Dogtown in the late 60s and 70s. Very rarely to you actually see the people being interviewed, but when you do, they are shown in black and white, while the archival footage was in colour. I think Stacy Peralta used this technique to show that the documentary was about the past (i.e. the Glory Days of the Zephyr Team) and not the present. The documentary is very fast paced, in that we often see clips of impressive skateboarding over up-beat music of the era (such as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and David Bowie), and the interviews tend to be quick and to the point. Knowing nothing about skateboarding (i.e. not even knowing how to ride one straight along the ground) I was very surprised that I found this documentary so interesting. The reason is that this doco was more about the Zephyr Team than the actual sport of skateboarding, so while I couldn't relate to skateboarding, I could relate to the boys in the team. Because it was made by actual members of the team, it gives it a little more depth and authenticity.All in all, I would have to say this is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. It gave me a whole new insight, not just into the Zephyr Team, but into skateboarding as a whole. For those who love skateboarding, I can only imagine how it must be even more interesting. Seven and a half stars out of ten.

Dog Town and Z-Boys, 6/10, 23rd best of 2001 164th in the 2000's, 525th all time I've been enjoying a high number of documentaries lately, and this one certainly has plenty to enjoy. It's shot beautifully, flows very nicely, and at least for me the subject mater was pretty interesting. I think this movie might have been ranked more highly had I not already seen Lords of Dogtown, which tells pretty much the same story in a non-documentary foremat. I enjoyed Lords of Dogtown quite a bit more purely based on the fact that its just more fun to watch. If documentaries are your thing I'd say go with this, otherwise just stick with Lords of Dogtown. Unless your a big skating fan, or like me you've got time on your hands, than you might as well watch them both.