Skateland (2011)

the audience applauded

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

At the end my son turned to me and said, "That's it?" I graduated hs in 1983 and my 13yo son loves rollerskating so we thought this would be a great movie to watch together. I've never seen Adventureland (mentioned by some other reviewers) but I'll admit to hoping this might have some similarity to Saturday Night Fever (disco vs skating) but don't get your hopes up. Some good: the acting and the music. Some Annoying and Bad; the oh so slow, wandering plot (what plot?), the lack of actual skating scenes and the unrealistic portrayal of 'small town' Texas (not everyone dressed with the best style all the time, not all girls were hot and brainless and not all boys had perfect hair and muscles - the young men in this movie look to be in their mid to late twenties and since when did small towns have a mall?). All in all, it was a pretty boring movie and we really wish there would have at least been some crazy fun skating scenes to make the movie more exciting.

I too checked out this film at the SXSW Film Festival just about two months ago and thought it was going to be similar to Lord Of Dogtown with Heath Ledger (a movie that I liked and thought was charming). I thought the acting was solid (I don't like Ashley Greene much but Shiloh Fernandez, who I just saw in Red Riding Hood, gave a very convincing performance). The rest of the movie was very confusing to me. It cuts all over the place and I found no real "through line" or sense of continuity.But, I think the filmmakers did a good job of putting a microscope to the time's of the 80's (the culture...specifically the teenage male and female angst and social classifications). I don't know that I would go see it again. It's no "Almost Famous." I thought it was a cool little movie that could have been better if it had a more specific storyline, but it just wasn't the case. Maybe it should be re-cut.

This movie has one of those scripts that captures your heart and doesn't let go. I will admit that I saw this movie multiple times at Sundance 2010, sure, the music was perfectly selected and placed in this film, the editing was wonderful... but it was the script. If you were reared in the 80s, had parents in the 80s, were aware of this thing called 'divorcing parents' in the 80s, well I could go on, but I know that there is some reality in this movie that will relate to you. It's coming to theaters March 25, 2011. If this movie isn't playing in your city, either demand it or fly to a city that's showing it. Do not wait for this one on video, you would miss out on experiencing the music as it's meant to be felt in this film if you wait to see this on Blu Ray or DVD. These guys have done a poor job of Marketing this movie (if only they had asked me), but they've got a film that COULD be the launch of something much bigger than what John Hughes dreamed of and did. It's not just a story, it's a heartfelt story... Finally a script that reaches into your heart and doesn't let go. I met with these guys repeatedly to explain what a master work they have. Since they aren't marketing it as the genius work this is, just go see it and get everyone you know to go see it, you won't be disappointed. Those that missed giving the GREAT review... I understand, it was COLD at Sundance, so the ice can have an effect on the positivity factor in the brain. Do not miss this movie!

Anthony Burns along with Brandon and Heath Freeman wanted to write and make their first movie about East Texas in the early 1980s where they grew up. The tag line of the movie expresses what they were trying to capture, " It was a time when life was easy ...in a place they though would never change." Skateland was the town roller rink where the young people gathered and some hung around or returned there even after graduating High School. The film focuses on a crowd where everyone smoked, drank beer and jockeyed for their boy girl relationships. The two main characters are Brent Burkam (Health Freeman) slightly older than the rest who unsuccessfully raced motorcycles for a few years and comes back to town to hang around with buddies such as Ritchie Wheeler (Shiloh Fernandez) who is about to graduate high school. He is the assistant manager of the roller rink and can't decide what to do with his life. There are shades of young Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfus, playing characters trying to figure out their lives in American Graffiti with the 1970s take on that decade. Jump forward ten years and we have the constant music beat of the 80s setting the background for the young peoples angst, mixed with drinking, parties, cars and some violence. While the story is about the guys, there is an interesting influence of the women. Ritchie's younger sister Mary(Haley Romm) and his girl friend Michelle(Ashley Greene) are the strong characters of the movie perhaps reflecting the women's movement as did the actions of Richies Mom (Melinda McGraw). While the setting and life style may not quite be the early 80s of the northeast where our kids grew up, this young movie team has created an enduring period piece. The photography, setting and the direction is definitely first rate . We may look back on this film and realize that it was a breakout for several of the actors who were excellent. The movie earned a slot at the Sundance Film Festival which is not an easy accomplishment for an Indie low budget film which was a first time effort for the Director and writers. It will have distribution and will open in late March- early April in NY and LA. (2011)