RATING: 8/10✅
Biography/Drama/Sports
Set in the Dogtown area of Venice Beach in the mid 1970s, surfers Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, and Jay Adams enjoy the life of skating and surfing the pier with board designer Skip Engblom and the other locals. One day, Skip is given polyurethane wheels for the skateboards in his shop, Zephyr Surf Shop. Teenager Sid, a friend of the boys who works in the same shop, invites Tony, Jay, Stacy and the other locals to test the new wheels. They are all amazed as the polyurethane wheels allow the skateboards to make the same carves on flat ground as surf boards on the waves. After witnessing what Todd Levy from the Eastern Shore of Maryland could now do with the wheels, Skip decides to add to his already famous surf team, a skate team, the Z-Boys. The team proves to be a success; winning many contests, Stacy, Jay, and Tony gain popularity from locals across Venice.
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THE FUTURE OF PORTABLE CINEMA
Details:
Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
Produced by: John Linson
Written by: Stacy Peralta
Starring: Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch, John Robinson, Victor Rasuk, Michael Angarano, Nikki Reed, Rebecca De Mornay, William Mapother
Music by: Mark Mothersbaugh
Cinematography: Elliot Davis
Edited by: Nancy Richardson
Production Company: Art Linson Productions, Indelible Pictures, Senator International
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures, TriStar Pictures
Release Date: June 3, 2005 (United States) September 8, 2005(Germany)
Running Time: 107 minutes
Country: United States
Language: English , Spanish
Budget: $25 million
Box Office: $13.4 million
Mainstream Reception
Upon its release, Lords of Dogtown received mostly mixed reviews. The film currently holds a 55% "Rotten" rating on the film review site Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus stating that "Lords of Dogtown, while slickly made and edited, lacks the depth and entertaining value of the far superior documentary on the same subject, Dogtown and Z-Boys."
Ledger's portrayal of Skip Engblom was applauded for its realism and is considered one of the film's principal highlights. Joe Donnoly, who knew Engblom, was impressed by Ledger's attention to detail, saying, "He's almost eerie in how precisely he nailed not only the mannerisms, cadence and physical presence of Skip... but also how he raises Skip's spirit, which is the heart and soul and most what's really great in a not-altogether-great film."
Luke Davies of The Monthly concedes how flamboyant the character is, but says the film is saved by Ledger's emotional depth: "The performance constantly sails close to hammy – Engblom was, by all accounts, a flamboyant character – but is pulled back, the wildness offset by a surprising depth of sadness. As in a number of Ledger roles, a kind of animal wisdom and melancholy exists side-by-side with gangly comedy."
A.O. Scott of The New York Times also highlighted Ledger's performances, stating, "Skip is always volatile, frequently drunk and consistently the most entertaining figure in the movie". He also praised the movie as a whole, stating, "Lords of Dogtown from start to finish is pretty much a blast".
However, the movie has gained a general cult following since its release. It is also considered to be one of the best skateboarding movies of all time according to many fans of the Sport.
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LORDS OF DOGTOWN - Behind The Scenes
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LORDS OF DOGTOWN - Soundtrack
THE FUTURE OF PORTABLE CINEMA
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