Riding Giants: Chairmen of the Board, Part 3

Continued from “Lords of Dogtown”

Stacey Peralta has another worthwhile documentary with “Riding Giants,” about the legends of big wave surfing. Like “Dogtown and Z-Boys,” this film is about a sport changed by a few extremely talented and driven athletes. It follows their obsession for the ultimate ride. In fact, the sport has progressed to the point where Laird Hamilton, has a speedboat towing him up to speed so he can catch skyscraper–size swells out in the middle of the ocean. And it’s all on film. Like “Z-Boys,” this film is a compilation of interviews, photos and archival footage. But with the many stills, Peralta goes Ken Burns one better by adding “mulitplane” techniques to add depth, dimension and movement to the stills. It’s a cool trick.

My review on Twitter: Riding Giants-The daring surfers who face mountainous walls of water without soiling themselves. (Like you'd be able to tell.) 8 (out of 10)

Continues with “Surfwise”

“Riding Giants”

Released: 2004

Rating: PG-13

Length: 101 minutes

Cast: Greg Noll, Jeff Clark, Laird Hamilton, Darrick Doern

Director: Stacy Peralta

Genre(s): Documentary, Sports

Lords of Dogtown: Chairmen of the Board, Part 2

Continued from “Dogtown and Z-Boys”

Catherine Hardwicke, the director of “Thirteen” and the recent “Twilight,” dramatized the Z-Boys story in her “Lords of Dogtown.” Like the documentary, “Dogtown and Z-Boys,” it shows their rise to prominence and the fractures the fame caused, but I didn’t like it as much as the documentary. Maybe it was because I already knew the story or because it was just more interesting to have the original players tell it. Regardless, it’s well acted, well told and the skateboarding footage is great. (Though not as great as “Z-boys.”)

My review on Twitter: Lords of Dogtown-This Hollywood-mogenized skateboard movie tells the “Dogtown and Z-Boys” story of but with better-looking people. 7 (out of 10)

Continue with “Riding Giants”

“Lords of Dogtown”

Released: 2005

Rating: PG-13

Length: 109 minutes

Cast: Heath Ledger, John Robinson, Victor Rasuk, Emile Hirsch

Director: Catherine Hardwicke

Genre(s): Drama, Historical, Period

Dogtown and Z-Boys: Chairmen of the Board, Part 1

Here are four surfing and skateboarding movies I can recommend even if you’re not into surfing and skateboarding.

The first one, “Dogtown and Z-Boys,” is about the birth of modern skateboarding. In the mid-1970s, during one of Southern California’s legendary droughts, a group of teenagers from Venice Beach discovered they could replicate their surfing moves on dry land by skating in empty swimming pools. Stacey Peralta, one the original Z-Boys, uses interviews and archival footage, including lots of amazing home movies to tell its story of the revolution. Which is what it must have felt like. Watching this film, I imagined what it must have been like to see people use a skateboard like that for the first time.

My review on Twitter: Dogtown and Z-Boys-Teenagers turn neighborhood swimming pools into skate parks, much to the delight of L.A. area homeowners. 8.5 (out of 10)

Continue with “Lords of Dogtown”

“Dogtown and Z-Boys”

Released: 2002

Rating: PG-13

Length: 91 minutes

Cast: Sean Penn, Jay Adams, Tony Alva, Bob Biniak

Director: Stacy Peralta

Genre(s): History, Documentary, Sports