Lords of Dogtown

Last updated

Lords of Dogtown
Lords of dogtown.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke
Written by Stacy Peralta
Produced by John Linson
Starring Emile Hirsch
Victor Rasuk
John Robinson
Michael Angarano
Nikki Reed
Heath Ledger
Rebecca De Mornay
Johnny Knoxville
Cinematography Elliot Davis
Edited byNancy Richardson
Music by Mark Mothersbaugh
Production
companies
Columbia Pictures
TriStar Pictures
Art Linson Productions
Indelible Pictures
Senator International
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Release date
  • June 3, 2005 (2005-06-03)(United States)
Running time
107 minutes (theatrical) 110 minutes (unrated)
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Spanish
Budget$25 million [1]
Box office$13.4 million [1]

Lords of Dogtown is a 2005 American biographical drama film that captures the rise of skateboarding culture in the 1970s Santa Monica and Venice, California. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke and written by Stacy Peralta, a key figure in the skateboarding community, the film chronicles the lives of the Z-Boys, a group of young skateboarders who revolutionized the sport with their aggressive style and innovative tricks. The story focuses on the lives of three of these skateboarders: Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, and Jay Adams, as they navigate fame, rivalry, and personal challenges. The film explores the impact of commercialization on the sport and the lives of its practitioners. Despite mixed reviews [2] and underperforming at the box office, it has gained a cult following [3] and is recognized for its authentic portrayal of skateboarding culture and history.

Contents

Plot

In the Dogtown area of Santa Monica/Venice in the mid-1970s, teenagers Tony Alva, Stacy Peralta, and Jay Adams enjoy the life of skating and surfing the pier with board designer Skip Engblom and other locals. One day, Skip is given polyurethane wheels for the skateboards in his shop, Zephyr Surf Shop. 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. After witnessing what skaters could now do with the wheels, Skip decides to add Tony, Jay, Sid and others to his Zephyr skate team. The team proves to be a success, winning many contests.

A period of hot weather reduces the surf at the pier and the official declaration of a drought means swimming pools cannot be filled with water. Taking advantage of this, the Z-Boys start sneaking into local backyard pools to skate in, ignoring Skip's practice sessions. After winning many major contests, Stacy, Jay, and Tony start getting noticed by major skating companies looking to take the boys from Skip.

One night at a party, a company owner named Topper Burks convinces Tony that Skip is holding him back and that it is time to make him famous worldwide. Tony accepts his offer and leaves the team. Jay leaves the team as well, looking to make more money to help his mom. Despite Skip's desperate offers to keep him on the team, Stacy is the last to leave, as he begins getting offers to skate and appear on television. Sad and angry, Skip decides to shut down the Zephyr Skate Team.

The three boys become major celebrities. Tony and Stacy now skate for money rather than the passion that Jay continues to skate for. They become rivals and compete against each other in various contests. Soon, matters start spiraling out of control; at a major skating championship that they all take part in, Tony gets into a fight with another skater and gets violently knocked out, temporarily halting his career. Jay leaves the company he had endorsed when they sacrifice quality for cheap materials.

Back in Venice, the pier that the Z-Boys use to surf around burns down, which affects them all. Jay shaves his hair and becomes a gang member. Skip, still selling surfboards in his shop, finally decides to settle down and continues his passion for sanding and creating surfboards, as well as solving his financial troubles by selling his shop.

Sid's long-time equilibrium problem turns out to be caused by a brain tumor, and he undergoes surgery. Though Stacy, Tony, and Jay have all gone their separate ways, they all show up at the same time to visit Sid. Stacy reveals that he is leaving his company to start his own. Stacy, Tony, and Jay skate the emptied pool and bring Sid into the fun in his wheelchair, referencing all the good times they had before they became a skate team.

Closing cards reveal that Tony Alva went on to become skateboarding's first world champion and runs Alva Skates; Stacy Peralta started Powell Peralta, a modern popular skating company that included a 14-year-old Tony Hawk as part of its Bones Brigade team; and Jay, too, achieved the only kind of success at skating and surfing he really cared about, becoming known as the "spark that started the flame" Original Seed; Sid died of brain cancer shortly after the DOGBOWL sessions.

Cast

Main cast

Cameos

Development

Both David Fincher and Fred Durst were slated to direct the film, but Catherine Hardwicke eventually landed the job, and Fincher stayed on as executive producer. [5] The film was shot in Imperial Beach in San Diego County. [6]

Release

Lords of Dogtown was the first (and so far only) film to be released by both Columbia Pictures and TriStar Pictures which are both trademarked by Sony Pictures Entertainment and are sometimes referred to as Columbia TriStar Pictures. [7]

Reception

Upon its release, Lords of Dogtown received mostly mixed reviews. The film holds a 55% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 146 reviews, with an average rating of 5.95/10. The site's consensus reads: "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 ." [8] Metacritic reports a score of 56% based on 35 critics, indicating "Mixed or average reviews". [9]

Ledger's portrayal of Skip Engblom was applauded for its realism and is considered one of the film's principal highlights. Joe Donnelly, 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." [10]

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." [10]

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". [11]

However, the movie has gained a general cult following since its release. [12] It is also considered to be one of the best skateboarding movies of all time according to many fans of the sport. [13]

Accolades

The Central Ohio Film Critics Association named Heath Ledger Actor of the Year for this film. [14]

Lords of Dogtown is at #417 on the Empire list of "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time". [15]

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack features songs by Sparklehorse (covering Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here"), Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Cher, David Bowie, Neil Young, T.Rex, Jimi Hendrix, and Iggy Pop among others, as well as a cover of The Clash's "Death or Glory" by Social Distortion. [16]

Home media

The film was released on VHS, DVD, and UMD on September 27, 2005. The DVD includes original Z-Boys cameos, director and cast commentaries, deleted scenes, a making-of feature, and make-up test outtakes. [17]

Television series

In January 2021, it was announced that a television series based on the movie was in development for Freevee. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skateboarding</span> Action sport on skateboards

Skateboarding is an action sport that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. Originating in the United States, skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2009 report found that the skateboarding market is worth an estimated $4.8 billion in annual revenue, with 11.08 million active skateboarders in the world. In 2016, it was announced that skateboarding would be represented at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, for both male and female teams. Skateboarding made its Olympic debut in 2020 and is included in the 2024 games.

<i>Dogtown and Z-Boys</i> 2001 film by Stacy Peralta

Dogtown and Z-Boys is a 2001 American documentary film produced by Agi Orsi and directed by Stacy Peralta. The documentary explores the pioneering of the Zephyr skateboard team in the 1970s and the evolving sport of skateboarding. Using a mix of film of the Zephyr skateboard team (Z-Boys) shot in the 1970s by Craig Stecyk, along with contemporary interviews, the documentary tells the story of a group of teenage surfer/skateboarders and their influence on the history of skateboarding culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Hosoi</span> American skateboarder

Christian Rosha Hosoi is an American professional skateboarder. He is also known by the nicknames "Christ" and "Holmes".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stacy Peralta</span> American skateboarder, screenwriter, film director

Stacy Douglas Peralta is an American film director and entrepreneur. He was previously a professional skateboarder and surfer with the Zephyr Competition Team, also known as the Z-Boys, from Venice, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Alva</span> American skateboarder and entrepreneur (born 1957)

Tony Alva is an American skateboarder, entrepreneur, and musician. He was a pioneer of vertical skateboarding and one of the original members of the Zephyr Competition Skateboarding Team, also known as the Z-Boys. The Transworld Skateboarding Magazine ranked him eighth in its list of the "30 Most Influential skateboarders" of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Adams</span> American skateboarder (1961–2014)

Jay J. Adams was an American skateboarder. As a teen, he was the youngest member of the Zephyr Competition Skateboarding Team (Z-Boys). His spontaneous freestyle skateboarding style, inspired by ocean surfing, helped innovate and popularize modern skateboarding. His aggressive vertical tricks make him one of skateboarding's most influential stylists. He has been called "the original seed" of skateboarding.

The Zephyr Competition Team were a group of American skateboarders in the mid-1970s from Santa Monica and Venice, California. Originally consisting of 12 members, the Z-boys were originally sponsored by the Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions surf and skate shop. Their innovative surfing-based style and aerial moves formed the foundations of contemporary vert and transition skateboarding. The story of the Z-Boys and the Zephyr shop have been popularized in feature films such as Lords of Dogtown and Dogtown and Z-Boys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catherine Hardwicke</span> American filmmaker (born 1955)

Helen Catherine Hardwicke is an American film director, production designer, and screenwriter. Her directorial work includes Thirteen (2003), which she co-wrote with Nikki Reed, the film's co-star, Lords of Dogtown (2005), The Nativity Story (2006), Twilight (2008), Red Riding Hood (2011), Plush (2013), Miss You Already (2015), Miss Bala (2019), and Prisoner's Daughter (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glen E. Friedman</span> American photographer and artist

Glen Ellis Friedman is an American photographer and artist. He became known for his activities within rebellious skateboarding and music cultures. Photographing artists Fugazi, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, Minor Threat, Misfits, Bad Brains, Beastie Boys, Suicidal Tendencies, Slayer, Run-DMC, KRS-One, and Public Enemy, as well as classic skateboarding originators Tony Alva, Jay Adams, Alan Gelfand, Duane Peters, and Stacy Peralta, among others.

Shogo Kubo was a Japanese American skateboarding pioneer and one of the original members of the Z-Boys that formed in Venice, California in 1975.

Craig R. Stecyk III is an American artist, writer, photojournalist, and filmmaker who has documented and influenced the surf, skate, and snowboarding cultures.

The Bones Brigade Video Show is a 1984 skateboarding video, produced by Stacy Peralta and Craig Stecyk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lance Mountain</span> American skateboarder

Robert Lance Mountain is an American professional skateboarder and artist who was one of the prominent skateboarders throughout the 1980s, primarily due to his involvement with the Bones Brigade. As of August 2017, Mountain continues to skate professionally and his sponsors include Flip, Nike SB, Independent Trucks, Spitfire Wheels, and Bones Bearings.

<i>Riding Giants</i> 2004 film by Stacy Peralta

Riding Giants is a 2004 documentary film produced by Agi Orsi and directed and narrated by Stacy Peralta, a famous skater/surfer. The movie traces the origins of surfing and specifically focuses on the art of big wave riding. Some of the featured surfers are Greg Noll, Laird Hamilton, and Jeff Clark, and surfing pioneers such as Mickey Munoz. The film premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.

Skip Engblom is an American entrepreneur and one of the co-founders of the Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions Surf Shop in Santa Monica, California. He also helped to create the Zephyr Surf Team and the Zephyr Competition Team, a.k.a. Z-Boys. Engblom was never a remarkable skateboarder himself but was a big influence to the Zephyr team.

Ty Scott Page was a professional skateboarder and a leader in the skateboarding scene during "the golden era" of skateboarding in the early 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions</span> Historic site

Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions was a surfboard manufacturing facility and surf shop located in Santa Monica, California, that opened in 1971 and closed in 1976. The building was designated as a city landmark in 2007.

Juice Magazine, founded in 1993 in Wilmington, North Carolina, is a skateboarding, surfing and music publication, edited, owned and published by Terri Craft. It includes interviews by skate editor, Jim Murphy, and features editors: Steve Olson, Jay Adams, Dave Duncan, Christian Hosoi, Jim O'Mahoney, and surf editors Jeff Ho, Herbie Fletcher and Dibi Fletcher. The staff includes Terri Craft, editor and Dan Levy, assistant editor. Other interviewers include Jason Jessee, Jeff Ament, Chuck Dukowski, Bill Danforth and Chris Mearkle. There are currently 76 issues of the magazine. Juice Magazine headquarters is located in the birthplace of modern-day skateboarding, Venice, California.

Dave “Hackman” Hackett is a professional skateboarder from Malibu, California.

Skateboarding Hall of Fame, founded in 1997, is a museum and hall of fame located in Simi Valley, California, United States. The museum documents the history of skateboarding and the skateboarders, photographers, and other notable figures, publications, and companies who have influenced its development.

References

  1. 1 2 "Lords of Dogtown". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Lords of Dogtown | Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. June 3, 2005. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  3. ↑ Watson, Elijah (September 7, 2015). "Ten Years Later, 'Lords of Dogtown' Remains a Monument to Teen Boy Bravado". Vice. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  4. ↑ Lords of Dogtown (film). 2005. Event occurs at 1:46:55.
  5. ↑ Mancini, Rob (January 24, 2003). "Fred Durst replaced by David Fincher on Lords of Dogtown project" Archived March 30, 2016, at the Wayback Machine . MTV News. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  6. ↑ Hernandez, K. (June 6, 2007). "Imperial Beach's Starring Role". Voice of San Diego. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  7. ↑ LaPorte, Nicole (April 10, 2005). "TriStar adds new label to table" Archived June 19, 2018, at the Wayback Machine . Variety . Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Lords of Dogtown" Archived August 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine . Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Lords of Dogtown Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  10. 1 2 Davies, Luke (March 2008). "Heath Ledger, 1979-2008" Archived March 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine . The Monthly . Retrieved November 26, 2010.
  11. ↑ Scott, A.O. (June 3, 2005). "When California Started Sliding on Little Wheels". The New York Times . Retrieved January 22, 2010.
  12. ↑ Watson, Elijah (September 7, 2015). "Ten Years Later, Lords of Dogtown Remains a Monument to Teen Boy Bravado" Archived September 21, 2016, at the Wayback Machine . Noisey.com. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Top 10 Skateboard Movies" Archived November 28, 2016, at the Wayback Machine . EnkiVillage. Retrieved September 13, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Heath Ledger Movies". Archived from the original on August 9, 2017.
  15. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Movies Of All Time". Empire . November 2008. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Lords of Dogtown (Original Soundtrack)" Archived February 23, 2024, at the Wayback Machine . Amazon.com. Retrieved March 26, 2007.
  17. ↑ Gruenwedel, Erik (August 17, 2005). "Director Lets DVD Viewers See More of Dogtown". Hive4media.com . Archived from the original on November 22, 2005. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  18. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (January 6, 2021). "Lords Of Dogtown TV Series Based On Movie In Works At IMDb TV From Kat Candler, Shawn Ryan & Sony TV" Archived January 28, 2021, at the Wayback Machine . Deadline. Retrieved March 14, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.