DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS does everything a documentary is supposed to to. It involves us in a different time, in a different place, and with different people. It shows us a subculture we may not think we'll find interesting, then finds ways to interest us in it.
The movie chronicles the revolution in skateboarding that happened during the 1970s, when a group of Santa Monica kids applied their surfing skills to the nearly-dead sport. Their style was so new and so exciting that it inspired a whole subculture, though there's some question whether that did them any good at all. It's an interesting story, but the movie's success lies as much in the telling as it does in the story itself. Through a clever combination of archival footage, interviews, and musical cues, DOGTOWN keeps us involved and keeps us guessing.
I saw this one out of a sense of duty, after a friend recommended it time and time again. When next I see her, I'm going to thank her.
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