Director Katherine Hardwicke’s style affords “Lords of Dogtown” the necessary indie style that will appeal to the target crowd. “Lords of Dogtown” is a lot of fun, and this is due mostly to the energy of the great cast of indie actors like Emile Hirsch, Heath Ledger, Nikki Reed, and America Ferrara to only name a few. Hardwicke inspires entertainment in the teen melodrama and films some truly great skateboarding sequences. Most of all, Ledger is a scene stealer and looks like he’s having a lot of fun as the stoner/slacker/boarder.
Tag Archives: sports
Kicking & Screaming (2005)
I have found that comedies, even the good ones, have become so utterly predictable, that it’s not even funny. Pun intended. The good comedies are even predictable, and the mediocre ones are so predictable that I’ve discovered I can really lay out what’s going to happen before it happens. “Kicking and Screaming” begins on a truly predictable note. Narration. Instead of leaving our main character to pretty much show the audience how inept or stupid he is the writers feel that the actor and director are so incompetent of explaining through actions what and who they are, that they must explain to us through narration.
The World's Fastest Indian (2005)
Every now and then, every so often, you just have to watch a film that makes you smile and makes you happy. “The World’s Fastest Indian” is the surefire antidote for depression or cynicism. Anderson’s film, in the spirit of coming of age stories like “Harry and Tonto” and “The Straight Story”, evolves from a story of friendship, then of a small town, then of an old man refusing to lay down and die, to a road flick, and then to an underdog sports film. And it’s just such a treat to watch everything unfold with Burt Munro played with such genuine charm by Hopkins.
Roll Bounce (2005)
Hey, I won’t lie, I admit I wrote off “Roll Bounce” since the first trailer, and I didn’t even consider it would be a remotely watchable film, only because it looked like a complete replica of “Drumline”. But, when I began watching this, I realized I’d written it off unfairly. “Roll Bounce” is an admittedly cheesy, but utterly entertaining film that takes place in the fleeting period of disco, and roller disco. For those of you who have no idea what either of these things are you’re an idiot, but in simpler terms, roller disco was the fad you see on screen, and it was huge. “Roll Bounce” captures the essence of this fad with sheer charisma, while serving the kitsch and fantasy value of “Grease” and I had a lot of fun. Lee’s films is a lot like “You Got Served” except watchable, with a brain in its head, and actually exciting dance sequences about a young roller skater from the suburbs who goes to the roller rink with his friends every weekend.
Herbie Fully Loaded (2005)
After a montage of earlier “Herbie” films, we continue with the “extreme” semi-remake quasi-sequel to “Herbie The Love Bug” called “Herbie: Fully Loaded”. Do people still race with Buggies? Who cares, but you just know Lindsay Lohan must have owed something to Disney to have to do this film. It’s not like Lohan’s “career” has been all about quality films, mind you, but this film has “Contract fulfillment” written all over it. Granted, it’s not one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen, not even one of the worst I’ve seen in a while, but it’s pretty damn lame, even for a kids film.
Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling (2004)
In a world where feminism wasn’t yet discovered, these women basically were the precedent for such an ideal. And they didn’t even know it. All they wanted to do was compete, perform, and basically beat the crap out of each other, all to gain some fandom and fame, and they weren’t aware that they were basically the predecessors of feminism and female empowerment. Thankfully, the documentary doesn’t bog itself down in girl power junk, and instead focuses on the female wrestling industry, one of the more unknown facets in sports–like the WNBA. I kid them.
Cheerleader Nation
Now, I for one don’t watch reality shows, mainly because: a. I’ve seen a lot of them at the beginning, and b. 99 percent of them really suck. I mean, really suck (that one percent is just a margin of error), and I very rarely ever sit down to watch a reality show. But as far as “Cheerleader Nation” goes, it’s not a bad show. Would I watch the entire season? Hell no, but from the episode I was given a chance to see, it’s tolerable enough to sit through. And, if for no other reason, watch it because it has cheerleaders. It’s awfully staged, pretty cheesy, there are your assorted mixed bag of characters including your stage moms, and your drama, but it’s also pretty fun, I’m ashamed to admit.