Lions and Lambs

We've made it so far that skateboarding is writing its mythology from within for without. The trailers above feature plenty of recognizably amazing skateboarding with soundbites from recognizable skateboard faces speaking a language for mass consumption. Writing about Harold Ramis and his early comedic success in a 2004 New Yorker piece, Tad Friend said, accurately,

"The secret of American commercial success is to hijack a subculture and ransom it to the mainstream."

"Hijack" may not be precisely the correct term for what Stacy Peralta and Jacob Rosenberg are up to, because there probably wasn't or isn't anyone at the controls in the first place. The two filmmakers do seem, however, to have vested interests in how the subject matter and the people in the films are portrayed. They are, inextricably, parts of the stories they're trying to tell (Peralta to such an extent that he's directing something about something he directed).

Are the two films going to be compelling and entertaining? With a doubt. Would For Whom The Bell Tolls be more apropos for the D. Way biopic? Yeah (it might even be in there even. Another question, did Trent Reznor score Waiting for Lightening?). Will there be some entertaining montages set to "The Faction," and, well, more "Metallica?" Sure thing. We, skate nerds, might even learn a thing or two from watching.

I'll have to reserve judgement until I've seen both movies, but the likelihood that either will do more than gloss over any real controversy in either story seems low, unless the controversial figure is seriously on the outs. Looking at you, Swindell. Of course, both films are histories written by the victors and any concerns about their accuracy should be filed away while I tune in, to tune out. Entertain me.

Elsewhere, Butttown's newest and finest, Alec Majerus is doing some seriously heavy lifting.

Chromeball interviews Tim O'Connor just in time for the weekend.

I'm late to posting this Rob Brink interview, which is a good read.

Finally, to a dude who seems like he could be 28 because he's been doing it for so damn long, but he's only 23; happy birthday to David Jaimes. This is six years old; let it play out the credits.