Fulvue Drive-In.com
Current Reviews
In Stores Soon
 
In Stores Now
 
DVD Reviews, SACD Reviews Essays Interviews Contact Us Meet the Staff
An Explanation of Our Rating System Search  
Category:    Home > Reviews > Skateboarding > Skate Maps 1 & 2

Skate Maps (2 DVDs/4 Volumes)

 

Picture:  D     Sound: D     Extras: C     Programs: D

 

 

Not one to lament the golden age of television, but I do hope our fascination with reality television is coming to a quick end; otherwise, this unchecked reality television phenomenon will result in more programs like Skate Maps.  Regardless of the reasons as to why we are witnessing a proliferation of reality television, it seems everyone with a camera seeks to cash in on this craze, adhering to a narcissistic assumption that others wish to watch.  Naturally, there does exist a niche market that would appreciate the theatrics of skateboarding, but even the generation of X-gamers desires a semblance of coherence in their entertainment.  Whereas the inventiveness of other reality programs lies in a particular hook, whether it is the manufacturing, and excessive editing, of conflict (The Real World) or the performing of extreme stunts and practical jokes (Jackass), Skate Maps, in attempt to model these formulas, strives to be both, but ends up taking a gnarly spill.

 

Skate Maps follows the seven-members of the Zoo York skate team as they go on their annual tour of Europe.  Ranging in age from 15 to 30+, the rebellious teens travel from Cologne and Munich, Germany to Prague, Czech Republic and skate different historic landmarks and participate in various skating competitions (at least through the first four episodes).  As we follow the members of the Zoo York team, I could not help but understand some reasons why American tourists incur the ire of those abroad.  Certainly, skating these national treasures has some cache, but I am not certain they know why (I guess I like my impudence with a little more consideration).     

 

The camera tracks the skaters as they perform wicked alis and radical rail slides during the day and try to pick up “bitchin’ hot” foreign chicks at night.  I realize this seems like a rant from a conservative tightwad who crushes the rebellious spirit of today’s youth because he does not “get it.”  But, unfortunately, I believe I do (yes, I know skateboarding is not a crime).  Indeed the history of skateboarding demonstrates that this counter-cultural sport was the product of a sophisticated insurgency (the wonderful documentary, Dogtown and the Z-Boys, is a worthwhile effort that really captures the cheeky insolence of skateboarding).  Yet, as members of the Zoo York team compare their lists of sponsors and bemoan the limits of their per diem in the middle of an all-expense paid trip to Europe, one losses the sense of rebellion, only to replace it with unintended irony.  For example, as tour manager Jeff Pang introduces the team and identifies himself as the legal guardian for one of the younger skaters, someone off camera hands him a beer.  Such timing, in the hands of any others, may have been a clever moment of self-reflection, but I am uncertain they possess the deliberation necessary to separate an ironic gesture from an unintended self-effacement.  Likewise, skater Forrest Kirby, in an effort to find the future “Mrs. Kirby,” roams the streets of Munich and hits on reluctant young ladies. With impish sincerity, he drops such infallible lines like, “I am appalled by your beauty.”  Such a statement uttered to non-English speakers could indeed be funny if we were convinced he actual knew what “appalled” meant.  But, yet again their buffoonery leads us to laugh at them, and not with them.          

 

Although my cynicism runs deep for commodified rebellion, the real problem with the program is that nothing happens.  There really is no narrative to anchor viewer.  Even with a screaming announcer that reminds us of what happened in the last installment, Skate Maps fails to develop any cohesion to the story.  While reality shows are slave to what actually happened, a decent editor would at least be able construct the dramas that unfolded during the trip.  It was also a disappointment when it comes to its true appeal, the skating itself.  I am certain these guys are very talented skaters, but the cameraman/editor does little to capture the X-Games-like impressiveness of their stunts and crashes; most of that is relegated to a special feature.  Even hip, MTV style filming and constant use of fish-eye lenses could do little to save it, all shot on amateur NTSC video.

 

All told, these two discs from Koch Vision, which include Episodes 1-4 in Season 1, provides scant features like extended scenes, “earthshaking wipeouts,” and truncated cast interviews.  Because of the low production values, the image itself is often grainy and unprofessional, and the Dolby Digital 2.0 sound often fades in and out, which is clearly a problem with the source material and not the disc.  It is barely stereo when it does work.

 

If you do enjoy the pursuits of skating, then, please ignore me and check out Skate Maps for yourself; you might relish the corporatized underground that is modern skating. However, if you are one to appreciate the deeper, sociological dimensions of the skating culture, or just enjoy the amazing stunts ala X-Games, be prepared for disappointment; the kind of disillusionment that probably lead to movement in the first place.

 

 

-   Ron Von Burg


Marketplace


 
 Copyright © MMIII through MMX fulvuedrive-in.com