Film Threat archive logo

BONES BRIGADE: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

By Scott Knopf | January 26, 2012

This is the coolest documentary I’ve ever seen. That’s the sentence that kept running through my head as I watched Bones Brigade. A perfect companion piece to Dogtown and Z-Boys, this film picks up where the last one ends. Skateboarding in the 1980s.

The first generation (Peralta, Alva, and the other Dogtown guys) are now coaching young kids, forming teams, and pushing the new generation to further skateboarding’s global reach. Guys like Tony Hawk, Rodney Mullen, and Steve Caballero are creating new tricks every day, showing them off at competitions, and starting to take home trophies. Sponsorship deals, backyard pipes, and the invention of the skate video are shaping a new generation of riders and fans. And Brigade retells it all through exciting footage, captivating editing, and personal interviews.

See this movie… even if you’ve never stepped on a skateboard in your life. That doesn’t matter. You’re watching legends recount the impact they’ve had on a culture and the impact that that culture’s had on them. It’s a must-see.

Stacy Peralta, director of Dogtown and Z-Boys, Riding Giants, and Crips and Bloods: Made in America, is undeniably one of the most talented documentarians working today. This is his fourth fantastic documentary in a row. He’s past having to prove anything and this film shows it.

Filmed in one week, Brigade’s interviews are emotional yet never sappy. There are tears but no sobs. Balanced with dynamic still shots and jaw dropping video, the project manages to stay incredibly personal while capturing the Big Picture from a fresh perspective.

Mullen stands as the emotional center of the film, telling stories of skateboarding both improving and worsening his mental state. Lance Mountain leaves it all out there. He describes his struggles with trying to raise a child and pay bills while following his passions to the continual gut checks that come with being surrounded by prodigies. And while it’s Peralta that serves as the crew’s ringleader, Brigade is a sum of its parts and that sum is awesome.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. tina z says:

    my fiance is david z he was with the bones brigade for a while, since ive been with him i have taken a lot of interest in his old skating. tese guys was great at what they were doing. i really enjoy watching alot of you.

  2. Danny Cisneros says:

    Hello, my name is Danny Cisneros and I am here to tell you that skateboarding is alive and well, and that the boundaries of skateboarding are continually being challenged and progression is being made all over the world. I am 48 years old, born in Torrance Ca. and moved to Colo. at 7 years old. The first thing I wanted was a skateboard and it took me 3 years to convince my Mom to buy me one. I have been skating ever since and now married 25 years, and have 5 skateboarding children ( I AM WORKING ON A WORLD RECORD SKATEBOARDING HANDSTAND **OVER 35 MPH.**) in 2012 ( 40 years of evolution ). I skateboard on a regular basis and I am very inspired by my skateboarding brothers ( The Bones Brigade ) who had and have a passion for living and skateboarding. It is so inspiring to see film of these events and the passion of those who valued and captured these moments on film. It is because of those who skated and filmed these events that their is such a story to be told and shared. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT IT TAKES THE SKATER TO PERFORM, BUT IT ALSO TAKES A ( very patient and determined) VISIONARY, HISTORIAN, AND ARTIST TO VALUE AND THEN CAPTURE THESE MOMENTS IN TIME…..THEN MANY YEARS LATER SHARE THEM WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD. P.S. Thank you Stacy and crew for this film and to all those who have captured a part of my skateboarding life and have helped me to share it… ( G00GLE: Dan Cisneros skate ) To enjoy the insanity ! SHRED OR DIE…YOU TUBE… SKATELEGENDS.COM… Get board..Go skate!

  3. Noah Lee says:

    This is wonderful to hear. I can’t wait to see this!

Join our Film Threat Newsletter

Newsletter Icon