When you think of pro skate boarding, you think of Tony Hawk, ESPN, sponsors, cool boards, rocker chicks and smile-inducing hi-jinx.
You don’t think of homelessness, drug-induced stupor and depression.
But that’s exactly what you get in Tristan Patterson’s “Dragonslayer.â€
A tragic, yet heartfelt documentary of a renegade pro skater, Josh “Screech” Sandoval, it’s a film that will expose the underbelly of the sport. In spite of that, it ironically leaves you with a smile.
While it’s easy to pass judgment on the people in this film, the more you keep an open-mind, the more you’ll enjoy it. Maybe this is the way these people want to live. Maybe the Jack Kerouac-inspired life works for these misfits. Society rejects them, but they find their own way to make something of themselves. In the end, it would be easy for them to simply give up. But they don’t. That, above all else, has to be appreciated.
Through its intelligently and eccentric way of shot selection [courtesy of Director of photography Eric Koretz], the film sometimes feels like a dream, with sunlight screaming off abandoned pools all over the West coast, all begging for a grind. At other times, the reality sets in and the hallucinogenic effect wears off completely. This beautiful duality fuels the tale.
Fair and honest throughout, there’s no spin here either. What you see is what you get. It’s not always pretty, but it’s real.
Unforgettably surreal and down to earth, the story of Sandoval, is an undeniably sad one. Arguably one of the greatest pool skaters of his time, Sandoval has been through quite a lot and is on the wrong side of his prime. Slipping up and unable to hit the tricks that he used to, he’s not the skater he used to be. While the backstory is never clearly explained, it doesn’t take much to see the factors that led to his decline.
He rarely speaks of his parents. His relationship with ex-girlfriend and his new baby is strained. His living situation, out of tents, cars and abandoned homes tells the story all by itself. His inability to make the right decisions will annoy some and confuse even more, but it’s hard to argue that his every move isn’t at least a bit captivating and entertaining.
Like Holden Caufield with a skateboard, Sandoval is a tortured soul that manages to squeeze every ounce of passion and desire out of a life that clearly has never gone his way. His journey, like Caufield’s, may be predictable, but it’s memorable.
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