Skateboarder, turned filmmaker, Stacy Peralta (Dogtown and Z-Boys) directs this autobiographical documentary about the skateboard team Peralta formed and coached in the late 1970s, through the 1980s. The entire documentary is made up of talking head interviews with the main members of the Bones Brigade, interspersed with the archive footage of the team in their heyday. The only member of the team I was really familiar with was Tony Hawk, who is probably the most well known and successful professional skateboarder (there is a news clipping show in the film, which described him as the “Wayne Gretsky of skateboarding”). I personally know Hawk from his popular series of Tony Hawk Pro Skater video games. Another notable skater in the film is Rodney Mullen, who invented many of the tricks used in skateboarding today. One aspect of Mullen that I found interesting is that fact that he seems to have an autism spectrum disorder. However, other than a brief mention from him early on, this aspect of Mullen isn’t dwelled on too much. Overall, there nothing super spectacular in Bones Brigade: An Autobiography. It’s interesting to learn how the team tied into the development of skateboarding as a sport, but unless you are a hardcore skate fan, there isn’t really that much more to take away from the film. 7 | FAIR
