unachela Reviews

Introducing the Dwights (2007)

Laughed and cried, but mostly laughed

[8/10 · 5 April 2007]

I recently saw a screening of this film under the title 'Introducing the Dwights'. Who knows what name it will have when it finally gets released in the US?

This film is a charmer. The characters are all very authentic, and entirely believable, and the story is told with so much love and emotional depth. As a comedy there were many genuinely hysterical moments, particularly the awkward teen romance scenes, which could have easily veered into bad 'American Pie'-style territory, but instead managed to hit the mark. The story is one of family relationships and broken dreams, set in Sydney's Western suburbs. I laughed and cried, but mostly laughed.

It's the type of film I could take my friends, boyfriend, little brother or mum to see, and I think they would all enjoy it.

Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)

I'm going out to buy a skateboard now.

[9/10 · 16 January 2002]

Excellent! I loved this film!

Although I've never set foot on a skateboard, I thought this documentary was fantastic. It didn't assume knowledge of skateboarding and the whole 70s California skating scene, but at the same time provided lots of stuff to keep the avid skate fans entertained, with lots of oohing and ahing from audience as several legendary skaters and surfers were featured in the film.

The use of old footage and photos was top rate, with the music especially creating a real sense of atmosphere. One thing I really loved was how in the interviews with the original Z-boys it fast forwarded between grabs, rather than cutting - pretty cool indeed.

Apart from the downfall of Jay Adams part, which i thought was a bit overdone, this film was brilliant