Fruit of the Vine
Long after most Hollywood films have faded into obscurity,Fruit of the Vinewill stand as a vital, independent document of a thriving American subculture. We're talking skateboarding here--specifically, the maverick bicoastal pursuit of empty swimming pools to be ridden and mastered by expert skateboarders, some of whom have been perfecting their sport for 25 years or more. Codirectors Coan Nichols and Rick Charnosky have perfectly matched their subject with the grainy aesthetic of Super-8mm film, resulting in a no-frills work of art that captures, with time-capsule longevity, the obsessive mindset of those who pool skate despite numerous physical and legal obstacles. Fueled by a driving punk soundtrack, this is a loving portrait of outcast rebellion, embodied by such featured skaters as Tony Alva, Pat "Q-Man" Quirk, Mark Hubbard, and others who've turned skateboarding into a working-class religion. Simultaneously,Fruit of the Vinesurveys a depressed American landscape, rotting and ripe for the infusion of energy that pool skating provides.--Jeff Shannon