Let's Do This!

So we all probably know about the new Transworld video that is coming out this year, titled "And Now", but while we are all waiting for that to drop, I felt that this video would fill the void nicely. So I went to the shop and found it there for $10. That in itself was already a good deal, but even better was the fact that it came with a free year subscription to TWS. Now let's talk about the flick itself. This video includes Brian Brown, Emanuel Guzman, Peter Smolik, Clint Peterson, and Devine Calloway. Now, ever since the release of "First Love", another video I really enjoyed watching, a lot of people have been saying that the Transworld videos are far too formulaic. I personally don't have a problem with them keeping the feel of their videos the same, because every one of Transworld's videos has left me inspired. I mean, if people want to make that complaint about it, they should at least make that complaint in other areas where it is due. I mean I love the Static series, but I think an outsider could make the very same comment about each one of those videos just being more of the same. We're running out of space, so I'll just give you a brief rundown of each person's part. So, Brian Brown's Part was my favorite overall, probably due to the fact that I share his love for city terrain. I think if you enjoyed Alex Olson's part in "Fully Flared", you will really enjoy Emanuel Guzman's part. Clint seems like a cool guy off of his board, but even better on his board. Smolik must eat a lot of spinach to snap his ollies and flip tricks as high as he does. I already knew Devine was amazing, so his part makes good use of the phrase "If you didn't know, now you know."

WE 3

Here’s another video that you have no excuse not to add to your collection, seeing as it is free and all. Yes, that’s right, you can download or watch it on their site westernedition.tv. There are a lot of good things to be said about this video. The music choices were really good. It had a really laid back, chilled out vibe, and kind of had more of the feel of an east coast video, with actually quite a few lines in it. Something else that I really appreciated was that they actually bothered to display the names of those featured in the friends section, something that a lot of skate video producers choose not to do. This might be an odd way to describe it, but this feels like “Turf’s Up”, but better and with different guys. Some of the Turf guys were in the friends section as well. After watching a lot of shorter videos as of late, I am starting to prefer those sort of bite sized treats.

Viajeros Locos

Yes, I know I am a little late on this review, but there have been just so many good videos releases this past year, and I felt that this one deserved the same treatment that those videos got. Besides any promos or anything the Listen may have released in the past, this is the first real video offering from the Listen team. One thing that kept my eyes glued to the screen was just the variety of different terrain showcased in this video. I know this is usually the case in any video, but I really noticed it in this video. Now that’s not to say that the skating wasn’t any good, because actually it was quite superb. A few of the things that really stood out to me were Gabriel De La Mora’s manual combos as well as Rob Gonzalez’s part. The rest of the Listen crew held it down as well. In fact, the only thing about the entire video that is going to limit the amount of times I watch it is the music. I just felt that it was all way too similar, making it hard to distinguish between parts.

Thanks Camera 3

I remember reading a review of Thanks Camera in Transworld a while back. It sounded quite interesting, but I never got around to picking up a copy of it. Well, years later, I saw an ad for the third offering and just from watching the promo I was convinced that this video was a little higher in production value than the average independent video. The song selection in the video consists of pretty relaxed, easy to listen to tunes. Besides the filming and editing being spot on, the skating was no slouch either. I'd say my favorite part in the video was Dan Zvereff's who also was in charge of art direction. The out-takes in the video were pretty funny. The personalities of these guys shine through, making this a very feel-good video. This is the kind that is going to hype you up and make you go skate. The video itself is a nice length and goes down easy at around 35 minutes in length.

Static III

Now, I haven’t seen any of Josh Stewart’s other videos, but I’d have to say that Static III got me very interested in tracking down his previous two videos in the Static series as well. The feel of this video is very gritty, emitting a sort of “from the streets” vibe. I’ll say that the editing was something special as well, really showing that skate videos can not just show off the skating of those featured within, but can also convey a certain type of energy that exists in a certain scene. In this case it was the East Coast scene. I’d also have to say that I very much approve of the song selection in this video. The song in Pat Stiener’s part was too good, and even after hearing it dozens of times, it was still fresh, and gave me no choice but to download it from iTunes. Without going too in depth, I’m going to go ahead and say that this video was one of the best of last year. Though there were so many good ones, that it may have gotten a tad bit overshadowed. If the other tow Static videos are anything like this one, I can’t wait to check them out.

Slap Pals

This gem of a video caught me completely off guard. Just recently I was lurking the SLAP message board, when I came across a link to download this video. The idea is amazing. Get a bunch of guys from all different parts of the country to combine their footage into one video. At about 35 minutes in length, I was still craving more by the end. Though the footage as well as the skating is of varying quality in the video, that is really part of the charm. From digital cameras to VX1000’s, guys all across the county have showcased their skating abilities. I really have a thing for independent videos, but even more so when they are done in a new and creative way like this one. I’d love to see a Slap Pals DVD release, and hopefully eventually we’ll get to see a Slap Pals 2. I just think its amazing that such a thing as this is possible. Ten years ago, something like this couldn’t even be imagined. So, in conclusion, I just want to thank all the guys from the SLAP message boards that helped make this happen. I’m going to be watching this video again, and again, and again.

Shred the Gnar

This is the second Hotwax video. For those of you who don’t know what this means, it is basically a video featuring Chris Cole and a bunch of his friends that happen to have exceptional talent at skating. It is very much in the name of fun, including guys that go by the names of Tom Asta, Chachi, Teemo Justin Pomp, Ian Berry, Jeremy Wieland, Chris Cole, and Kyle Frederick. Pick up this video if you’re curious. If you’ve lost sight of the fun side of skateboarding, this one is for you.