A compilation of lo-fi skate footage filmed on super-8 and masterfully merged with artful interstitials and other weird candids. Featuring music by Dinosaur Jr. I’m pretty sure this debut skate video from Alien Workshop probably had an influence on Harmony Korine and his editing style when he made Gummo.
Just to ramble off the top of my head…
Toy Machine-Welcome to Hell
Surely a million love letters have been written about this but it just goes. Melted my brain with the heaviest skating I’d ever seen at the time. Whole crew just bangs. I was listening to NPR this week talking about Jefferson Airplane being inducted into the library of Congress and all I could think about was the friends montage section here. World Industries/Blind/101-Trilogy
The soundtrack on this thing is just incredible. 101 firing it off with Dill and Gino parts. The whole Blind section is so pleasant. Kareem skating to Nas. Sam Devlin skating to Jesus Lizard, so weird I love it. Something to this day you can put on and vibe out and do chores around the house and enjoy the music and pop in and watch something amazing on screen. The only downside is mid 90s cali spot overload. Stereo-Tincan Folklore
When skate videos were little films. The complete opposite of something like the Toy videos. More meandering and vibey, lots of super 8, lots of cruising sf at night. Alien Workshop-Timecode
It’s a more structured version of something like Stereo was doing. Alien has always been weird and cool and had their own lane and I love this era. Photosynthesis gets so much love for good reason but I like this. If for nothing else, take in the final part from Lenny Kirk. The flash in the pan and descent into madness is wild. Head injuries are serious. Escape hell. Solid Brand-Take Five
This is kind of a deep cut but it’s just like the skate video equivalent of comfort food for me. Based around Cincinnati, it was different because it just looked like home.  It opens with cruising past a carousel to Van Morrison’s Sweet Thing and I can just feel the whole thing in my bones every time.  The music is awesome, the skating is great and the spots are crusty.Â
this short 1989 documentary about guy debord and the situationists is not only a good watch because of the way it explains and connects debord and his movement with the political films of jean-luc godard, the new punk world of the sex pistols, and the contemporary works of barbara krueger and jenny holzer, but also because it’s vhs texture gives it a very cozy feeling. the fuzzy jazz soundtrack and basebanded narration offers up a perfect watching experience for a cold and dreary day.
wild story of friends turned into rivals and the two vastly different directions a band can go under the influence of drugs and ego. the footage takes place over the course of a decade and is often pretty raw - overall an incredible doc
Staying up all night connecting dots with the fervent passion of an unhinged genius - like a mad scientist. Notes and references strewn about the living room floor. Making art and making a huge mess.