Disco’s Out, Dogtown’s In:
Dogtown & Z-Boys’ Homecoming
by Mel Marin

The long awaited homecoming for Dogtown & Z-Boys, the award-winning documentary by the Godfather of Skate, Stacy Peralta, is finally near our vertical horizon. Bringing home the fat bacon from ‘the dance,’ the Z-Boys have landed hard on the streets of So.Cal. once again. Just like the Del Mar Nationals in 1975, the Dogtown suicidals drop-ped bombs of sick, fresh air on unsuspecting crowds of the 2001 film festival circuit, and just as easily flipped the lip to great expectations in 2002. Thankfully, the ‘Boys’ are back where they belong – the stomping grounds west of the 101 fwy.

At the age of 19, Stacy Peralta looped the rim of skateboarding and created what skate aficionados know as the ‘foundation’ of the revolution called “skate.” Now 43 and still residing in Santa Monica, the better half of the Powell Peralta empire (pre ’91), is responsible for giving us Tony Hawk (sponsored for 11 years), and a much anticipated documentary made for under $500,000. - Dogtown and Z-Boys. Staying true to the nature of the beast, Peralta, Vans, and company have remained loyal to their creation and, despite the X-Games, managed to stay hardcore. Going back to the days when two-lipped boards were for freestylers only (i.e. Rodney Mullen, Per Welinder), the Z-Boys are the true revolutionaries of the sport. A retrospective on the early years, and the events that ensued thereafter, this doc is not a knock on the uninformed sup‘posers’, but an essential, visual book on the truth – the skate punks of the ’70s.

Once an unwanted hybrid of cheesy roller skaters and laid back surfers, skateboarding has now become an MTV alternative for bored suburbanites. Ironically, skating started as an alternative to [crappy] home lives from the original sea side slums of Dogtown - Venice Beach. This film is the X, or should I say Z, that was there first. Narrated by Sean Penn w/ a soundtrack featuring Hendrix, Sabbath, Zeppelin, Iggy, and Suicidal, you will want to spend your green. You've spent it on stupid [stuff] before, so now's your chance to redeem your senses as an intelligent consumer.

Dogtown & Z-Boys could be the catalyst to finally land the new cinema revolution on two feet. The film hits big screens everywhere in April. Do yourself a favor and go see it: your contributions will help change the status of the industry. If you demand it, they'll put it up for you. If they say no, flip ’em the bird and “do it yourself” – Z-Boys style.

Mark & Barbara Frog A Hopping Green Musical by Michael Jarrett Christensen

What is so amazing about theatre is that it is given within the confines a small space and creates an entire universe. This intimacy created expels a relationship between performers and audience. We do not merely observe, we participate, silent partners of a story unfolding. More than just a performance, it is a reenactment of one’s imagination. Time is misplaced. We are caught in the web of the storyteller’s spell.

Mark and Barbara Frog is a whimsical musical about how we are all interconnected to the earth and her natural elements. By using the analogy of Frogs, Glen Hopkins uses didactic methods without being preachy. The story unfolds in a small pond. We soon find ourselves interested for Mark and Barbara, an ordinary frog couple with ordinary frog hopes and dreams. They become a part of an adventure that overwhelms them, and in the process, we learn how delicate the balance of man and nature is.

Melissa Baer plays Mark Frog with enthusiasm and flair, Alison Bock as wife Barbara shines throughout. Sharon King shares duel roles as a snake and scientist, who imparts fascinating information about our reliability on frogs. Debbie Elliot is well cast as Eagle/Grandfama, whose voice gives the production its soul. Candice Walker is just great as Tadpole, who unleashes a childlike passion for the part.

The music and songs were quite well done. This is a musical with exuberant emotion and values based on ecological wisdom. Glenn Hopkins does an admirable job as writer, composer, producer and director. This is great for children and family alike. Bravo. See Kids guide for listing.

Mark and Barbara Frog a Green Musical begins a six week run at two venues: Fridays at 7:00pm from March 15 thru April 29, Hopkins House Playhouse 11736 W Pico at Barrington, Saturdays at 7:00pm from March 16 thru April 30 8334 3rd St Masquer’s Cabaret.

Ice Age
by Fred Godlash
The chills are heading to the theater with Twentieth Century Fox’s new animation feature Ice Age. The story centers around a wooly mammoth named Manfred (voice of Ray Romano) who is disillusioned with the herds of prehistoric animals that are trying to flee the on coming devastation of the ice age. Manfred runs into a sloth named Sid (voice of John Leguizamo) who needs someone to protect him. The duo find a human baby, and with the unlikely help of a saber tooth tiger, (voice of Denis Leary) they try to return the child to his owner.

This goes against everything that Darwin has told us about natural selection, but lighten up, it’s only a cartoon. I personally find the idea of a woolly mammoth saving a human somewhat sad and ironic; humans hunted mammoths to extinction, ooops! Maybe I missed the big picture, so here is the bottom line with this movie. The film is funny, the animation is excellent, and the prehistoric squirrel, known as Scrat, is the funniest. I would watch 90 minutes of Scrat alone. Scrat is the character you see in the trailers who is trying to save his prehistoric acorn. This is a family picture but adults can also enjoy the film. Parents be warned, this film deals with sensitive topics, like the death of a parent and the extinction of many species. If the kids ask you about extinction, tell them it’s just a movie or blame it on that Darwin guy. I thought natural selection was a brand of birth control. Check out Ice Age and see Scrat run.

Dear Diary:
Being a teen in today's society, what a joke! In high school, I've determined, that for the popular girls it's not about when your next report is due in English class, it's more like how cute the guy is that sits nexts to you in English class. It's about who your next hook-up is or who the next person is you're going to go out with.

Well, at least my group of friends obsesses over the opposite sex because they want fairy tale romances, where the boys hold their hips at lunch, kiss them good-bye before PE, and hold their hand on the way to their next period.

I laughed when one of my firends said, "I'm lonely." What? I thought. Is your bed too big for just one person!?!

And of course, the baseball players have this same distraction of having a girlfriend, or a one-time thing with a girl who will put out. Yet their reputation of only wanting to get some doesn't help them get the more intelligent girls in school, which works for them because God forbid they date someone smarter than them! They get the ignornant, oblivious, D-size boobed sluts who see them for their ability to sweet talk over the internet!

Popularity, in high school, goes beyond mere niceness to others. I wonder, in my parents generation, did they have these same popular girls, baseball players and dumb blondes? Maybe the only difference they had when it came to going out on Friday night was that they took their date to the nearest diner for hamburgers and milkshakes, and we go to California Pizza Kitchen for "a light salad."

When you hook-up with a guy of interest, the next day people you don't even know by first name come up to you with a summary of your evening. There is no such thing as telling only your closest friends.Your true friends take the liberty of telling everyone before you have a chance.

When I started in September, I felt I must fit into this mold of being the ideal barbie girl. I have been in high school for seven months and I've already figured out the gist of things, and now I'm able to fit into this ridiculous scene. I walk into school with my jeans tight and as low as can be, with my sweatshirt zipped down so my peers are able to know "the real me." As soon as I enter the school doors, I become fake so I can experience what high school is all about. - Sincerely, Sam

Samantha Malone is a high school student in Southern California.