Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator (2003)
82%RT Audience Score: 76%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator is a documentary that takes us on a wild ride through the world of skateboarding and the rise of one of its most charismatic stars, Mark “Gator” Rogowski. While the film does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the skateboarding culture of the 80s, it falls short in its portrayal of Gator’s descent into madness and eventual murder. Director Helen Stickler seems to skate around the darker aspects of Gator’s life, leaving the viewer with a sense of unease and a feeling that something is missing. Despite this, Stoked is a fascinating look at a pivotal moment in the history of skateboarding and a cautionary tale of the dangers of fame and fortune.
Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator is a documentary that takes you on a wild ride through the world of skateboarding and the rise of one of its biggest stars, Gator. While some critics found the film lacking in certain areas, I found it to be a thrilling and eye-opening look at the darker side of fame and the consequences of our actions. Stickler’s unflinching portrayal of Gator’s fall from grace is both heartbreaking and disturbing, but it’s a story that needs to be told. If you’re a fan of skateboarding or just love a good true crime story, then Stoked is definitely worth checking out. Just be prepared for some serious grit and grime!
Production Company(ies)
Act III Communications, Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride Ltd.,
Distributor
Palm Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and some sexual content
Year of Release
2003
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 20m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 22, 2003 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 16, 2005
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
starring Mark Rogowski, Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, directed by Helen Stickler, written by Helen Stickler, documentary, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Owen Gleiberman, J.R Jones, John Terauds, Leah McLaren, William Thomas, Stella Papamichael, Richard Luck, Josh Ralske, Cole Smithey, Martin Scribbs, Dennis Schwartz, MPAA rating R, skateboarding, alcoholism, depression, crime, tragedy, celebrity, entertainment industry, skate legends, female acquaintance, rape, murder, life sentence, imprisonment, struggles, first-hand accounts, poignant, raw, gripping, fascinating, exhilarating, terrifying, specific moment, instant celebrity, fickleness, youth culture, time capsule, analysis, power, edge, decomposed remains, interviews, subject matter, fall attention, watch, synopsis, reviews, news, streaming, TV shows, horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, careers
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Helen Stickler – Producer
Director(s)
Helen Stickler
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (9)
It’s fascinating to see the process by which skateboarding, in all its concrete grittiness, was transformed into a mainstream activity of consumer cool.
August 6, 2008 | Rating: B
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
An exhilarating and terrifying journey through youth-culture hell.
August 6, 2008
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Thoroughly compelling documentary.
August 20, 2004 | Rating: 3/5
John Terauds
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
The movie fails to pull off all its trick moves.
August 20, 2004 | Rating: 2/4
Leah McLaren
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
You can see why Stickler was drawn to the charismatic Gator, but his story is so extreme (he is serving life for murder) that it effectively unbalances the project.
July 3, 2004 | Rating: 3/5
William Thomas
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Consistently throughout the film, Stickler skates right over the crux of the matter.
June 22, 2004 | Rating: 2/5
Stella Papamichael
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
A decent enough documentary albeit one about an appalling person.
August 6, 2008
Richard Luck
Film4
A near-perfect time capsule of a specific moment in our culture, and a telling analysis of instant celebrity and the fickleness of youth culture.
October 26, 2007 | Rating: 6/10
Josh Ralske
All Movie Guide
Unforgettable.
February 20, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
Stoked gives a young woman’s rape and murder almost no narrative weight — it is merely the disappointing spoiler to a talented skateboarder’s career.
September 1, 2004
Martin Scribbs
Low IQ Canadian
Despite doing a fine job telling this trajectory skateboarder bio, Stickler’s tale lacked an edge and the power to make this story stick in the ribs.
August 5, 2004 | Rating: C+
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Unlike Stacy Peralta’s romantically nostalgic ’70s skate-umentary Dogtown & Z Boys, Stickler delves into the dirty details, even showing the decomposed remains of his victim.
April 1, 2004
Matt Kelemen
Las Vegas CityLife…
Plot
STOKED tells the story of 80s skateboarding icon and convicted rapist and murderer Mark “Gator” Rogowski. Spanning a decade from the early 80s to early 90s, STOKED is the fascinating character study of a young man’s development, couched within the social and historical framework of skateboarding’s biggest era. STOKED takes a trip to the ‘in-your-face’ era of 80s youth pop culture, exploring the mechanism of fame and its darker consequences in one man. A thoughtful and energetic look back at the apex of punk rock, neon jams, and the early days of MTV, the archival documentary follows skateboarding from its grass roots in Southern California backyards to an international phenomenon. Featuring skateboarding legends such as Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, and testimony from Mark “Gator” Rogowski from behind bars, STOKED dramatically reveals for the first time the factors leading to a star’s tragic fall from grace, and the unyielding spirit that allows skateboarding to reinvent itself.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features interviews with skate legends Tony Hawk and Stacy Peralta.
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