
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 energet... (Full plot summary below)
Enjoy FREE movies and series with your Prime (USA) subscription or when you start a 30-day free trial!
Links compiled using automated software. Availability of offers subject to change / might be region specific / out of date.
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.
Leave your thoughts about Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator.
| Globe and MailLeah McLarenBy the end of the Stoked, the viewer is left with a lot of trivia about the history of skateboarding, and scant insight. |
| One Guy's OpinionFrank SwietekTells a story of sudden success and abject failure that, apart from the skateboarding setting, isn't all that unusual...but it's told well enough to be worth a look. |
| Miami HeraldRene RodriguezEven when sketched in broad terms, Rogowski's downward spiral makes for compelling viewing, and to her credit, director Stickler never romanticizes her subject. |
| Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranIt's a classic rags-to-riches-to-rage tale about the fatal nexus of celebrity and market forces, a story that is unexpectedly poignant even though it's told to an insistent punk rock beat. |
| Salt Lake TribuneSean P. MeansPicks up the history of skateboarding where Stacy Peralta's Dogtown and Z-Boys leaves off. |
| Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckWith its compelling central character and colorful milieu, the film comes across as a combination of Greek tragedy and "Behind the Music." |
| Washington PostDesson ThomsonGives us a succinct sense of an entire youth culture and the marketing of a fleeting mini-legend. |
| San Francisco ChroniclePeter HartlaubEven at 82 minutes, Stoked gets repetitious, with too much time spent on the rise and not enough on the fall. |
| Village VoiceEd HalterServes up a gripping look at skate history through an investigation of one of its darker moments. |
| Dallas Morning NewsMatt WeitzArchival footage and interviews with contemporaries round out the rest of the film, illustrating Gator's life without really illuminating it. |