Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator (2002)

79% of critics liked it
(47 reviews)
73% of users liked it
(408 ratings)

As a teenager growing up in the mid-'70s, Mark "Gator" Rogowski became a passionate skateboarder. With time, he became quite good on a deck and, by the early '80s, his skills on the vertical ramp, combined with his cocky charm and surfer-dude good looks, helped to make him one of the top… More As a teenager growing up in the mid-'70s, Mark "Gator" Rogowski became a passionate skateboarder. With time, he became quite good on a deck and, by the early '80s, his skills on the vertical ramp, combined with his cocky charm and surfer-dude good looks, helped to make him one of the top professionals on the skating circuit. Between endorsement deals and performance fees, he was earning more than a hundred-thousand dollars per year by the time he was 18. Not surprisingly, Rogowski soon found himself living a fast-lane lifestyle, partying all night, and dating supermodels. But when the popularity of ramp skating fell in favor of street skating, Gator found his career going into a skid. Over several years, he struggled to get his demons under control, trying, with no real success, to reinvent himself and regain his place in the public eye. In 1991, the bottom finally fell out of Rogowski's life: At the age of 24, he found himself behind bars, confessing to rape and murder charges . Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator is a documentary which chronicles Rogowski's personal successes and private failures. The film includes interviews with fellow skating legends Tony Hawk, Stacy Peralta, and Jason Jessee. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 21 min.
Directed By: Helen Stickler
Genres: Documentary, Sports & Fitness

In Theaters: Jul 1, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Feb 17, 2004
Studio: Palm Pictures

Critic Reviews

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
It's fascinating to see the process by which skateboarding, in all its concrete grittiness, was transformed into a mainstream activity of consumer cool.
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
An exhilarating and terrifying journey through youth-culture hell.
John Terauds, Toronto Star
Thoroughly compelling documentary.
Leah McLaren, Globe and Mail
The movie fails to pull off all its trick moves.
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic
Offers a fascinating look into the skater's tumble from grace, as well as chronicling the renaissance of his rebel sport.
Michael Booth, Denver Post
By focusing on the self-immolation of the thoroughly despicable skateboarding star Mark "Gator" Rogowski, Stoked makes us all question the eternal chase for popularity and acceptance that takes up so much of daily life.
Richard Luck, Film4
A decent enough documentary albeit one about an appalling person.
Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
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.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Unforgettable.
Martin Scribbs, Low IQ Canadian
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.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
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.
, Empire Magazine
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.
Stella Papamichael, BBC
Consistently throughout the film, Stickler skates right over the crux of the matter.
Matt Kelemen, Las Vegas CityLife
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.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
Tells a fascinating and very sad story ... and gives us lots of cool skateboard action along the way
Rudy Joggerst, Reel.com
This is not a film that speaks to people interested in skateboarding only, but anyone fascinated with plumbing the depths of teen angst.
Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
Picks up the history of skateboarding where Stacy Peralta's Dogtown and Z-Boys leaves off.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

ken j

Gator the rise and fall of Gator is just one of those documentaries that even if you arent into the subject matter will keep your fall attention from the first shot to the last this documentary follows the story of 80's vert skater Mark *gator* Rogowski who let fame and drugs… More
Gator the rise and fall of Gator is just one of those documentaries that even if you arent into the subject matter will keep your fall attention from the first shot to the last this documentary follows the story of 80's vert skater Mark *gator* Rogowski who let fame and drugs spiral his life out of control untill the fateful day when he was convicted of murdering his a girl he knew of course as with most documentary's ull see interviews by the people that knew him and stuff from gator himself really worth a watch
Wu C

The synopsis says it all: The rise and fall of 80's vert skateboard legend Mark 'Gator' Rogowski.

Cast
            
            Mark 'Gator' Rogowski
            
            Tony Hawk
            
            Stacy Peralta
            
            Jason Jessee
            
            Steve Olson
            
            Otae Mofo
            
            Carol Leggett
            
            Ed Templeton
            
            Tod Swank
            
            Ben Ward
            
            Bill Silva
            
            Billy Smith
            
            Brad Dorfman
            
            Brandi McClain
            
            Craig Johnson
            
            Dave Duncan
            
            Harry Jumonji
            
            Jeff Newton
            
            Ken Park
            
            Kevin Staab
            
            Kris Markovich
            
            Lance Mountain
            
            Mike Vallely
            
            Rich Cook
            
            Steve Caballero
            
            John Brinton Hogan
            
See full cast