Product Details

• Actors: Rory Cochrane, David Shackelford, Trevor St. John, Price Carson, Karen Black
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Vanguard Cinema
• DVD Release Date: January 22, 2002
• Run Time: 99 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005RY9W
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,082 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Dogtown" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Studio: Vanguard Cinema Release Date: 07/27/2004 Rating: Nr

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dogtown Style, January 12, 2009

By 

C. CRADDOCK "Cr@$#!!!!" (Bakersfield) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dogtown (DVD)

Dogtown is a tail of two cities, as befits a shaggy dog story. It is Small Town USA vs. Hollywood--except it is the IDEA of Hollywood they are fighting, while Philip Van Horn (Trevor St. John) has seen it up close and knows that it is a dirty little city. Though he went there and failed to become a big star with a star on Hollywood Boulevard and his footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater, to the people who have never left Cuba (AKA Dogtown, a small southern town, not the country) he is seen as the guy who escaped, who got out of Dodge--I mean Dogtown--and returned a big star.

Nothing could be further from the truth, but whenever he tries to claim otherwise, they just won't listen. Bad teeth and bad luck have taken their toll on the townsfolk, especially Curtis Lasky (Rory Cochrane) and Ezra Good (Jon Favreau); and to them he might as well be a Hollywood Star. Ezra, or E.Z., ironically, is especially resentful when it comes to the affections of Dorothy Sternen (Mary Stuart Masterson). There is going to be a showdown between E.Z. and Philip, and it will not be pretty.

Rory and Jon really uglied up for this role. Hard to believe that Favreau was only a year out from making Swingers. He is tough, bitter, and not concerned with making the audience like his character. Rory's Curtis is broken and beaten down, but he still harbors dreams of a better life. You almost feel sorry for the two, Curtis more so than E.Z., stuck in a small Dogtown where dreams go to die.

Mary Stuart Masterson is a master of playing mentally damaged women, like Joon in Benny & Joon. Her portrayal of Dorothy Sternen in Dogtown was more successful than her turn as Joon because it had the gritty backdrop of reality while Benny & Joon wavered between tragedy and screwball comedy. Here any redemption she gathers is earned, the hard way, and the audience is not cheated with a fake Hollywood feel good happy sappy ending. Philip has carried a torch for her since they met in the first grade, but his idealized vision of her doesn't include the loneliness and suicidal depression that haunts her.

Contributing to the gloomy atmosphere is Rose Van Horn (Karen Black), Philip's mother, who has had a hard life, and seeks salvation singing with a rock band that practices in their living room early in the morning. She does some of her worst singing since Rayette Dipesto obsessed over Tammy Wynette's "Stand by Your Man" in Five Easy Pieces.

This was the final film of Harold Russell, who won 2 Oscars for his role in the 1946 film The Best Years of Our Lives. While training paratroopers some TNT exploded and he lost both hands. He won the Oscars for best supporting actor and received an honorary Oscar for being an inspiration for disabled war veterans throughout the U.S. No other actor has ever earned two Oscars for the same role, or had such a non prolific career. He was in only 4 films in a career that spanned 50 years. He really stood out in Dogtown. He had a tremendous stage presence that was totally authentic. He seemed like a real person, not an actor, and brought a heightened sense of reality to the whole drama. Blessed William was a blessing on the whole Dogtown production.

JON FAVREAU .... EZRA GOOD

Iron Man (Single-Disc Edition) (2008) .... Hogan
The Break-Up (2006) .... Johnny O
Something's Gotta Give (2003) .... Leo
Elf (2003) .... Doctor
Daredevil (2003) .... Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson
Made (2001) .... Bobby Ricigliano
Swingers (1996) .... Mike Peters

MAUREEN McCORMICK .... DIDI SCHMIDT

Jane White Is Sick and Twisted (2002) .... Nancy
"The Brady Bunch" .... Marcia Brady (116 episodes, 1969-1974)
- The Hair-Brained Scheme (1974) TV episode .... Marcia Brady
- The Hustler (1974) TV episode .... Marcia Brady
- The Snooperstar (1974) TV episode .... Marcia Brady
- Top Secret (1974) TV episode .... Marcia Brady
- Two Petes in a Pod (1974) TV episode .... Marcia Brady
(111 more)
"My Three Sons" .... Sylvia Walters (1 episode, 1967)
- Ernie, the Bluebeard (1967) TV episode .... Sylvia Walters
"I Dream of Jeannie" .... Susan (1 episode, 1966)
- My Master, the Doctor (1966) TV episode .... Susan
"Camp Runamuck" .... Maureen Sullivan (2 episodes, 1965-1966)
- Tomboy (1966) TV episode .... Maureen Sullivan
- Runamuck (1965) TV episode .... Maureen Sullivan
"Honey West" .... Margaret Mary Driscoll (1 episode, 1965)
- In the Bag (1965) TV episode .... Margaret Mary Driscoll
"Bewitched" .... Little Endora / ... (2 episodes, 1964-1965)
- Trick or Treat (1965) TV episode .... Young Endora - Girl
- And Something Makes Three (1964) TV episode (uncredited) .... Little Endora
"The Farmer's Daughter" .... Christine (1 episode, 1965)
- Why Don't They Ever Pick Me? (1965) TV episode .... Christine

MARY STUART MASTERSON .... DOROTHY STERNEN

Radioland Murders (1994) .... Penny Henderson
Bad Girls (1994/I) .... Anita Crown
Benny and Joon (1993) .... Juniper 'Joon' Pearl
Fried Green Tomatoes (Widescreen Collector's Edition) (1991) .... Idgie Threadgoode

TREVOR ST. JOHN .... PHILIP VAN HORN

Bio-Dome (1996) .... Parker

RORY COCHRAN .... CURTIS LASKY

A Scanner Darkly (2006) .... Charles Freck
Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician (2001) .... Chance
Sunset Strip (2000) .... Felix
Dazed & Confused (Widescreen Flashback Edition) (1993) .... Ron Slater

HAROLD RUSSELL .... BLESSED WILLIAM

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) .... Homer Parrish
Inside Moves (1980) .... Wings
Payback (1990) .... Policeman

KAREN BLACK .... ROSE VAN HORN

The Blue Tooth Virgin (2008) .... Zena
Contamination (2008) .... Mavis
One Long Night (2007) .... Barbara
Suffering Man's Charity (2007) .... Renee
Read You Like a Book (2006) .... Kate
Hollywood Dreams (2006) .... Luna
Whitepaddy (2006) .... Mrs. Leider
Firecracker (2005) .... Sandra/Eleanor
My Suicidal Sweetheart (2005) .... Grace's Mom
Compartment (2005/I) (voice) .... Kate Burns
Dr. Rage (2005) .... Molly
Birth of Industry (2004) .... Sara
America Brown (2004) .... Marianne Brown
Curse of the Forty-Niner (2003) .... Aunt Nelly
Summer Solstice (2003) .... Dr. McDermott
Paris (2003) .... Chantelle
House of 1000 Corpses (2003) .... Mother Firefly
A Light in the Darkness (2002) .... Mrs. Melnick
Buttleman (2002) .... Mrs. Buttleman
Teknolust (2002) .... Dirty Dick
Soulkeeper (2001) .... Magnificent Martha
Hard Luck (2001) .... Aunt Judy
Gypsy 83 (2001) .... Bambi LeBleau
Red Dirt (2000) .... Aunt Summer
The Donor (2000) .... Mrs. Springle
Inviati speciali (2000)
Oliver Twisted (2000) .... Mrs. Mary Happ
The Underground Comedy Movie (1999) .... Mother
Mascara (1999) .... Aunt Eloise
Paradise Cove (1999) .... Ma
Charades (1998) .... Jude
Bury the Evidence (1998) .... The Mother
Sugar: The Fall of the West (1998)
Stripping for Jesus (1998)
Light Speed (1998)
Fallen Arches (1998) .... Lucy Romano
Waiting for Dr. MacGuffin (1998) .... Dental Assistant
I Woke Up Early the Day I Died ( Ed Wood's I Woke Up Early the Day I Died ) ( I Awoke Early the Day I Died ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Spain ] (1998) .... Whip Lady
... aka Ed Wood's I Woke Up Early the Day I Died
Men (1997) .... Alex
Conceiving Ada (1997) .... Lady Byron/Mother Coer
... aka Leidenschaftliche Berechnung (Germany)
Stir (1997) .... Dr. Gabrielle Kessler
Malaika (1997) .... Jessica Martin
Modern Rhapsody (1997)
Crimetime (1996) .... Millicent
Cries of Silence (1996) .... Rose Walsh
Every Minute Is Goodbye (1996) .... Schubert
Movies Money Murder (1996) .... Bettie
Dinosaur Valley Girls (1996) .... Ro-Kell
Starstruck (1995) .... Bertha
The Wacky Adventures of Dr. Boris and Nurse Shirley (1995) .... Evelyn
Too Bad About Jack (1994)
Plan 10 from Outer Space (1994) .... Nehor
Dark Blood (1993) .... Motel Woman
The Trust (1993) .... Maria Vandermeer
Tuesday Never Comes (1993) .... Michelle
Caged Fear (1992) .... Blanche
Auntie Lee's Meat Pies (1992) .... Auntie Lee
Bound and Gagged: A Love Story (1992) .... Carla
Dead Girls Don't Tango (1992) .... Insp. Wilson
Legend of the Roller Blade Seven (1992) .... Tarot
Final Judgement (1992) .... Mrs. Sorrel
Return of the Roller Blade Seven (1992) .... Tarot
Haunting Fear (1991) .... Dr. Julia Harcourt
Children of the Night (1991) .... Karen Thompson
The Killer's Edge (1991) .... Barrett
Rubin and Ed (1991) .... Rula
The Roller Blade Seven (1991) .... Tarot
Night Angel (1990) .... Rita
Twisted Justice (1990) .... Mrs. Granger
Club Fed (1990) .... Sally Rich
The Children (1990) .... Sybil Lullmer
Fatal Encounter (1990)
Mirror Mirror... Read more ›

5.0 out of 5 stars Trevor St John is such a powerful performer, September 19, 2010

By 

Baltis S. Schuller "I don't hate everything..... - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dogtown (DVD)

This movie has been getting panned for it's location and racial slurs. Let me, as I am from Missouri, tell you this movie, while filmed in California, does absolute justice to the backwoods and Ozark area of where this movie is based. This is how people are there, folks. While it doesn't always look like the Ozarks, the flat plains of rural country towards the end of the film are a good depiction.

This movie is a gem. It's one of Trevor's most powerful performances and it showed without a shadow of a doubt that he was and still is a contender. Even on screen with John Faveroue he still commanded the attention. Mary Stuart Masterson turns in a helluva performances, as does Karen Black and the character of mentally challenged Sarah Rose was played by such a wonderful actress. She was really something.

This movie is a must see. It's a sad tale of lost dreams, hopes and time. It's a strange place and yet, so real and so a matter of fact that it's hard to not feel sorry for everyone involved.

The hook of the film is Trevor, though. His character, Philip, is such an endearing, very translatable, guy. He loved a girl "Mary Masterson" in school, she never gave him the time of day. Her boyfriend "Faveroue" is still her boyfriend to this day and both are waste heads. Trevor St John comes back to town after his many failed auditions. They believe him to be a celebrity and he runs away with it, all in an attempt to finally win this One girl's attention. After all these years.

The movie takes on a very real and very sorrow filled shape after you realize he's done some things he's not proud of and still failed. In his own way he's as big of a failure as the very town he grew up in. He can just hide it better. But that's what I loved about it and him. He let his guard down and the pay off is Trevor's best work. He's such a gifted guy. He's such a talent. I really do feel he needs to branch out of Day Time TV and take Hollywood in his hands and crush it. Because he has it. He embodies emotion like few can. He can say so little, yet read the entire book by his looks alone.

I cannot recommend this movie enough. Get past the setting. Get past the racial slurs. Get past the assumptions that this is what Hollywood thinks of the midwest, because this is a very small film. Almost unheard of. Hollywood had little to do with it, trust me. The mood in this movie makes you want it to end... Not because it's a bad movie, but because the town, the characters and the realizations of it all being so very real and so very sad makes you want to never see it again. Just like Trevor St. John's character, Philip.

Watch this damn movie!!!!!!!!

3.0 out of 5 stars Mediocre, except for Mary Stuart Masterson performance, August 27, 2008

By 

William C. Necoechea - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dogtown (DVD)

Mary Stuart Masterson is an actress of substantial range. Her performance in this film was its one plus. The characters seemed 2-dimensional, the screenplay was mediocre, and the seen where we find out that "Blessed William" died was a poor imitation of "The Last Picture Show." Its amazing how unexceptional a film can be and yet still win awards at a minor film festival.