Skatopia: 88 Acres of Anarchy

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• 2010
• 1 hr 39 mins
• Documentary

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• Watchlist

Skatopia is an Appalachian farm where hardcore skating, punk rock and hillbilly culture collide in one anarchistic, unique community. Mad-Max style demolition derbies and spontaneous car burning accompany all-night skate sessions. Pain is a badge of honor. Tony Hawk calls Skatopia a "rite of passage" for hardcore skaters. Skatopia's owner, Brewce Martin, dreamed of a place where he could live and breathe skating... a place where people forget their "outside" lives by plunging into high-energy craziness. A continual work-in-progress, this rural farm is a mecca for skaters who want to live outside society's rules. "Dictator Brewce" presides over the mayhem like a modern-day Jim Jones. But despite Skatopia's infamy, he scrambles non-stop to keep the farm solvent. Now 40, he's bent on creating a monument to freedom that will outlast him. As filming begins in 2006, Brewce hatches a slew of plans to get out of debt and build crazy new skate terrain. His infectious optimism persists even as misfortunes pile on. But with an unexpected stay in jail, it looks as if the year's great potential is lost. He returns to Skatopia bent on salvaging his income, his relationships and rest of the skating season. The movie celebrates the freedom from everyday life that Skatopia offers, but it also takes a hard look at the flip side of Brewce's energy and charisma. No story-book hero, Brewce can switch from inspiring visionary to bullying cult-leader in seconds.