Gleaming the Cube

Director: Graeme Clifford

1989 / 105min / 35mm

Taking its title from skateboarder argot for pushing yourself to new limits, Clifford’s skate rat classic follows Slater, wearing a bleach-blonde bouffant, as he plunges into the dark underworld of sunny Orange County in search of clues pertaining to the death of his adopted brother. A veritable smorgasbord of skateboard stunts in a neo-noir package, featuring a who’s who of halfpipe legends—Mark “Gator” Rogowski, Mike McGill, Tony Hawk, and many more—and a technical advisor credit for O.G. Z-Boy Stacy Peralta.

35mm collection print courtesy of the UCLA Film & Television Archive.