Modern Love Review

I’m not sure what it is, but I love most Canadian video. Perhaps it is the aesthetic, perhaps it is filming quality, or perhaps it is the level of skating. Favorites include North, North 2: Port Moody Blues, and the Anti-Social video. While Modern Love (by the Green Apple crew) came out in 2005, I have yet to find a copy until my trip to SF. I was psyched to see it since I have had such a good, consistent experience with the other videos. I finally got the chance to pop it in last night and give it a watch.

I was actually kind of confused while watching this. I was pretty sure that it came out in the last 3 years, but I couldn’t find the date anywhere on the box and it sure didn’t seem like a recent video. While there was random, nonsensical, old VHS and/or Hi-8 footage thrown in, I was more concerned about the quality of the DV footage. The filming was sketchy, the lenses were dirty, and there were plenty of suspect makes (Baker Makers, if you will). I can handle all of the above, but, again, I had a preconceived notion of what a Canadian video should be, and it wasn’t this.

The video started off with Mike McDermott’s part. Again, expectations were thrown for loops. Mike McDermott is known for being tech and super clean, however, this was not the case for his part here. He did put down some good stuff, but it almost seemed like he was trying to work on a grimy East Coast style. Maybe I am looking into it too much.

I am pretty sure that I have expressed my dislike for horrid pushing and awkward footing in the past, but I am going to have to reiterate for a couple guys. Aaron Blatt has what I can only think to call banana feet…or perhaps thunder feet. Basically he just seems heavy footed and his feet look misplaced on his board. It is just weird, regardless of the tricks he was actually making. Another perpetrator is Paul Spencer. Paul doesn’t have awkward feet, but he likes to skate switch a lot. But somewhere along the way when he was learning all these switch maneuvers, he forgot to learn how to push switch. What has resulted is a part full of mongo pushing…he likes do full lines switch.

Jason Crolly actually had a really good part. He has his frontside noseslides down and can slide them much longer than you (or I) can even imagine holding them. The funny thing about Jason is that he looks like some older guy that you would think should stick to bowls and low impact transitions, but no. He is hucking overcrooks and back lips down handrails.

Rod Ferens is a funny character. At first look, you would think that he is some baseball/basketball fan that plays Madden ’08 or something with his homies, smoking blunts and eating crap junkfood. This may all be true of the tubby bald guy in the jerseys and headbands, but what I wouldn’t have thought at first glance is that he has high snaps and a quick flick. His tricks are solid and his contradictory exterior actually makes him more likeable.

Last part goes to Travis Stenger and his flawless kickflip backside nose grinds. This guy has all the tech stuff on lock: flat, mannies, ledges. His skating is more in line with what I have grown accustom to with skate videos from our neighbors to the north.

One name that was on the box with all the other names of guys with full parts was Mike Christie…but he didn’t have a part. I think he had a couple tricks in the friend montage, but it is obvious that his name was on there just to sell more copies…but that is not new to skate videos. Now the million-dollar question: was it worth the money? It’s funny because I don’t remember what I paid for it, but if it was more than $10, then no. If it was $10 or under, then sure. Not an expounding yes, but a simple sure. The last three parts are definitely worth watching.