Gleaming the Cube

Watchable enough late 80's Christian Slater skateboard-action/drama/thriller that's more notable for the number of noteworthy skateboarders than being that entertaining. Although there are a few fun action scenes, the "mystery"/drama around Slater's murdered brother/smuggling plot is more dull than it is engaging. However, the movie's real charm is the timecapsule of popular skateboard sub-culture encapsulated in the "Flashdance"(1983) like skate-dance montages, and Pizza Hut product placement.

this shit rules

Definitely a terrible movie overall, with the 80s cheese at full strength. But as a skater, I appreciate it nonetheless. The young Bones Brigade as the skate crew and stunt doubles makes it worth it for anybody who is fond of the early days of skateboarding.

The elongated Pizza-Hut-Commercial-skateboard-showdown-finale is one for the books, but most of what comes before is kind of a melodramatic slog. Still, that chase scene is so bonkers that it makes up for it. Christian Slater's charisma near its pinnacle here.

Watched this every day as a kid for about a year

Hopelessly dated Slater vehicle shamelessly capitalised on the skating trend of its respective decade and features one of the most blatantly laughable examples of product placement in film of the late 80s. The murder/smuggling plot is dopey, and it's told in a really sluggish way. The most interesting aspect of the plot--an interracial romance between Luong and Slater which her traditional parents disapprove of--is quickly sidelined in favour of a dull mystery and routine chase scenes.

I thought I remembered seeing a review that describes this as an underrated teen-noir crime film with faddish skateboard window dressing. Which it is, except for the underrated part. Not camp enough to be entertaining, too bland and light to take seriously. The title is almost a non-sequitur, mentioned only once early on; I have a theory that it's derived from the teen-surfer crime novel Tapping the Source (a hot property in the 80s) where it describes a similar concept.

Tubular

One of my favorite flicks when I was like 12

I remember seeing this on TV as "A Brothers Revenge" or some such bullshit. Fairly hokey skateboarding film that has something to do with weapons smuggling and Viet Nam?

One of my skateboarding inspirations. Sadly, I still can't skate as good as Christian Slater's stunt double.