SKATERDATER: THE SWEETEST THING ON ASPHALT

Skatedater, a 1965 coming-of-age short film set in the asphalt utopia of southwest Los Angeles County is a minor masterpiece. The surfed-up soundtrack. The Pacific Ocean winking in the background. All the dirty, gnarly, heavily-calloused bare feet. Even the running time—17 perfect dialogue-free minutes, start to finish, not a frame out of place. And the skating, of course. When my dad brought ho...