Josh 'Skreech' Sandoval is a longtime skateboarder in Fullerton, California. He tries to maintain his carefree alternative lifestyle but he has a new baby. He tries to tour but his skateboarding falters. He continues his search for abandoned swimming pools in the economically depressed neighborhood. He has his friends, and his slacker drug-induced haze life but responsibility is calling on him. I do not wish bad things to happen to Skreech but that's the only way that this movie could have had any drama. In the end, this movie meanders aimlessly which is fitting for his life. It shines a slice of an alternative life but it's not a full slice. Sometimes, he closes the door on the camera and sometimes, there is a sense of some selective editing. His frustration during the competition is palpable but that's a rare moment of intensity. This movie does have its moments but it needs more.

Hmm. This won't take long.He is dull - who is he anyway? Bums around all day, trying to say epic & meaningful things, only to conclude another bong is the way to go.There is no substance here - all I learn is that he is a right waster with limited potential. May be it is me? maybe I missed something that would open my eyes to it? No, wait - sorry, it is just plain bad.There's nothing here, but a day in the life of a dreamer with no dreams and who avoids washing. I finished it still waiting for something to happen - but then I never got the point so maybe that is understandable. Even the skating is poor.O and what is with the puking on the skate ramp! Dirty.

I cannot fathom how other reviewers think this is interesting film making, a good love story, or in any way redeeming. My guess is that SWSX is now populated by hipsters, but that's just a theory.The lead character is the epitome of a loser. :I met my girl at a punk show, I was totally drunk". Wow, really? Now they have a kid that he not only doesn't take care of, but the two of them are ill-equipped to.I used to skate, and I can't knock the beers, girls and what not... but holy crap, not one shower was taken in this movie. Wake and bake, beer after beer... it's vile. These were the guys that hung out in the park, never worked, and bummed your smokes... or showed up at the party and leeched off your keg because they didn't have two nickels to rub together. Sadly, this went past high school for these people, assuming they even went to high school.There is no punk rock attitude either. The lead can barely form a sentence.Well... if you want to see people skate pools, I suppose that's one redeeming value of this "documentary" (that anyone could have filmed with a mediocre camera and editing skills). Then again, it's not that hard to get decent skating when you have no job, no ambition, and ignore your kid.Two stars for motivating me harder in my endeavors.

Dragonslayer, a slice-of-life documentary about the life of Josh "Screech" Sandoval, is a really uninteresting film. I believe that director Tristan Patterson invested a lot of time and effort, but what he produced was not very enlightening or particularly constructive as a documentary. There are so many more interesting people that he could have spent his time and energy profiling. That this film won the best documentary feature award from the Grand Jury here at Austin's SXSW is truly inexplicable.The film is simply the chronicle of the life of someone who isn't very interesting, inspiring or likable. The only mildly interesting part of the film is the skateboarding scenes which are somewhat enjoyable, but the character is not. He seems like a guy who hangs out all day, skateboards in people's pools, drinks, and smokes. He does nothing to contribute to society, mostly ignores his own kid, and has nothing very interesting to say. Frankly, Screech is kind of dull and rather unlikeable. Off of the skateboard, he seems to be mostly dysfunctional and kind of pathetic. Some seem to find this film artistic, but I found it like its subject to be pretty much a waste of time.