The End (Birdhouse film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The End DVD cover

The End is a 1998 Birdhouse Productions live action documentary film starring Team Birdhouse. It was made under the direction of Jamie Mosberg, who also produced and edited it. Skateboarders featured in the video include:

Steve Berra
Ali Cairns (who was an amateur skateboarder at the time of filming)
Tony Hawk
Heath Kirchart (who also had a part in writing some of the scenes he was involved with)
Jeremy Klein (who also had a part in writing some of the scenes he was involved with)
Bucky Lasek
Jeff Lenoce (who was an amateur skateboarder at the time of filming)
Rick McCrank
Andrew Reynolds
Willy Santos
Brian Sumner (who was an amateur skateboarder at the time of filming)

It also stars two actresses from the pornographic movie industry - Janine Lindemulder and Kobe Tai.

1 Plot
2 Soundtrack
3 Trivia
4 External links

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

There is no real plot that runs through out this documentary. Instead, each skater was placed into their segment to showcase their skills. Some of the skaters also incorporated a short story into their segments. This is typical of skateboarding videos.

[edit] Rick McCrank

The film opens with a scene of Rick McCrank looking for a job, and boarding an airplane. This then cuts to Rick grinding down a rail in a high school, as well as some general street skateboarding.

[edit] Willy Santos

This cuts back to the plane scene and then transitions to Willy Santos becoming a human taco. Willy street skating is then shown.

[edit] Andrew Reynolds

Next comes a scene of an orangutan sitting out the front of a caravan trailer. This immediately cuts to scenes of Andrew Reynolds skating. Andrew's segment finishes with him returning to the caravan trailer to share some beers with the orangutan. An argument follows as the orangutan has consumed all the beer, and the scene ends with a bottle being smashed over Andrew's head.

[edit] Team Birdhouse Amateurs

This transitions to Brian Sumner display some street skating skills, and then goes to Ali Cairns who demonstrates vert skills. Finally, the last of Team Birdhouse's amateurs - Jeff Lenoce - displays some street skating.

[edit] Steve Berra

Next Steve Berra is being seen chased by the camera in what can only be described as a tribute to horror films and the "unknown attacker". He is attacked a few more times - each time "waking up from a nightmare". Finally, he falls asleep and his street skating skills are displayed. During Steve's skating sequence, the "unknown attacker" is constantly monitoring him. At the end of the segment, Steve fails to land a grind on the bench and becomes aggressive towards the camera. At this time the "unknown attacker" quickly approaches Steve and decapitates him. Steve's segment ends when two FBI-like agents drive up in a black SUV and collect his head. The sequence uses a clever adaptation of breaking the fourth wall.

[edit] Jeremy Klein and Heath Kirchart

Next Jeremy Klein and Heath Kirchart are seen street skating, driving a van and demolishing a portaloo, skating, driving the van on the freeway while dropping traffic cones out of it, and eventually blowing it up. The next scene is interpreted as Jeremy and Heath, having died from the accident, have gone to heaven - complete with Lexus cars, as well as Janine Lindemulder and Kobe Tai dressed as french maids. Jeremy and Heath are now living it up, and playing some GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64, then going out and perform more street skating. This time they skate on and in a petrol station, a Blockbuster, pretend to get drunk, set a shed on fire, and end up jumping off a pier - all while wearing business suits. Symbolically, this may be representive of Jeremy and Heath ending up in hell.

[edit] Bucky Lasek and Tony Hawk

This last sequence opens as Bucky Lasek is shown being the lackey for Tony Hawk's domestic tasks. Bucky is seen cleaning the pool, cleaning up after the cat, and other domestic chores while Tony is seen relaxing and talking on the phone. Bucky's t-shirt claims: "I am a piece of shit #2". Footage of both of them on a vert ramp are intermingled within the domestic shots. Footage then shifts to that of only Tony Hawk on an indoor vert ramp. Other messages of "Tony Hawk #1 Bucky Lasek #2" flash up on screen. Tony finally slips and falls on the ramp, but awakens in an outdoor ramp, built inside a bull ring, dressed as a matador. The outdoor has a roller coaster loop, which after some attempts is successfully skated by Tony. Meanwhile, a disturbed Bucky is seen wiring up some plastic explosive in the bull ring. Bucky calls Tony on a mobile phone, and while on the phone with Tony, triggers off the explosives, thereby killing Tony. Instantly, Bucky's t-shirt now reads: "I am the shit #1". Bucky is seen driving off in a black convertible sports car, and this is followed by some scenes of Bucky skating vert.

[edit] Soundtrack

The soundtrack used for this film includes music from DJ Shadow, Queen and the Propellerheads.

[edit] Trivia

The VHS version was released in 1998, and the DVD version was released in 2000.
The original video release contained music from Queen, but the DVD had that music replaced by that of Tom Petty.