Themes: Cons and Scams, Underdogs, Righting the Wronged
Main Cast: Christian Slater, Steven Bauer, Min Luong, Art Chudabala, Le Tuan
Release Year: 1989
Country: US
Run Time: 102 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
Gleaming the Cube does for skateboarding what Over the Top did for arm wrestling -- i.e. not a hell of a lot. Christian Slater is the skateboarding star, playing Brian Kelly, a sneering and laconic teen outcast. He feels left out and envious of his adopted Vietnamese brother Vinh's (Art Chudabala) success as an honor roll student and as the center of attention in his family. When Vinh commits suicide, Brian is suspicious and rolls away on his skateboard to find out what really happened -- and ultimately to avenge his murder. Brian's investigation is aided and abetted by a sardonic detective named Al Lucero (Steven Bauer), a collection of skateboard aficionados, and an incredibly attractive Vietnamese girl, Tina (Min Luong). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Richard Herd - Ed Lawndale; Kieu Chinh - Madame Trac; Charles Cyphers - Harvey McGill; Joe Gosha - Nick Oliver; Tommy Guerrero - Sam; Tony Hawk - Buddy; Christian Jacobs - Grenig; Natas Kaupas - Skater; Peter Kwong - Bobby Nguyen; Ed Lauter - Mr. Kelly; Chi Muoi Lo - Tough #1; Micole Mercurio - Mrs. Kelly; Angela Moya - Houskeeper; F. William Parker - Motel Manager; Max Perlich - Yabbo; Jack Riley - Homeowner; Rita Rudner - Mrs. Yabbo; J. Jay Saunders - Medical Examiner; Arsenio "Sonny" Trinidad - Other Nguyen; Buddy Joe Hooker - Corvette Driver; Eric Dressen - Skater; Mike McGill - Skater; Andy Nguyen - Tran Thanh; Joshua Ravetch - Student Pilot; Vien Hong - Tough #
Credit
Dan Webster - Art Director, Michael Tolkin - Associate Producer, John Turman - Associate Producer, Elisabeth Leustig - Casting, Ann Somers Major - Costume Designer, Graeme Clifford - Director, John Wright - Editor, Jay Ferguson - Composer (Music Score), Annie D'Angelo - Makeup, John Muto - Production Designer, Reed Smoot - Cinematographer, John J. Smith - Production Manager, Lawrence Turman - Producer, David Foster - Producer, Susan J. Emshwiller - Set Designer, Philip C. Cory - Special Effects, Buddy Joe Hooker - Stunts, Michael Tolkin - Screenwriter
The film received only a moderate release in the United States from 20th Century Fox (in 469 theaters). Although the film had a relatively low box office turnout, Gleaming the Cube garnered a significant cult following[1] after its theatrical release, through basic cable replays on networks such as USA and the burgeoning VHS (and later DVD) market, as well as notoriety among skateboarders.
The title of the film reputedly refers to a gibberish statement skater Garry Davis made in a Thrasher magazine interview with Neil Blender. The phrase itself is meaningless.
The Anaheim motel in the movie, the "Atomic Age Lodge," was in reality the Stovall's Cosmic Age Lodge on Katella Avenue, across the street from the then-Disneyland parking lot. It was one of a group of Stovall's hotels in the area with a space age theme (the others being Stovall's Apollo Inn and Stovall's Space Age Lodge). Today, the hotel is simply called Best Western Stovall's Inn, and, like the other Stovall's motels, no longer has any of the space age theming.
Some introductory scenes were filmed at John Wayne Airport (Orange County, California) before major renovation work on the terminal.
Cultural references
In the Simpsons episode Lemon of Troy, Bart and a young Shelbyville boy skate past a female doppelganger of Groundskeeper Willy, who screams after them, "Slow down, ya sidewalk surfin, cube gleamers!"
