IMDb > Gleaming the Cube (1989)
Gleaming the Cube
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Gleaming the Cube (1989) More at IMDbPro »

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Gleaming the Cube (1989) -- Brian's adopted brother is killed when he discovers that the shop he works in sends weapons to Vietnam instead of medications. To the police it looks like suicide, but Brian knows better so he skates off to investigate the murder himself.

Overview

User Rating:
5.4/10   2,644 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Graeme Clifford
Writer (WGA):
Michael Tolkin (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Gleaming the Cube on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 January 1989 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Drama | Mystery more
Tagline:
Skate or Die more
Plot:
Brian's adopted brother is killed when he discovers that the shop he works in sends weapons to Vietnam instead of medications... more | add synopsis
User Comments:
Cold War Skate Movie more (21 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Christian Slater ... Brian Kelly

Steven Bauer ... Al Lucero

Richard Herd ... Ed Lawndale
Le Tuan ... Colonel Trac
Min Luong ... Tina Trac

Art Chudabala ... Vinh Kelly
Ed Lauter ... Mr. Kelly
Micole Mercurio ... Mrs. Kelly

Peter Kwong ... Bobby Nguyen
Charles Cyphers ... Harvey McGill

Max Perlich ... Yabbo

Tony Hawk ... Buddy
Tommy Guerrero ... Sam
Christian Jacobs ... Gremic
Joe Gosha ... Nick Oliver
more
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
A Brother's Justice
Skate or Die
more
Runtime:
100 min | USA:105 min (FMC Library Print)
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Filming Locations:
Anaheim, California, USA more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
While Brian and his friends are on the plane, his friends start applying skateboarding stickers to the plane's windows. One of the stickers reads "Tony Hawk." Interestingly, Tony Hawk portrays Buddy, one of Brian's friends. more
Goofs:
Continuity: During the big chase sequence at the end, the burgundy Toronado (doesn't) have headlight covers. more
Quotes:
Brian Kelly: Do you know what a farm vet does? He helps cows get well so they can live long enough to be turned into Quarter Pounders. It's ridiculous! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Simpsons: Lemon of Troy (#6.24)" (1995) more
Soundtrack:
BROTHER TO BROTHER more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful.
Cold War Skate Movie, 10 March 2004
6/10
Author: Pepper Anne from Orlando, Florida

I love Gleaming the Cube, with the exception of the coyingly senitmental dialogue going on and some of the forced grief by Slater. It's a pretty cool 80s action movie for skaters.

A kid mysteriously winds up dead after he goes poking his nose into questionable problems with shipping orders for the Vietnamese Relief. The cops say all signs point to suicide (or at least they're not conclusive of any other cause of death), but his skater brother is determined to prove that he was murdered. Gleaming the Cube, as Brian's (Slater) friend Yabbo (Perlich) explains, is about finding your place. A soul searching that is bound by no rules and standards, in other words. It's actually a pretty fun, if not different, story involving athletes, nevermind skaters. Although, I'm pretty sick of the super-patriotic themes. Plus, you have a few of the Bones Brigade cast in the main role (actually only Tony Hawk and Tommy Guerrero get lead parts) while the rest of the Bones Brigade took up stunt parts (Cabby and Rodney Mullen, most noteably). Plus, you have a pretty rad soundtrack, and Christian Slater and Max Perlich make believable teenagers, and entertaining ones at that (rather than obnoxious or totally stupid). Skaters saving the day? What could be better?

The music, the story, and the actors, it's a score! It's one of my favorite skating movies and certainly one of my favorite 80s movies.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Gleaming the Cube (1989)
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Gleaming the Cube by James House Bapz
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Gleaming the Cube 20th Anniversary Screening Los Angeles video-maniacs
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