A skate video video with a singular vision, Soul Crusher by Daniel Wheatley comes packed with a transatlantic cast alongside multiple (yes, multiple) cameos in the realm of “Your favorite skater’s favorite skater.”
Soul Crusher by Daniel Wheatley starring Mingus Gamble and Matlok Bennett Jones and featuring Josh Pall, Avi Malina, Cam Sedlick, Charlie Birch, Ron Parker, Judah Bubes, Billy Trick and Shane Farber.
Energetically cut from start to finish like an 1980s action movie, featuring half and half cast of crowd favorites from Los Angeles and London, and topped off with John Carpenter-esque title design, Soul Crusher by Daniel Wheatley is in good standing for video of the year.
Mingus Gamble and Matlok Bennett Jones take top billing, joined by Josh Pall, Cam Sedlick, Charlie Birch, and Shane Farber amongst more of Wheatley’s pals on either side of the Atlantic.
Following his stint behind Lotties Skate Shop’s video output (as good of an excuse as any to plug Nick Michel skating to Elliott Smith) and Kevin “Spanky” Long’s HORSES part for Baker Skateboards, Soul Crusher is the first independent project from Wheatley.
Speaking to Andrew Murrell for our pals at Village Psychic, Wheatley explains the motivation for Soul Crusher, released under his ‘Blanket’ imprint, came out of a desire to create projects unrelated to being a videographer by trade. “I figured out a few years ago when I was on the cusp of turning 30 that I knew I just want to keep making skate videos. Whether or not I could afford to it is one thing, but passion wise, I know that’s what I want to keep doing. It took some self-discovery to have the confidence to say, “I can make skate videos because I want to.” I don’t need to have a skate job that tells me I need to make skate videos, you know? I don’t need to work for a brand to do it.”
Read the whole interview at Village Psychic to learn more about Wheatley’s back catalogue and where he goes from here, with Soul Crusher as the first step in a new direction. (And if you’re itching for more Spanky footage, why not revisit his ‘What I Do Yo?‘ mixtape which accompanied his interview in Closer #2?)
