Ride the Wild Surf

RIDE THE WILD SURF remains as one of my very favorite 'surf/beach' genre films (notable others: BLUE CRUSH, BIG WEDNESDAY, the GIDGET series, the Avalon/Funnicello BEACH movies, ALOHA SUMMER, Bruce Brown's ENDLESS SUMMER films ~ and hey ... you could even include Nickelodeon TV's popular ROCKET POWER animated series into this mix!). Although several of the fore-mentioned are documentary-style films, they are nonetheless true 'surf' Classics which are a MUST to own/see and should NOT be ignored. RIDE THE WILD SURF was well-stocked with talented actors (see the Credits) and although these actors never truly dared the 'heavies' at Waimea Bay ... only the laughable (yet fun) stationary studio boards with backdrop waves) ... there are quite a few great stock footage scenes of enjoyable, real surfing! The plot was surprisingly more of an adult oriented drama than a juvenile film, therefore adding a bit more realism to the (albeit thin) storyline. The production values were fine and the soundtrack was stoked with some great JAN & DEAN tunes!! True to 60's standards, there is no GORE, NUDITY, PROFANITY-LACED-DIALOGUE, or EXTREME VIOLENCE - so it can be enjoyed by the entire family. I really cannot find fault with this film and highly recommend it for your film library! Now, if only COLUMBIA PICTURES would get off it's corporate ass and release this little gem onto DVD (that's a big HINT)! Until such time, you will have to suffice by renting a VHS copy from your local Blockbuster - the film has almost never been seen on TV (very possibly once - many years ago on AMC-TV). Until then try some of the films listed above and you WON'T be disappointed! 'Til then ... SURF ON, KAHUNA!

Shoot the curl, man! Three hotshot surfers from Malibu hang-ten down in Honolulu; all find the usual quota of romance, teen competition, and gnarly waves. Director Don Taylor does competent work (as usual) and he gives the surf-sand-&-suntans material a little kick. Unfortunately, all the back-projection gives the film a cheesy, dopey look, which is incongruous to the seriousness with which it takes the sport of surfing. The youthful, beaming cast (most in their prime) are certainly a great drawing card, and Fabian, Tab Hunter, a blonde Shelley Fabares, Barbara Eden, Susan Hart, and surly Jim Mitchum all look terrific. An instant hit at drive-ins circa 1964, the movie features gorgeous location footage, but also a corny, unnecessary voice-over narration and far too much moony-eyed boy-girl drama. ** from ****

Surfing's answer to Red Line 7000. Fabian looks to outlast his buddies at the annual Waimea Bay surfing blowout on the North Shore of Oahu. A great period piece filmed at the same time as the Beach Blanket movies, but with less comedy and romance and more emphasis on competition. As already noted by reviewers, lots of great surfing shots mixed with laughable (almost campy) shots of the stars in lifeless waters. Still, stars take it seriously. Loads of fun if you like this sort of thing.

Am I to believe this film was written by someone called Josephine Napoleon? (Check the credits!). Then shouldn't it be set in Noumea not Hawaii? Oh ha-ha. In late 1964 my local cinema, The Empire Theatre ran this double feature...and I ask you to imagine the behavior among the teens present: RIDE THE WILD SURF + AND GOD CREATED WOMAN. Nothing like some French Art-house Brigitte Bardot to wet the, er, appetites of the surf crowd. Now on DVD RIDE THE WILD SURF plays well for a 40 year old surf film that tries to offer good surfing footage among the drama. I was pleasantly surprised at the well matched stunt footage to the cast (stunt surfers who actually looked like the actor..and wearing identical togs) but, oh dear, that back projection in the actors surfing scenes on the water..... (waving their arms about whilst swaying etc) ...still it all makes now-days for quaint fun. In Oz cinema audiences roar with laughter at scenes of American surfers sitting on their boards, arguing in dead flat water.. then some dude yells "Wave" and out of nowhere comes a gigantic set of pipeline breakers shot in some other country. This happens in this film and later in Big Wednesday from 1978. In fact these two films are very much alike with their three surf buddies storyline, the "Bear" guru board shaper guy (here called "Phil") and last reel big wave accidents and dramas. The opening of RIDE THE WILD SURF is a lame affair with dull tinny music over 16mm outtakes and TV style titling, but after a few minutes the film swings into gear and allows the three love interest gals to pick up the credibility in the acting stakes. Fabian is in believable shape for an Italian surfer (!) and each of the girls are 60s cute and rom-an-tic. Hawaiian locations are good and the usual Elvis movie family dramas are roped in for another try. See Robert Mitchum's son Jim play someone called Eskimo who wears bee stripe board shorts! (He's the taciturn bad dude)....

Good time parties and excellent surfing footage, plus a better than average script (involving most of the usual beach melodrama, except without the jealousy of AIP's beachers). The leads are all good looking, reasonably mature dialogue and a well-shared spread of characterization making them seem more mature and real than most beach "kids". Of course, many modern day fans of beach movies are looking only for derisive laughs, so they should probably look elsewhere -- because this is a more heartfelt, less light film.

Could have shown the way for some new stars -- but this hollywood brat club got mostly passed over.