Marking 17 years on IMDb by watching the superb Tokyo Godfathers (2003-also reviewed), I started looking for a title to watch, in order to mark 18 years on the site. Taking a glance at the HMV The Premium Collection Blu-Rays, I spotted a movie which I've seen be praised over the years, which led to me surfing up.
View on the film:
Laying out a presentation which includes a sparse commentary and interested interview with the director ported over from Blue Underground's DVD release, WB present a very good soundtrack transfer, crashing the waves with a mighty oomph, while the print shines in the surfing sequences, but is disappointingly far too dark for a number of nighttime scenes.
Looking back on his life in the interview, and revealing that he got into surfing when he was just 12 years old, the screenplay by co- writer (with Dennis Aaberg) / director John Milius rides a huge wave of Milius mythologizing himself, where the characters (who Milius reveals are based on people he used to go surfing with) are kept as thumbnails, whose outlines are drawn from Milius's remaining on how he and his friends would surf in the day, then get into parties and punch-ups every night, with not even the darkness from the Vietnam war, being able to block out the allure of surfing from Milius.
Attempting to glide his avatars into a hangout atmosphere, director Milius & Dirty Harry (1971-also reviewed) cinematographer Bruce Surtees unwind with stylish long-take crane shots over the friends searching for the big wave, which parts in low-lit dissolves to the Vietnam war blowing up the friendships, and innocence of their lives.
Looking back at production, WB executive Anthea Sylbert said that the film was "a classic example of an egomaniacal insane man going over budget and not listening to anyone. I mean, they were all just waiting for the Big Wave. Give me a break!" Milius makes clear how much he desired the Big Wave, with (sadly) short bursts of excellent surfing set-pieces, via wonderfully riding the camera right next to the surfboards, and rolling the camera along the waves, as the sun fades on Wednesday.
View on the film:
Laying out a presentation which includes a sparse commentary and interested interview with the director ported over from Blue Underground's DVD release, WB present a very good soundtrack transfer, crashing the waves with a mighty oomph, while the print shines in the surfing sequences, but is disappointingly far too dark for a number of nighttime scenes.
Looking back on his life in the interview, and revealing that he got into surfing when he was just 12 years old, the screenplay by co- writer (with Dennis Aaberg) / director John Milius rides a huge wave of Milius mythologizing himself, where the characters (who Milius reveals are based on people he used to go surfing with) are kept as thumbnails, whose outlines are drawn from Milius's remaining on how he and his friends would surf in the day, then get into parties and punch-ups every night, with not even the darkness from the Vietnam war, being able to block out the allure of surfing from Milius.
Attempting to glide his avatars into a hangout atmosphere, director Milius & Dirty Harry (1971-also reviewed) cinematographer Bruce Surtees unwind with stylish long-take crane shots over the friends searching for the big wave, which parts in low-lit dissolves to the Vietnam war blowing up the friendships, and innocence of their lives.
Looking back at production, WB executive Anthea Sylbert said that the film was "a classic example of an egomaniacal insane man going over budget and not listening to anyone. I mean, they were all just waiting for the Big Wave. Give me a break!" Milius makes clear how much he desired the Big Wave, with (sadly) short bursts of excellent surfing set-pieces, via wonderfully riding the camera right next to the surfboards, and rolling the camera along the waves, as the sun fades on Wednesday.