Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Surf II Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 28, 2021

As many have already reported over the years, “Surf II” is not a sequel. There is no “Surf,” with the film’s title presented as an introductory joke for the picture, hoping to offer a little mischief as a way to identify silliness to come. It’s not a successful gag, inspiring more confusion than knowing chuckles, but writer/director Randall Badat (who would go on to write “Hear No Evil” and “The Cutting Edge 3: Chasing the Dream”) doesn’t spend much time on wit in “Surf II.” He’s blasting the screen with wackiness instead, looking to update the Beach Party genre for an “Airplane!” audience, delivering a feature that’s big on energy but strangely low on laughs. It does have a manic spirit, and that’s good enough to support a viewing, especially for surfing fans who enjoy a little humor with their displays of sporting skill.

Chuck (Eric Stoltz) and Bob (Jeffrey Rogers) are two surfers in Southern California itching to hit the big waves on their top beach. Cruelly, access to the sand has been denied by Chief Boyardie (Lyle Waggoner) after a deadly accident. While Chuck and Bob kill time with their friends, hit on girls, and deal with school, Menlo (Eddie Deezen) works to exact revenge on the teen culture that’s denied him popularity, mastering an evil formula for Buzzz Cola that transforms customers into zombies. Menlo’s assistant, Sparkle (Linda Kerridge), has doubts about the plan, looking to warn the community about the deadly drink, while Chuck and Bob enlist science teacher Dr. Beaker (Peter Isacksen) to help expose the Buzzz Cola nightmare before an upcoming surfing competition.

If the sight of an authority figure with the name Chief Boyardie triggers a chuckle, perhaps you’ll do just fine with “Surf II.” The whole feature works on that level of comedy, as Badat pushes goofiness as much as possible to charm viewers, possibly because he barely has a story to work with, requiring plenty of distractions to hold the endeavor together (random nudity is also deployed as a distraction). “Surf II” doesn’t score nearly enough with silly business, but it keeps moving along, and that determination, or just flat-out speed, does wonders to help the viewing experience, which eventually becomes a series of random events with the vague plague of Buzzz Cola emerging as something of a plot.

Trying to be an ‘80s version of a Frankie and Annette picture (years before the duo would return to duty in 1987’s “Back to the Beach”), “Surf II” offers a host of characters doing odd things while the soda problem is slowly exposed. Chuck and Bob have trouble with their girlfriends (Corinne Boher and the late Lucinda Dooling), struggling to maintain concentration while other bikini babes are around. The surfer dudes have parents involved in the community mess, living a mirror household existence that gives Badat an opportunity to showcase some visual imagination. And there’s the soda issue, which transforms drinkers into zombies, and especially hungry ones at that, finding one monster (Tom Villard) challenging a local brute (Joshua Cadman) to a garbage eating contest that results in the feature’s most nauseating scene. Menlo’s scheme carries throughout “Surf II,” but it’s seldom as interesting as the monkey business, finding Deezen miscast at the heavy, while the writing often just walks away from the central crisis, failing to intensify the soda threat in a compelling way.

“Surf II” is presented in two versions: a Theatrical Cut (85:52) and a Director’s Cut (100:12).

Surf II Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Surf II" is sourced from "multiple 35mm archival prints." Vinegar Syndrome does what it can with the feature, with the viewing experience superbly refreshed in the color department, delivering gorgeous beach views with blue waters and greenery. Costuming delivers sharp primaries, along with signage and shops. Skintones are natural throughout, also capturing precise makeup work on the zombies and Sparkle's blue-and-silver punk makeover. Detail goes as far as possible, with strong skin surfaces for the surfers and beachgoers. Grotesque additions with eating contests retain goopiness. Costuming is fibrous. Delineation loses some frame information with evening experiences. Grain is heavy but film-like. Wear and tear is periodic during the viewing experience, with scratches and speckling present, along with some frame damage. It's easily spotted but not disruptive.

Surf II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is enjoyable, with clean dialogue exchanges and displays of broad humor. Intelligibility isn't threatened, with performances coming through acceptably. Scoring efforts and soundtrack cuts offer a little more power with comfortable instrumentation, achieving the zany, party hearty mood of the film.

Surf II Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (18 pages) contains essays by Mike McPadden and Zack Carlson, interviews with director Randall Badat and actor Eddie Deezen, and a review from Joe Bob Briggs.

Director's Cut

• Commentary #1 features director Randall Badat.

• Commentary #2 features actor Eddie Deezen.

• "The Stupidest Movie Ever Made: Drinking the Drink of 'Surf II'" (65:48, HD) is the official making-of for the film, featuring interviews with producer George G. Braunstein, director Randall Badat, first assistant director D. Scott Easton, composer Peter Bernstein, costume designer Carin Berger, casting director Fern Champion, and actors Eddie Deezen, Linda Kerridge (audio only), Joshua Cadman, and Peter Isacksen. Script development commences the production journey, with Badat working through a real surf injury to complete "Surf Death: The Movie," which was imagined as "Frankie and Annette go to Hell." Helping to sell the effort was a promise to find a girl on a surfboard for the poster, while nudity was added along the way. Casting choices are highlighted, with Deezen requiring cue cards to complete his scenes, and Stoltz remained a method actor during the frantic shoot. Costuming is detailed, including punk wetsuits, and the shoot is fondly remembered, as the cast enjoyed pleasant camaraderie. Scene challenges are identified, finding real sharks in the waters. Scoring cues and soundtrack selections are identified. The official release of "Surf II" was complicated by studio rejection and title woes, but cult longevity is emphasized, with the feature managing to develop its audience over the decades, including a celebratory 25th anniversary screening at the New Beverly Cinema in 2008.

• Still Gallery (1:14) collects BTS snaps.

• "Original Sizzle Reel" (21:26, SD) offers early sales potential for "Surf II."

Theatrical Cut

• Commentary #1 features director Randall Badat.

• Commentary #2 features Zack Carlson and Brian Connley.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included on this release.

Surf II Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Surf II" is fun in small doses, and it's something to watch the feature carry on without a care for storytelling needs, basically throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. It's not a mean-spirited endeavor, which is a relief, and the supporting cast is eager to please (including Cleavon Little, Ruth Buzzi, Terry Kiser, and Ron Palillo). What's frustrating about "Surf II" is its inability to become a farce of some sort, as the ingredients are there for a wild ride through beach party formula and zombie threats. The picture just lays there at times, enjoying The Hang instead of concentrating on The Hilarity.