Surf Crazy
The second film by the grandfather of surf movies, Bruce Brown,Surf Crazyfocuses on a surfing trip to Mexico in 1959, a time when surfing was so obscure that most of the Mexicans encountered along the Pacific shoreline had no idea why the crazy young Americans had long wooden boards strapped to the roof of their red Ford station wagon. The big problem with being a pioneer is that the subjects of Brown's film couldn't ask anyone where the good surfing spots were, so much of the film consists of the Americans riding rough, unmarked roads in search of worthwhile waves. Brown appears on camera to explain that when this film was first shown in venues around California, he would appear onstage and narrate it. And a recording of his original narration, full of jokes both quirky and corny, accompanies the color film footage in this version. The film itself sometimes shows its age, as scratches flicker past, but the color is vibrant and the footage of surfers in an utterly pristine environment is often riveting.  The second half of the film took Brown and his trusty camera to Hawaii, where surfers hit the waves at gorgeous Waimea Bay.Surf Crazycaptures a beautiful, golden era in the history of surfing, and even those who have never stepped on a board will find it very entertaining.--Robert J.  McNamara