Surf II
Surf II is a 1984 American comedy film written and directed by Randall M. Badat and starring Eddie Deezen, Linda Kerridge, Eric Stoltz and Jeffrey Rogers. The plot follows two dim-witted surfers attempting to thwart the plans of a mad scientist attempting to rid the beaches of surfers by turning them into zombie punks through chemically-altered soda pop.
Surf II
Randall M. Badat
Randall M. Badat
George G. Braunstein
Ron Hamady
Eddie Deezen
Linda Kerridge
Eric Stoltz
Jeffrey Rogers
Peter Isacksen
Alex Phillips Jr.
- January 1984
91 minutes
English
$2 million[1]
A parody of 1960s-style beach party films, Surf II mixes elements of the science fiction, horror, surf and sex comedy genres, featuring a prominent soundtrack comprising both classic surf music and contemporary new wave.[2] Although the film was received negatively by critics upon release, it has since been positively reappraised in cult film circles. In 2021, Vinegar Syndrome released a 2k restoration of the film on Blu-ray.
Despite the title's implication, Surf II is not a sequel and there was never a Surf I. The film was marketed with a number of subheadings, the most common of which was the tongue-in-cheek Surf II: The End of the Trilogy.[3]
Critical reception[edit]
Contemporary review[edit]
Initial critical reviews of Surf II were overwhelmingly negative. In his Movie Guide, Leonard Maltin gave the film a 1.5 out of 5 star rating, writing that the "best joke is its title - there never was a Surf I".[15] Kim Newman quipped in the Monthly Film Bulletin, "traditionally, sequels are never up to the standards of the original: Surf II, which is a sequel to nothing in particular, is therefore worse than anyone could possibly have imagined", calling it "incoherent" and "most dreadful".[16] The Chicago Tribune called it "total trash"[17] and the Los Angeles Times simply remarked "there was no Surf I - and with luck, there'll be no Surf III".[18] One of the few positive reviews came from cult film critic Joe Bob Briggs in the Dallas Times Herald, who awarded it 3.5 stars out of 4, praising the film's offbeat humor and original mix of genres.[19]
Professional contemporary reviews have fared equally as poorly. Allmovie, though having rated Surf II one star out of five, noted that the film is "never dull" and "deranged enough to be memorable", giving praise to the performances of the ensemble cast and summarizing, "Surf II's unbalanced mix of amateurishness and gonzo humor will confound most viewers, but fans of B-movie weirdness will find more than enough memorable moments to keep themselves entertained".[2]
Randall Badat himself has spoken about the negative reaction to Surf II and how it extended beyond film critics: "The target audience loved it. Their parents hated it. My family hated it. People that I was doing other business with hated it. I remember going to meetings and people would find out that I'd done this movie and that was it". He has also expressed an overall disappointment with the film, remarking "If there's anything I would have done differently... I'd have done everything differently", though ultimately admitting "I guess it's pretty funny.... I'm amazed at how well the film still plays, and I guess it works overall".[5]
Cult status[edit]
Over the decades, Surf II gradually obtained a enthusiastic following in cult film circles. Mike "McBeardo" McPadden, host of McBeardo's Midnight Movies, ranked Surf II on his list of "15 Movies That Deserve Massive Cult Followings", calling the film "serious competition" for the position of the "#1 most off-the-wall and ingenious teen sex comedy of the ’80s", praising it further in his 2019 book Teen Movie Hell, writing "[Surf II] never slows down and it never lets up. The jokes fly at tsunami speed and volume, with everything perfectly delivered by comedy pros who admirably go all-in on the absurdity".[20][21] Alamo Drafthouse programmers Zack Carlson and Bryan Connolly prominently featured Surf II in their book Destroy All Movies!!! The Complete Guide to Punks on Film, offering a rave review of Surf II as the "greatest mohawked-zombie-comedy ever made", calling it "pure fun in the form of a movie, born at a short-lived moment in history where culture was low and damaged enough to sustain a comedy of this magnitude. No joke is too easy or bizarre but the film manages to excel with countless deeply creative moments", while also praising the "career best" performance of Deezen and the "powerful comic work" of its ensemble cast.[5][22]
Following the film's Blu-ray release in 2021, Surf II was again rediscovered and re-appraised by cult film critics and audiences. Rock! Shock! Pop! wrote that "Surf II is every bit as dumb as it sounds but it's pretty much impossible not to have a good time", singling out the comic cast as its greatest strength, particularly the "zany enthusiasm" of Deezen and Isacksen.[23] Inside Pulse rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "great goofy fun", again complimenting the ensemble cast and noting that it was a perfect companion to such '80s comedies as Fast Times at Ridgemont High and The Wild Life.[24] Horror Society described the film as "a lot of fun", praising the film's "bat shit crazy" sensibilities and even lamenting the fact that there wasn't a Surf I, noting "I would love to have more of this zany story".[25] DVD Drive-In was a bit more indifferent, writing that "the comedy is never quite punchy" and feeling most of the ensemble cast was squandered, though ultimately believed the film was "naughtier and funnier" than similarly beach-themed '80s films like Back to the Beach.[26]