By: Frank

 

Before you ask—no, there was no Surf I. The title is a joke, and as Leonard Maltin once wrote of this movie, "its only, best joke is in the title." But Maltin is an asshole when it comes to judging things like Surf II, which is just one of the reasons why RadRev exists.

 

Eddie Deezen plays a nerd who's hatred of surfers is equal to his mad genius, which leads him to serve surfers a poison-spiked version of a local soft drink, Buzzz Cola, which turns people into trash-eating zombies. Two surfer dudes (Eric Stoltz of Mask fame and Jeffrey Rodgers from Friday the 13th Part 3) realize what's happening and set out to stop it, all the while preparing for the surf competition of their lives.

 

Let's cut to the chase: Surf II doesn't make much sense and doesn't have much of a story. Even still, it's an amusing, cartoonish world that's fun to watch. It's also a nice slice of low-budget 80's comedy that will be of interest to lovers of that decade's sillier, less-coherent cinematic creations.

 

The film sets out to be a surfer movie, a zombie movie (in the style of Street Trash), and a party movie, and really doesn't accomplish any of it. The surfing is a combination of badly-lensed shots of stunt doubles on small waves mixed with even worse shots of the actors in front of rear-projected waves (although these are intentionally campy, I hope.) The zombies eat garbage instead of brains. And the party… well there's no drugs or alcohol to speak of, but they got one thing right: bare-chested babes, AKA greatest special effect in the world. The girls in this town aren't afraid to whip out the sweater swellers, even at school-sponsored beach parties with parents in attendance. It's just that kind of town.

 

The comedy is a bit spotty and tending toward the luke warm side of success, but still there are some laughs to be had in a couple of the running jokes as well as in random, here-and-there moment. As with everything in this movie, there's no consistency. Surf II manages not only unintentional levity, but also some intentional bits that work the way they're supposed to even after all these years. There's even a moment of artistic humor during a scene when the families of the two surfer kids are shown eating breakfast in their respective kitchens in a side-by-side composite shot. The two dads say the same lines at the same times, as do the mothers and sons, highlighting the suburban gentrification of their lives. It's a surprising moment of adroitness amid the tomfoolery that carries most of the film.
 

Another surprise is that Stoltz isn't the film's standout star despite having what must be the highest Q Score among the cast.. Eddie Deezen's strange, Jerry Lewis-like charm is the best thing going in this ragged group of 80's performers, and makes him feel like the protagonist, although technically he's the antagonist. Deezen's squeaky, nasal voice defied all odds to become a fun and interesting characterization, a fact that's won him a number of famous voice roles in films like The Polar Express and animated shows like 'Dexter's Laboratory.' He is a walking cartoon character that's simultaneously creepy and loveable. Such is the dichotomy of the Deez, and man who by all accounts plays himself inevery role.

 

Stoltz, however, does the kind of acting that makes me wonder if he knew this was, like, a real movie, dude. His performance is the very definition of autopilot acting. Although to be fair, this may

have been before he developed any acting chops; but whatever the reason, he adds nary a drop of charisma to the movie during his relatively long stint of screen time. It's disappointing, too, because had he done a better job, Surf II could have risen to loftier cult status.

 

While the synopsis might lead one to expect a mid-size production, Surf II looks like a well-funded student film at best, and the script and performances are on par with that. Any attempt at narrative feels disconnected, begging one to wonder if writer-director Randall Badat was asleep when he thought of it, drunk when he wrote it, and high every minute on set. Essentially what we have is a series of witless vignettes strung together in a loose structure that barely comes together at the end.

 

But this is 80's comedy, not a Fitzgerald novel, so things like plot and depth are of minimal concern, if any concern at all.

 

If you aren't sold on the movie, so be it. However, I think it's meaningful to mention that Surf II shares something in common with RadRev favorite Hardbodies; to wit, both films belong to IMDb's keyword section for "Yanked Off Bikini Top." That automatically makes it okay in my book.

 

In summation: Deezen + knockers = watchable.

 

 

Rating: 2/5 Umbrella hat Deezens

 

 

 

 

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