Review of Surf Party

Surf Party (1964)
3/10
The Endless Bummer
3 January 2006
This film should be really a 10 on the entertainment scale because it is so hilariously awful. Made in black and white for the drive in circuit in 1964 maybe to cash in on RIDE THE WILD SURF and the AIP Frankie and Annette beach pix etc SURF PARTY is underwater it is so bargain basement. Four girls who all look the same drive daddy's massive convertible to 'the beach' towing the world's biggest cardboard caravan. Here they meet the beach set surfin' by day and groovin' by nite to the tunes hopefully soon the climb the pop charts sung by either THE ROUTERS (!) or THE ASTRONAUTS keenly seeking their big break. Bobby Vinton ad Jackie De Shannon are the stars and they are friends with someone called Milo who, in Big Wednesday style is gonna dare the waves to propel him through the barnacle encrusted legs of the local pier. All very nice, except the film has back projection surfing scenes, and most howlingly of all, 'creates' surf using the backwash from a speedboat - and doesn't disguise it. "Milo's going to shoot the pier" they scream in-between songs. The clothes are 60s fab and the cabana cottages are wonderfully cheaply decorated tiki style with sea-grass matting and shells and nets. I loved it. The audience screamed incessantly, and the songs and the gyrations that the cast are asked to perform are endlessly hilarious. Great fun. But not a 'solid' entry in the surf film / movie genre.
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