aystacy Two L.A. surf gangs, The Vals (the rich kids) and the Locs (the poor kids) are rivals but one of the Vals falls for a Loc's sister and all hell breaks loose. This is all in the middle of a big surf competition that the Locs (basically Reef, the leader) are desperately trying to win. There's constant fighting, surfing, partying and two people falling in love who agree there's more out of life than surfing. And there's Gitch, she's just a bad-ass chick that does her own thing. She teaches country bumpkin Andy all about fitting in. The movie is definitely not a household name and I'm sure about 99% of the population hasn't seen it. But for some reason, as a girl who grew up in the Midwest, this movie ignited my obsession with surfing. It's cheesy and totally 80s but it is my favorite movie ever! When this movie finally became available on DVD a few years back, my sister-in-law (also her favorite movie) surprised me with it. I thought I would realize the corniness after all these years but it is still as good as the first time. Basically if you like surfing and cheesy 80s movies, I totally recommend it, dude.

Woodyanders Nice guy ace surfer Nick Rainwood (a solid and likable performance by Richard Joseph Paul) meets and falls for the sweet Allie Yorkin (an appealing portrayal by the fetching Danielle von Zerneck) while participating in a major surfing competition. They attempt to bridge the gulf between the rival surf groups they belong to with their romance. Director Fritz Kiersch, working from a neat script by Robert King, relates the entertaining story at a brisk pace, maintains an engaging tone throughout, and offers a way gnarly evocation of 80's surf culture complete with funky slang, crazy hairdos, hot babes in bikinis, a rough'n'ready parking garage rumble, and lots of breathtaking footage of dudes blowing tubes on their sticks. The able cast sink their teeth into the snazzy array of colorful characters: Keith Coogan contributes a winning turn as naive farm boy Andy, Roxanna Zal provides plenty of zing as the feisty Glitch, Tracey Walter has a nifty part as a spaced-out philosophical bum, Hunter von Leer registers favorably as Nick's easygoing mentor Midos, Greta Blackburn does well as the supportive Mrs. Yorkin, Sonny Bono has a few funny moments as a laid-back veteran surfer reminiscing about the old days with his buds, Elizabeth Kaitan pours on the cute as a bubbly beach bunny, and Dick Miller even pops up as a surf contest official. The kickin' soundtrack supplies an extra kinetic buzz. The Surf Punks appear as themselves at a party. The bright cinematography by Don Burgess gives this picture an attractive sunny look. David Kitay's melodic score does the tuneful trick. A cool little flick.

Pepper Anne Is it really so hard to write a sports-themed adventure screenplay without the trite Romeo and Juliet cliché? Think of Under the Boardwalk as a surf-styled variation of the late 80s skate film, Thrashin'. (In fact, Brett Marx, who the curly blonde, Marone, was in Thrashin'). The film is told in flashback format as a surfer "from the future" narrates to his aquatic buddy the tale of the greatest surfer their beach has ever known. Much of the film concerns the conflict between some local surfers and some guys from the Valley (get a load of Stuart Fratkin's stone cold mulletude) which gets considerably worse as Nick, the pacifist cutie from the Valley, falls in love with the sister of crude local surfer, Reef. Needless to say, you should expect a final surf-off-for-her-love-and-his-reputation finale.Meanwhile, Nick has to make a decision about his future and whether he'll accept a scholarship to attend Stanford or whether he'll stay on the beach, get sponsored, and be what his friends may consider a true surfer-for-life.The movie is the ultimate Hollywood perversion of surfers, their sport, and their culture, which is especially evident as the writers try to inject as much pseudo-surfing slang in the conversations between the Valleys and the locals (see the seen where Andy asks Reef's sisters to translate the conversation between he and his friends). And this alone may be reason enough to turn the viewer off.However, as the film continues, despite a lack of much substantive story development, the film does become more entertaining. And, aside from the terribly clichéd plot and even more ridiculous dialog, there are many things here that 80s fans might enjoy purely for the atmosphere and the somewhat disconnected situations that the characters become involved in. For one thing, it's loaded with familiar b-movie 80s regulars like Kieth Coogan, Wally Ward, the gorgeous Chris Rydell, Marx, Fritkin, Tracey Walter (paying homage to his philosophical character of 'Repo Man'), Dick Miller, and others. I particularly enjoyed the novelties of the party sequence (with a surfboard-styled bull ride that looked like a lot of fun and an excellent band with a guitar shaped from a skateboard!). I also liked Roxana Zal's spunky character, Gitch, one of the surfers with the most impressive skills. And the little running gags throughout the film.It is really the minor things that make Under the Boardwalk worth trying for you 80s fans out there.

DunnDeeDaGreat Under The Boardwalk is a great guilty pleasure film. It has eighties lingo, cheesey music,and comic relief. A b-movie cast list including Keith Coogan and Danielle Von Zerieck. The film is basically about surfers who have beef. You have the rich surfers and the poor surfers who don't get along. When Nick Ryan falls for Jenny a enemy's sister there'll be hell to pay. Check it out for b-movie night.