The Californians Review

You can catch an excellent interview with filmmaker, Jamie Budge on Liquid Salt.Net The Californians - a film by Jamie Budge When you've seen as many surf films as I have since the 1950's you tend to lose count. I've even forgotten the names of the early Australian surf films I made a couple of bucks showing at Pier Avenue School in the early-60s. Some films I liked, although quite a number were pretty mediocre. But there have been a few I've really loved. That's the problem I'm having with writing a review for Jamie Budge's latest film, "The Californians." I really loved it, but I've already used every superlative I can think of on my review of his last film, "The Living Curl." I'll try anyway. (cont. below ...) click on The Living Curl poster to see a trailer of the film on YouTube
For some, a good surfing film should be all about surfing shots and nothing else. For my money, however, a good surfing film should also tell a story. It takes a really great surfing film to make that story entertaining, informative and humorous. But only a really, really, REALLY GREAT surfing film combines that story with riveting surfing, delightful visual effects and the kind of background music that flows like honey over a hot rock. Long story short: "The Californians" isn't just a great surfing film. It's a really, really, REALLY GREAT surfing film.
Like Budge's "The Living Curl," "The Californians" captures a pivotal era in surfing's past and makes yesterday's fun, today's fun. While Budge's last film documented the post-Gidget period to the mid-60s, "The Californians" takes up where "The Living Curl" left off. It traces the people, influences and social changes that led to a virtual revolution in surfing styles, attitudes, performance and surfboard designs.	Midget Farrelly on the nose
The film features many of surfing's top stylists, including Miki Dora, John Peck, Bob Cooper, David Nuuhiwa, Corky Carroll, Midget Farrelly, Dewey Weber, Nat Young, Dru Harrison, Dale Dobson, Mike Purpus, Bob Baron, Jay Riddle, Angie Reno, Brad McCall, Rolf Aurness, JoJo Perrin, Davey Hilton, Jerry Lopez and Clyde Beatty Jr. And it shows how their styles and performance developed and changed with the times.

This film also gives viewers the special bonus of additional footage from Hal Jepson, Craig Stecyk (of Dogtown and Z-Boys fame), Janice Barberi, David Mellin and one James Arness (aka Marshall Dillon). And, as usual, Jamie Budge's youthful, lighthearted narration is one of the film's highlights.

Of "The Living Curl" I wrote: "The Living Curl is a "must see" for all those interested in surfing's rich history or anyone wanting to enjoy a surfing film that combines all the elements needed to make it a classic."

Since I've run out of superlatives, the same can be said for "The Californian." It is really, really, REALLY GREAT!

The Californians - a film by Jamie Budge