Friday Night In: Bustin Down The Door
First off, I know what you’re thinking… it’s May 1st. Marketing campaigns reach all of us. But why spend perfectly good just-earned-salary-check money on seeing Wolverine on opening weekend when you can wait ’til Discount Tuesday (less crowded and no pre-teens kicking the back of your chair repeatedly while screaming asinine comments for 2 hours straight) and in the mean time rent the flick below? Just a really good thought.
[flash http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NOfm4WEMCs]
“What have you done for forty-five years?” It’s a question that is posed to you in Jeremy Gosch’s documentary about the revolution of the stance of surfing in 1975 on Hawaii’s North Shore.
Taking into account that this is a film about surfing, which lends itself to the association with the likes of films such as Endless Summer, Blue Crush, and Point Break (Though I have nothing but obsessed love for Point Break), Bustin Down the Door commands an entirely different side of your mind (i.e., the side that isn’t high on, ahem, ‘life’). Be it the beauty of the storyline, the power of these men’s passions, or the concept of a sporting legend created by a handful of men, this film demands your full attention; so none of that getting up to use the loo or heat up more popcorn once you’ve pressed play.
It’s always awe-inspiring to witness people pushing their own dreams to the limit. And the men at the heart of this film (Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew, Shaun Tomson, and Mark Richards) did exactly that, and not just against themselves – which would have been tricky enough – but against society as well. The film illustrates how they set up pro-surfing to be the billion dollar industry that it is today; Kelly Slater best send them a thank you note and perhaps a slice of his endorsement checks.
Personally, I have always been a fan of documentaries. They ensnare you from the start in a completely different manner than any narrative film can. And the best part is you cannot walk away from these films and go, “Well, it was just a movie.” Because it’s not. That revelation allows you to truly connect with these people despite the boundaries of celluloid. Narrated by Ed Norton (You may be asking y
ourself: what is this hard-core method actor doing narrating a surf film? If you only knew what he’s done for the surf community as a whole–advocated for the age of pro-surfers to drop below 7, personally rescued over 13 surfers from shark attacks and is currently in plans for the inaugural Ed Norton Pipeline Open), the film is complete with an inevitable generous amount of spectacular surf footage juxtaposed with interviews of these surf titans looking back on their heyday with a striking sense of nostalgia and at times, ruefulness. The 1975 shots taken with Super 8 cameras are in mint condition and provide some of the more memorable moments of the film showcasing the camaraderie amongst these men even as they are just lounging about on the beaches and chasing after girls.
With such an interesting cast of characters and a slew of unique events surrounding the professional start of the sport by a few brash boys from Australia and South Africa, this film stands out amongst a sea (pun intended) of films and documentaries.
On a closing note, I received a request to add to my recommendations a little note highlighting other films one would in fact enjoy if by some unlucky chance they have already seen the aforementioned film. Something to the likes of “If you liked this, you may like such and such film.”
So, as it were:
If you liked Bustin Down the Door, you may want to check out: Murderball, Dogtown and Z boys, and for god’s sake please go re-rent Point Break. Oh, and while you are at it American History X.
Tags:bustin down the door, documentary, Jeremy Gosch, mark richards, shaun tomson, surfing, wayne 'rabbit' bartholomew, wolverine
1. May 2009 at 9:50 am :
i didn’t know ed norton was so involved in the surf scene! even if i weren’t already interested in a) documentaries and b) surfing, i would rent this movie purely because ed norton is the one narrating it. love. him.
1. May 2009 at 9:56 am :
I think I am only going to watch this because the guy in the photo is hot!
1. May 2009 at 9:58 am :
ah, yes. that was me in an apparent failed attempt to be witty. Ed Norton has not saved countless members from shark attacks nor is he creating his own open…but, it would be fun if this spawned a lot of Us Weekly gossip articles. Although, i will give him props for his sexy suave voice-over performance in this flick. still worth it.
1. May 2009 at 11:06 am :
Ed Norton does nothing but surprise me on a film by film basis just because I think he is awesome! Anything with his voice should be amazing! I love that you put other recommendations down there along with this documentary. I also agree that it could be a nice break from your regular narrative movie, where I constantly am predicting what is about to happen. Then, I am only surprised by the twists 40% of the time. But who knew that surfing had such a scene that wasn’t hippies sitting on the beach and using cheesy language. We’ll see….
1. May 2009 at 12:04 pm :
I heard Edward Norton is so good at surfing he doesn’t have to use a board. And he can talk to crustaceans.
1. May 2009 at 12:35 pm :
Ok, so summer is here, temperatures are hot, and the watching this preview means summer is here…. While you northern folks can’t go to the beach now, and have to settle on watching this documentary, some of us will be watching and going to the beach!
1. May 2009 at 12:57 pm :
Kristin, great recommendation. Yep surfing was exploding in the 70′s. Surfing publications were coming out monthly regarding who’s who on the shores. I too love Endless Summer and Point Break. Can’t say much about Blue Crush – not my favorite except it shows girls are just as competitive. I’m looking forward to getting lost (or stoked?) in (on) the big blue scenes & curls of Bustin Down the Door on the big screen.
3. May 2009 at 11:53 pm :
I’ll definitely have to check this one out. Watching the preview totally reminded me of Dogtown and Z Boys. Lords of Dogtown is also good if you like the surfer/skater genre, and I loved Murderball! So that totally helps me guage this film. Please continue to include other recommendations, it’s helpful to see similar movies.
4. May 2009 at 12:59 pm :
Nice! I loved Dogtown and Z Boys so I’ll be checking this one out soon.