REVIEW: Last Hope – 16 original short (surf) films

Last Hope is as the title above says, a collection of 16 short films about surfing. The project was pulled together by a couple of surf media veterans, Andrew Kidman and Aaron Curnow. In his intro remarks, Kidman says “I thought something special would come of just letting the filmmakers make whatever they wanted.”

I thought it would be an interesting exercise to create a review as I watched Last Hope. But rather than just sit here tapping away while I watched, I’ve decided to take a more absurd approach and to document my responses as I have them via Twitter. So, here’s the plan: at 1150 Sydney time, I’ll push the play button and start tweeting.

To follow them as they happen, just point your browser to my twitter stream at: http://twitter.com/mr_realsurf

Well, that was interesting… here are all my tweets in the movie running order…

#lasthope opens w/slo mo of Nat Young at Angourie in the 70s. Chill tune fun, fun looking waves and super smooth Animal

Nat sequence shot by Albert Falzon, mellow tune oh ma the sea is rising, study of kid standing on rocks and swell coming in – nice

Bones soCal surfer profile, surfin’ philosopher, vintage singlefin, California green water, tune Been So Long slow and mellow

Mini waves – ultra glassy tiny cylinders in slo mo, very meditative & gorgeous almost cgi look to footage. If only I was 6″ tall!

Brocky & Baddy by Albert Falzon, more blue far north 70′s perfection – out takes from Morning of the Earth

Falzon’s Brocky & Baddy vintage single fins at Angourie in some long ago 70′s summer – oo MP! stylin’

Colts sequence… some place in US, car on fwy, horse racing shots () moody, but where’s da waves man

Let me see the Colts tune by Smog, nice, but only water seen is San Francisco bay

“Dad’s been away again” Sufjan Stevens tune soundtrack to combo of vintage surf footage and home movies. Moody nostalgic feel

Val’s nightmare features live ver of dirty three’s everything’s f*d , tasty tune, and some outtakes from Litmus movie.

“Val’s nightmare” dark sequences from the cutting room floor, concert footage to surf footage ratio about 5 to 1

“Atlantic City Ashes” sequence & tune of same title, if that’s surf in Atlantic City, it looks solid. First seq pretty dodgy but

“Atlantic City Ashes” cold water walls and super short fishy (looks like kneeboard) footage dark & wintery brrr.

“central Cal” is dat Piedras Blancas Split screen b&w guy drawing patterns in sand – oo Sandspit seq too brief! Spacey tune

“central Cal” hangglider seq, cloudy beach, waves from train where Ranch, Jalama No surfin’ but moody & like the sand artist

“requiem for the lot” Cali surfers defending Wind’n'sea parking lot against redevlopment, super fun looking wave too.

“Requiem for the Lot” Windansea parking lot overlooking the wave special to those folks. Becoming a dog park apparently.

“A train” Not having swell gives you time to think, read about and contemplate surfing. Agree. Ode to the marginal days. Nice.

“A train” surfing in New York to Holly Throsby tune One of you for me, man water looks cold & landscape dire.-but waves are waves

Spaceshell sequence, more dark, moody intro, big waves, Ghost Tree maybe Then little Rincon La Jolla who knows, in Cali tho

“The Island” super8 grainy, old Ektachrome blue, many summers ago, smokin’ rights. Now smokin’ lefts. Early 80′s maybe in HI

“The Island” old film world. Colour shifted, beat up and scratched, can’t help but be melancholy

“End” by John Frank, opens with sea and sky from boat, little coda to the collecction. Credit roll…

the last word. Generally worthy, probably much too arty for typical surf movie audiences, consistent if dark mood… good tunes

the last word cont, sequences well crafted, not modern performance surfing , but that’s what everyone else does in their vids.

last words: a good collection for a rainy afternoon waiting for surf & reflecting on waves past…

The Last Hope DVD is bundled with a CD of all the music and a 24 page booklet with thoughts, interviews and pictures. It’s released on the Spunk Records label.