The Movie

Surf videos are just plain cool. Granted, I may be a little biased having partially grown up in Hawaii, but nevertheless, when you slap together awesome surfing clips with kickin' music, people want to watch. I guess showing well-built women in skimpy bikinis tear up some waves doesn't hurt either.

The original Blue Crush documentary has become one of the biggest selling surf movies of all time, and went on to inspire last years Universal Studios hit theatrical release of the same name. In fact, the same women who perform in the surfing footage in the theatrical release star in this DVD. In addition to being famous, this video has inspired young women around the world to go out and catch some waves.

Bill Ballard's wonderfully edited Blue Crush, filmed in 1998, takes you around the world to see some of the best women surfers show off their stuff. You get to follow big names such as Layne Beachley, Lisa Anderson, Rochelle Ballard, and Megan Abubo as they surf some of the most beautiful beaches in Samoa, Cabo San Lucas, Gold Coast, South Africa, and of course, Hawaii. Besides the great video footage, what really makes this movie work is the utterly perfect music selection. The music, highlighted by Inner Circle, Dance Hall Crashers, Towa Tei, and Crystal Method, blends so seamlessly with the footage it accompanies you'd almost believe the artists had composed the music right there on the beach. In addition, the surfers featured in Blue Crush are so likeable and so carefree that you just can't help but enjoy watching them do what they do best.

The DVD

Video: Blue Crush is presented in a 1.33:1 full screen aspect ratio. This is the type of movie that would really shine in High Definition video, so unfortunately for now we'll have to settle with the normal DVD format. It's a shame though that this DVD release doesn't look as good as it could, for the video looks blocky and pixilated in many scenes throughout the movie. Also, edge enhancement appears to be laid on pretty thick and is easily apparent if you look for it. But it should be noted that the video is not consistent because several different surfing clips have been edited in that are of varying ages and from varying sources. However, if you don't sit too close to your TV, most of these video imperfections will not bother you. Overall, the video is somewhat of a disappointment but is still very fun to watch.

Audio: The audio is a stereo affair only, which isn't a problem because the entire move is just dialogue and music. So a 5.1 audio track would simply be overkill for a release of this kind. The music sounds great, which will surely make you want to turn it up!

Extras: There were a lot more special features on this DVD than I was expecting. All of the "Bonus" extras are presented in much the same format as the movie: video accompanied with music.

Bonus: Here you'll find 12 different clips of the girls doing their everyday thing. I found all of these bonus clips to be very enjoyable. They definitely show you how much fun these professional athletes have traveling the world performing a job that doesn't seem so much like work. The clips are: Surf Samoa, Take 2, Serena & Samoa, The Blowhole, Hunting for Elephants, Snickers Satisfies, Samoan Dancers, DVD Credits, Pam Burridge Interview, Shopping in Cabo, Trudy Todd's Tour, and School Kids.

Favorite Section: This is really just a scene selections menu. But it's nice because it's like getting to choose which music video you want to see.

Links: These are links to various surf sponsors.

Trailers: These are trailers for other Billygoat Production videos.


Final Thoughts

Blue Crush is a wonderful surf video. It's the movie that catapulted women surfing into the spotlight, and has become an instant classic. And despite the pitfalls of this DVD transfer, it's still a beautiful looking movie. The music is fantastic, and really immerses you into the film. If you're a woman, and are even remotely interested in surfing, you owe it to yourself to buy this DVD. However, anyone can enjoy the beauty and upbeat energy this documentary has to offer.