The Endless Bummer

Picaresque Screening, Mollusk Surf Shop, Brooklyn, June Somethingorother-
Alright, so I have to be honest right away. That's a little uncomfortable as I usually let all the honesty bits ooze out a touch later in the relationship, but I'm trying to turn over a new leaf and this is an important part of the fiasco. I didn't see the whole thing. The movie, that is. I didn't stick around for the whole film. It's not because I didn't want to. If you read on (and I won't assume you will at this point) you'll notice I think quite a lot about what I did see. The fact is, Juliette got hit riding her motorcycle and she doesn't have insurance and they were having a fund-raiser up at Matchless for her at the same time, and I'm not a night owl see, not usually, and so I had to cut out because god-damn if Juliette isn't great and doesn't deserve everyone's support. So there you go. In the end I reckon I got to see roughly half the film (the first half) and for an added extra bonus I got to talk to Mikey DeTemple on the bounce back (see Mish Mash film in the previous post.) The review will likely be compromised in other ways as well. Mostly because it will be short, glowing and short (I only saw the first half, remember) and I don't possess the probably necessary mental catalog of surf films to have any real shot at surf academia. I mean, if you don't read any more beyond that last sentence I'll understand. I mean, I am surprised you made it this far. So here we go. As far as surf films go I figure there are a few types. Narrated ones with modular story lines and descriptive, sort of winkingly bland voice over. Slash and dash wall-to-wall sorts accompanied by a sonic montage of SoCal-type punk crescendos, pausing momentarily for comical interludes of sorts. And then there are the other kinds. I can't remember what they are. Real documentary style kinds. Or sort of historical 70s kinds. Or some other sort I can't think of. Doesn't matter. Picaresque doesn't necessarily fit the genre categories I can think of. And that's a good thing. The closest it comes is to the modern Taylor Steele sort (Type B) or the 70s groovy ones (Type D). But it falls a good bit short of those. And by short I don't mean to imply a bad thing, rather an editing technique. As far as I can tell, Picaresque is the product of filmmakers who aren't inspired by point and gawk methods used by the standard wall-to-wall action video. With odd angles and lighting scenarios, continuously (and surprisingly relevant) editing and a photographic canniness I've not found so consistent in the surf film genus, Picaresque is one of those films I won't need to cut into pieces so I can play it on my iPhone on the subway ride to work. Nope, it is good enough as is. As far as the music goes, it was totally other. No SoCal punk, no post-folk, nothing so expected. Just one anthemic and fitting rock tune after another. And the longboarding is exceptional and the locations are interesting. Just totally, totally enjoyable. I'll buy it. I'll play it for my son in the morning before school. And as I said, I'll stick it on my iPhone untouched. And that pretty much says it all. To me.
-toddy

High Seas Films