Barnes & Noble

Writer-director Dana Brown -- whose dad, Bruce, helmed the classic surfing flick Endless Summer -- follows in his father's footsteps and takes a 21st-century look at the sport, employing up-to-date cinematographic technology to bring the audience right into those monster waves. The film stars dedicated surfers Ken "Skindog" Collins, Laird Hamilton, Rochelle Ballard, and Gerry Lopez as they test the waters around the globe. Where Bruce Brown cast his beach bums as nomads, wandering in search of the perfect wave and sharing smiles with like-minded dudes, junior is eager to capture the sport as a broader phenomenon, showing women, kids, and men caught in curls everywhere from shores of Ireland to the beaches of Vietnam. In one sequence, he latches onto a group of top female surfers and takes to Tahiti's famous Teahupo'o Beach. He also follows three Irish brothers as they not only introduce some local kids to surfing but also invite Protestant boys and girls to join Catholic kids for the lessons. As can be expected, the surfing footage is heart-pounding stuff; you'll be amazed just how close Brown will bring you to the action. Slow-motion camera work elongates some of the most spectacular rides, and you'll feel every wipeout as though it had happened to you. Well, almost. Don’t be surprised to find yourself reaching for a towel when this movie is over, and that's a powerful tribute not only to the effectiveness of the director's staging but also to the passion he brings to documenting this exhilarating sport. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Second generation surfing documentarian Dana Brown (son to Bruce Brown, who directed The Endless Summer 2) strikes out with his own original piece of filmmaking with his 2003 ode to the world's surfing enthusiasts entitled Step Into Liquid. Part travelogue, and part attempt to redefine surfing's image, Brown travels to some of the ordinary surfing locales -- such as Hawaii and the West Coast of the United States -- as well as some rather unexpected ones, including the west coast of Wisconsin on Lake Michigan to Easter Island to a secular surfing school in Ireland. While in these diverse locations, Brown interviews the numerous souls whose lives have been taken over by the lure of surfing, ranging from seasoned professionals to casual hobbyists, in an attempt to dispel the myth of surfers being perpetually stoned slackers. Step Into Liquid was selected to screen at a handful of film festivals in 2003, including the Nodance Film Festival in Park City, UT. Ryan Shriver

Product Details

• UPC: 012236191582
• Source: LIONS GATE
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 1:28:00
• Sales Rank: 27,437

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