Surf Now, Apocalypse Later

Marshmallow-sweet romances, convertibles, drive-ins and nighttime beach parties fueled by Coca-Cola and milkshakes: this reassuring image of youth—symbolizing a conformist America enjoying an economic boom after the deprivations of war—fueled the everyday imagination of generations of teenagers. Appropriated by Hollywood, surf culture was meant to provide a backdrop for the restoration of traditional values.
Whether portrayed realistically or artificially, this distinctive culture would exert a phenomenal attraction on thousands of young people in search of escape and freedom. Then came the Vietnam War, a crushing blow to this golden generation, upsetting its fragile balance and plunging a society already gripped by social chaos into a profound identity crisis. Against the idyllic backdrop of California beaches, this documentary explores that shift in values: the sudden and irreversible transformation of a carefree generation until then sheltered from the real world—whether rebellious, like the characters in Big Wednesday, or dutifully conformist, like the muscular young men and well-bred girls of the beach party movies.

Directors : Clara Kuperberg & Robert Kuperberg
Producer : Program 33
Year : 2002
Running time : 52 minutes
Network : Canal Jimmy

Casting

John Milius
Director Big Wednesday

Gary Busey
Actor

Lee Purcell
Actress

William Katt
Actor