Surfer, Dude (2008)

Director:

S.R. Bindler

Writers:

S.R. Bindler
Mark Gustawes (screenplay)
(more)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

"love and waves, that's what we need in these dark days."

Plot:

A wave twisting tale of a soul searching surfer experiencing an existential crisis.

Plot Keywords:

Waves | Endorsement | Surfing | Barefoot | Surfboard

Cast

Matthew McConaughey	...	Steve Addington
Alexie Gilmore	...	Danni Martin
Jeffrey Nordling	...	Eddie Zarno
Woody Harrelson	...	Jack Mayweather
Zachary Knighton	...	Brillo Murphy (as Zach Knighton)
Todd Stashwick	...	Vic Hayes
Nathan Phillips	...	Baker Smith
Ramon Rodriguez	...	Lupe La Rosa
Scott Glenn	...	Alister Greenbough
John Terry	...	Mercer Martin
Sarah Wright	...	Stacy
K.D. Aubert	...	April-May (as KD Aubert)
Willie Nelson	...	Farmer Bob
Johnny Sneed	...	Technical Director
Nancy Fish	...	Margaret
Nolan North	...	Mr. Simons
Cassandra Hepburn	...	Luanne
Mario Revolori	...	Mexican Boy (as Mario Quinonez Jr.)
Cheryl Francis Harrington	...	Woman Customs Agent
Jamison Yang	...	Customs Agent #2
Justin Sandler	...	Punk Surfer #1
Brad Ashten	...	Punk Surfer #2
Julia Carpenter	...	Punk Girl #1
Bru Muller	...	Garage Customer (as Bru Miller)
Joseph Steven Yang	...	Korean Guy - Translator
Travis Fimmel	...	Johnny Doran
Maya McClean	...	Twin #1
Nandy McClean	...	Twin #2
Stacy Stas	...	Brunette #1
Kristin Peterson	...	Brunette #2 (as Kristen Michelle Peterson)
P.J. Byrne	...	Zarno's Lawyer (as PJ Byrne)
Sara Rivas	...	Punk Girl #2
Michael Mantenuto	...	House Poser
Lauren Coffield	...	Blonde #1
Veronica Taylor	...	Blonde #2
Hannah Cornett	...	Blonde #3
Brooke Allison	...	Interviewer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tommy Kijas	...	Punk Surfer #3
Seth Baird	...	Drunk Dancer (uncredited)
Stephanie Bartak	...	Bikini Girl (uncredited)
Brynn Bromley	...	Reality House Girl (uncredited)
Gian Carlo	...	Market Kid (uncredited)
Danielle Cooper	...	Bikini Girl (uncredited)
Byron de Marse	...	Reality House Dude (uncredited)
AnnaMaria Demara	...	Bikini Girl (uncredited)
Brandon DeShazer	...	Security #1 (uncredited)
Michael Drummond	...	Surfer Boy with Camera (uncredited)
Patty Duran	...	Surfer-Bikini Girl (uncredited)
Jessica Felice	...	Reality Girl (uncredited)
Matt Flanagan	...	Reality House Guy (uncredited)
Courtney Fleming	...	Bikini Girl (uncredited)
Gina Fricchione	...	Woman in Shoe Store (uncredited)
Isaac Gabaeff	...	Krazy Party Dancer (uncredited)
Brie Gabrielle	...	Bikini Girl (uncredited)
Christina Gabrielle	...	Fruit Bowl Girl Party Dancer (uncredited)
Austin Graves	...	Bikini Model (uncredited)
Curtis Dean Harrier	...	Surfer (uncredited)
David Harris	...	Life Guard (uncredited)
Amber Hay	...	Reality House Girl (uncredited)
Krysten Klein	...	Beach Girl (uncredited)
David Josh Lawrence	...	Surfer (uncredited)
Paula Lemes	...	Surfer Friend (uncredited)
Liz Lueders	...	Party Setup Woman (uncredited)
Thomas Lynch	...	Drunk Surfer (uncredited)
Amanda MacLachlan	...	Surfer Girl (uncredited)
Isabella Mancini	...	Girl (uncredited)
Ryan Manuel	...	Reality House Dude (uncredited)
Chayce Marnell	...	Surfer Boy with Board (uncredited)
Mickey Meyer	...	Surfer (uncredited)
George A. Miki	...	Security Guard (uncredited)
Bill O'Donnell	...	Additional Surfer (uncredited)
Mary-Jessica Pitts	...	Farmers Market Kid (uncredited)
Stephanie A. Purdy	...	K-9 Customs Officer (uncredited)
Tanner Alexander Redman	...	Reality Dude (uncredited)
Lawrence J. Russo	...	Cabbie (uncredited)
Carol Shook	...	Business Traveller (uncredited)
Kimberly Suida	...	Limo Girl (uncredited)
Channing Swift	...	Mayweather's Gardener (uncredited)
Laundrea Thomas	...	Bikini Dancer (uncredited)
Katherine VanderLinden	...	Traveler (uncredited)

Directed by
S.R. Bindler

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
S.R. Bindler
Mark Gustawes		screenplay
George Mays
Cory Van Dyke		screenplay

Produced by
Jason Berk	....	executive producer
Gus Gustawes	....	producer
Mark Gustawes	....	producer
Matt Lane	....	executive producer
Matthew McConaughey	....	producer
Alex G. Scott	....	associate producer
James W. Skotchdopole	....	executive producer
Peter Toumasis	....	reality producer
Dennis Weiss	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Blake Neely
Xavier Rudd

Cinematography by
Elliot Davis		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Nancy Richardson

Casting by
Anne McCarthy
Don Phillips
Jay Scully

Production Design by
T.K. Kirkpatrick

Set Decoration by
Linda Spheeris

Costume Design by
Jonny Pray		(as Jon Pray)

Makeup Department
Marc Boyle	....	hair department head
Catherine Childers	....	assistant hair stylist
Carol Collini	....	key makeup artist
Hitomi Golba	....	key hair stylist
Bernadette Mazur	....	makeup department head
Lygia Orta	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Tracey Landon	....	production supervisor
Tim Pedegana	....	post-production supervisor
Alex G. Scott	....	assistant production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jason Baffa	....	surf unit director
Jason Z. Kemp	....	second second assistant director
Jon Mallard	....	first assistant director
Tyler Romary	....	second assistant director
Cory Van Dyke	....	second unit director

Art Department
Jason Garner	....	art department assistant
Sean D. Jackson	....	set dresser
Robert E. Knight	....	head paint foreman
Andrew Moore	....	construction coordinator
Eric P. Paczkowski	....	drapery foreman
Darren Patnode	....	on-set dresser
Harlan Spatz	....	set dresser
Eric Stalker	....	props
Keith Stalker	....	general foreman
Kathleen Walker	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Tim Boggs	....	adr supervisor
Chris David	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rickley W. Dumm	....	sound effects editor
Alan Freedman	....	adr mixer
Frank Gaeta	....	sound re-recording mixer
Frank Gaeta	....	supervising sound editor
Catherine Harper	....	foley artist
Shawn Holden	....	sound mixer
Joe Iemola	....	sound editor
Jesse Kaplan	....	sound utility
Darrin Mann	....	foley mixer
Chris Navarro	....	adr mixer
Cary Weitz	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Giuliano Fiumani	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Peter 'Beak' Cvijanovic	....	senior compositor
Christopher Ide	....	post production assistant
John Kearns	....	digital restoration
Nineli Khanian	....	digital compositor
Erin L. Nelson	....	digital restoration
Shane Strickman	....	compositor (as Shane Paugh)
Olcun Tan	....	visual effects supervisor
Wilson Tang	....	digital restoration
Thomas Tannenberger	....	visual effects supervisor
Sherman Toy	....	visual effects coordinator
Philip Fraschetti	....	digital compositor: Gradient Effects (uncredited)
Bob Froehlig	....	lead systems engineer: Gradient Effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Mark Dobson	....	water safety
Chris Kerner	....	surfing stunts
Keith Malloy	....	surf double: McConaughey
Mark Norby	....	stunt coordinator
David Sanderson	....	stunt double
C.J. Nelson	....	surfing double (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James W. Apted	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera
Jason Baffa	....	camera operator
Jeremy Cannon	....	camera production assistant
Caz Duffy	....	camera loader
Kristen Eccker	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Greg Fausak	....	best boy grip
Aaron Felton	....	grip
Richard Foreman Jr.	....	still photographer
Bryan Hayes	....	grip
Ronald R. Koch Jr.	....	electrician
Robert Matthews	....	grip
John Joseph Minardi	....	key grip
E.J. Misisco	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Jeff Murrell	....	chief lighting technician
David Pearlberg	....	dolly grip
Steve Reinhardt	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Riley Sidore	....	lamp operator
Christopher Skotchdopole	....	camera production assistant
Henry Tirl	....	Steadicam operator
Henry Tirl	....	camera operator
David Grant Wright	....	grip (as David Wright)

Casting Department
Maryellen Aviano	....	extras casting
Joe Cappelletti	....	adr voice casting
Kellie Gesell	....	casting associate (as Kellie Giselle)
Freddy Luis	....	casting associate
Wayne Morse	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Steve Constancio	....	key set costumer
Christine Orth	....	costume supervisor
Reiko Porter	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Trent Johnson	....	digital film colorist
Todd Kolker	....	post-production coordinator
Mark Sahagun	....	digital intermediate editor
Gregg Schaublin	....	digital intermediate producer
Brian Spirnak	....	assistant editor
Dan Williams	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Deva Anderson	....	music consultant
Christine Bergren	....	music legal
Daniel Heath	....	synthesizer programmer
James T. Hill	....	scoring mixer
Matthew McConaughey	....	music supervisor
Blake Neely	....	score producer (as Blake 'Shook' Neely)
Elizabeth Neely	....	music studio manager
Julie Pearce	....	music editor
Delphine Robertson	....	music consultant

Transportation Department
Tony Barattini	....	driver
Paulie DiCocco	....	driver
J. Armin Garza II	....	driver: camera car
Chuck Martinez	....	production driver
Eric Miller	....	transportation coordinator
Sean J. Moore	....	transportation
Chris Walden	....	driver

Other crew
Jaime Abarca Jr.	....	production assistant
Brooks Bonstin	....	key assistant location manager
Ericka Bryce	....	set medic (as Ericka Bryce Poniewaz)
Kendra Burrell	....	additional set production assistant
John C. Chaney	....	right hand man: McConaughey (as John Chaney)
Deborah Chung	....	production assistant
Robert L. Dohan	....	location manager (as Rob Dohan)
Cushing J.F. Donelan	....	assistant: cast
Shannon Hamed	....	production coordinator
Scott Heller	....	surfing advisor
Nicholas Hiles	....	production assistant
Alexis Jones	....	assistant: Sr. Bindler
Chris Kanzler	....	production assistant
Ruba Kharuf	....	first assistant accountant
Keith Malloy	....	surf consultant
Michelle Maloney	....	set production assistant
Kathy Mattes	....	first accountant
John Minor	....	location scout
Hilary Momberger	....	script supervisor
Debbie Pearl	....	animal coordinator
Stephanie A. Purdy	....	animal trainer
Jason Salzman	....	assistant production coordinator
Lucas Solomon	....	video/computer graphics
Peter M. Starkman	....	chef (as Peter Starkman)
Abran Trujillo	....	production assistant
Mike Williamson	....	assistant: Sr. Bindler
Gary Woldman	....	craft service
Jen Woldrich	....	production assistant
Mallory Yund	....	production assistant
Ian Zweig	....	chef: McConaughey
Cay Templeton	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Jason Baffa	....	acknowledgment: surf sequences inspired by
Morgan Cline	....	very special thanks
Peter Friedlander	....	very special thanks
Gary Goetzman	....	very special thanks
Tory Haljun	....	very special thanks
Tom Hanks	....	very special thanks
Eric Quijano	....	very special thanks
Delphine Robertson	....	very special thanks
Steve Shareshian	....	very special thanks (as Steven Shareshian)
Scott Soens	....	acknowledgment: surf sequences inspired by
Bo Stevenson	....	very special thanks
Elaine Zweig	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Berk/Lane Entertainment (presents)
• J.K. Livin Productions
• Winchester Capital Partners

Distributors

• Odeon (2008) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2008) (USA) (all media)
• Argentina Video Home (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Nordisk Film Theatrical Distribution (2009) (Finland) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes
• Entertainment Clearances  rights and clearances
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Gradient Effects  digital visual effects
• Headquarters Casting  extras casting
• Paws for Effect  animals by
• Sound Satisfaction  foley recording facilities
• Sound for Film  sound post-production
• Technicolor Digital Intermediates  digital intermediate
• Wildfire Studios  sound post-production services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive drug use, language and nudity

Runtime:

USA:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R | UK:15 | Netherlands:12 | Australia:MA | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:M18 | Finland:K-13 | Argentina:13 | South Korea:18

Filming Locations:

Australia

Company:

Berk/Lane Entertainment

Trivia:

Matthew's black and white striped shorts in the film are likely an homage to iconic big wave surfer Greg Noll, who was known for wearing similar "prison-striped" board shorts.

Quotes:

Steve Addington:Quick, don't just do something; stand there.

Soundtrack:

Fuk It

Dude, where's my plot?

Whoa, dude, it like, totally doesn't exist.

This has got to be the slowest and most shallow film I've ever seen. The plot is so thin it's nearly invisible. Once the conflict is set up it's mostly abandoned, and when the resolution comes, it's abrupt and shamelessly contrived. The story is resolved within a span of 5 minutes at the end, and nothing that comes before has any bearing on it.

Also, despite the claimed genre of "comedy", this only barely qualifies. Aside from a few funny lines here and there, this is really not a funny movie. It doesn't even seem to be intended as such. Perhaps it was supposed to be a "surfing movie" instead, which it might have accomplished, if not for the remarkable lack of actual scenes involving people surfing.

This is more like a long stoner fantasy. Really, it's like seeing the dream of a passed-out stoner. You can just see one waking up and going, "Dude, I just had this dream, where I was Matthew McConaughey, only I was like, this famous surfer, and then these corporate dudes were trying to bring me down, but I didn't care and decided to sit on the beach for a couple months."

Or to draw another comparison, it's like listening to an hour and a half of psychedelic music, in that the sober people in the room will be bored, but the stoned people will see all kinds of depth and colors.

This seems to have been made by stoners, for stoners. The only reason I can come up with for this getting made is that it was written, greenlit, directed, and in the end only appreciated by people whose minds have been burned out by too much sun and too many drugs. It's so slow and uneventful that you could watch it and follow the story accurately while simultaneously doing your taxes.

But hey, maybe I just don't have enough laid-back beach bum in me to appreciate something like this. It was after all a good-looking production, with good acting, lots of hot women in bikinis (and a couple without), and pretty beach scenery. Though again, if, like me, you insist on things like an actual story and interesting events occurring in your movies, you're probably best off skipping this.