Customer Reviews

Koastal Media presents STYLEMASTERS Surfing DVD Film

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This is poetry in motion, must have. 70s surfing so much soul, so symbiotic with the wave, no agro airs. I have never taken the time to write a review before that is how good it is. Shaun Thompson, Buttons, Lopez, MR... wow and awesome soundtrack. You will be so happy to watch these stylemasters 1 and 2.

Directors and narrators (both one in the same) set the scene with some over-the-top and melodramatic verbal guides through this essential historic piece of celluloid for anyone who appreciates surfing. The DVD provides lots of extras such as additional footage and extended interviews with Gerry Lopez and the likes about the pivotal transition period in the 1970s in Hawaii. The interviews actually last longer than the feature documentary film, pieced together through stock 16 mm film shot during the 1970s. But given what we see during the special features, why weren't they added during the feature documentary? That's about the only weakness in the film. Buttons, Lopez, Bertleman, the list goes on and on for the giants who hurled the sport from longboard themes to the progressive and scene-altering shortboard revolution and all with style. Like I said, the special features are excellent and an alternative viewing option with the "Bluebird Version" allows the viewer to watch the film with the music only with no narration (sound quality noticeably weak, though and poorly presented in aspect). Bluebird, an alt. band from the LA area, lays down a dynamic soundtrack reminiscent of some of the band's music that was used in the greatest surf film of all time, SingleFin: Yellow, produced in 2003. Get the soundtrack too, (feedback, reverb and distortion akin to wild Pink Floyd) because Bluebird seems to be at their peak. There also could have been a directors' (both directors) commentary, although their narration seems to already provide that. But the commentary could go further into the back story of some of the film they're featuring, conditions and all that. It's a missing element that would have been nice to add. But overall, wow, the footage is excellent and the stock footage provides a color palate that's hard to reproduce these days. Beautiful piece of work and certainly one of the most important historical documentaries in the surfing world.