Customer Reviews

Second Thoughts

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This movie is completely epic. It's about three friends who get dropped off on an uninhabited island in Indonesia for a month, with reef breaks firing all around them. Lots of cool barrel shots and other footage. Anybody who gives this review less than five stars is definitely a kook. This video is a must. I own over twenty surf vids and this is definitely my favorite. There's only two turns in this movie and then the rest is barrel riding. However, the waves, different angles, and the way they set up the camera to capture film inside the barrel is incredible.

"The term 'feral', actually, is an Aussie translation of the traditional U.S. term 'surf bum'. But whereas 'surf bum' describes a sort of genteel, happy-go-lucky young man thoroughly enthralled with surfing as a pre-career lark, feralism has a darker more obsessive side that sometimes manifests itself in creepy life-threatening situations." - Steve Barilotti, SURFER magazine.

The idea of seeking out perfect, uncrowded surf is not as easy as one would think if you understand how far the concept of "surf travel" has progressed over the last three decades. We've gone from a lone niche adventure limited to the brash and brave to something easily sold as an "all inclusive" plush package booked in a few clicks on the internet. It's almost too easy now and everywhere you go - no matter how remote - it seems as if someone has beaten you to the punch. There are full service surf camps, tour operators offering trips to a gazillion locations, fax reports, yachts with a full time crews, satellite phones, surf forecasts sent to your wireless PDA, even helicopters scouting the surf in order to report back the best conditions...it's just gotten a little too much don't you think?

That is why it is refreshing to see the Huntington Beach, CA trio of friends Timmy Turner, Brett Schwartz, and Travis Potter going to the most obscure and out-of-the-way island location in Indonesia in order to find perfect uncrowded surf and live on the land in basic, almost unsafe conditions. The surf is gangbusters. There are sequences of waves so intense that they are unmakeable; but we don't care - just to see these guys throwing themselves over that steep ledge, and making the commitment is mind-bending enough. This film won several awards within the surf industry for it's unique cinematography, most notably filming of waves from the rider's perspective. Not sure what it is like to be in a dredging barrel with razor sharp reef just a few feet below the surface? You'll quickly find out after watching "2nd Thoughts". The last wave of the entire movie is close to 1 minute long with multiple barrel sections. Needless to say, your local beachbreak doesn't even hold a candle to the quality of waves seen here.

The potential dangers of being in such a remote location, with no electricity, no running water, and the nearest hospital 10hours away, are real. The threat of malaria while living/camping out for 3 weeks in a Sumatran jungle become a part of your every day life. What do you do when you run out of water? How do you ration your food properly? How does your gear stay dry from the nightly thunderstorms? The movie does an excellent job of documenting the daily issues these surfers encountered which makes their adventure even more intense. The majority of surfers I know would NEVER want to endure even 1/2 of what these guys did but I hope you'll be inspired next time you take a surf trip to take the road less traveled. I highly recommend this movie and it is in my Top 10 of surf DVDs.

Sidenote: As a testament to how adventurous Timmy Turner is, in the Winter of 2006 - after a surf trip to Mexico - he was stricken with a bacterial infection in his brain. At death's doorstep he has spent months in a hospital but is on the long road to a full recovery involving lots of medical care and rehab. In addition, it is disappointing to report that the Indonesian government has allowed a land-based "surf camp" to set up shop in front of one of the premiere waves featured in this movie. The camp - which is in a natural preserve - is now claiming "exclusive" rights to the surf spot and some surfers have reportedly been threatened for trying to surf it. Lastly, b/c of this movie I was inspired to live in a local's hut for 2 weeks in the Mentawai Island surfing my brains out during the Fall of 2005. Best surf trip of my life....

Remember, life isn't about finding yourself; it's about creating yourself.

First off, there is quite a bit of surfing footage in this film (more than some of the reviewers made seem) and the shots of the guys out there while not surfing kinda made a little story line...not some cheesy scripted one though. Those guys toughed it out but also got some great sufing in too. The "In the Barrel" footage is really some of the best surfing footage around. The waves are big, hollow, and long. Timmy and his friends may not be the absolute best surfers in the world but they hold their own in challenging waves and circumstances. I'd definitely reccomend this video to anyone that likes the ocean. Great deal too.

Surfer magazine named "Second Thoughts" best surf film of 2004.
This isn't the usual surf video with lots of helicopter shots and big name surfers. Turner & co. have ventured to remotest Indonesia where they stake out a deserted island and proceed to go feral while riding huge waves while also filming some of the most awesome surfing footage ever seen.
More like a documentary than a surf video, "Second Thoughts" is well edited and has a great sound track of mostly OC area bands.
One sequence on this DVD has to be one of the longest rides ever taped by a surfer from on the board.
If you want to show someone who doesn't surf what surfing looks and feels like, show them "Second Thoughts."
If you like this film, check out Turner's earlier effort, "Burning the Map."

Way out ride of a dvd with the best surf footage for the year. See awesome footage from inside the barrel of some of the bravest waves ridden since Riding Giants. Tommy Turner turns out a winner of a dvd that is required seeing for any surfer suffering from rich man's wave disease.

A great video. The reason that there's less surfing and more survival type footage than, say, "The September Sessions" is the fact that these guys went against the pro surfer boat/photo trip ethic and experienced a whole lot more than perfect waves. No pampered Bintang chuggers, the Second Thoughts crew get waaay out and deal with some pretty heavy circumstances in order to survive, let alone surf ridiculously heavy waves in the tropical heat all day long. Besides, how many times can we watch pros repeatedly rip apart perfect Indonesian waves? Well, a lot, I guess, but there is certainly more to the spirit of surfing and this video does a good job at capturing parts of that. The pay off is at the end, a ridiculously long left barrel followed by a brutal wipeout/cleanup, all captured in first person perspective. Early Greenough style tube shots, but with ridiculous gaping Indo barrels. Thrilling and heavy. Buy it.

If you're expecting the normal surf VID/DVD then you'll probably be taken back a little. This DVD doesn't have the best airs, cut backs and radical surfing expected with new DVD releases. Instead it has a fantastic insight into 3 guys who challenge Indo's remote islands in search of perfect barrels/waves. It's nothing like survivor as mentioned in another rating/comment. It's a story of pure freedom and the determination of pursuing something they love doing. It's not about money, competitiveness nor fame...just pure enjoyment and freedom. It's a fantastic DVD and it's truly inspiring/uplifting. Anyone who rates it below four isn't a true surfer.

This movie appears to be more of an experiment / reality show with surfing than it does a Jack Johnson type movie.
I'd recommend it for the camera shots in the barrels, this was the first of it's kind for that. Not the most artistic film though but they captured some really cool angles. I'd recommend it.

This is a great surf movie with an equally great soundtrack! Timmy Turner and friends live out their dream of surfing uncrowded, perfect barrels far away from the real world. They truly sacrifice all the luxuries and pretty much some necessities to live out this dream...a dream most of us surfers will never experience. The barrel shots are amazing and it feels like you are on that incredible ride with them. I don't want to give too much away, but every person I have played this movie for (surfers and non-surfers) were amazed with this movie. After seeing the way these surfers live and all that they go through, you understand why the title of the movie is appropriately named, Second Thoughts. I have seen this movie countless times and every time I watch it, I feel like packing up my boards and just taking off on an unknown adventure, but I am not gutsy like Timmy Turner and friends so I will live the dream through this movie. It is a definite 2 thumbs up and also is a great gift for someone!

One of the best surf videos i've seen, not as fancy as big brands videos, different style, original theme, great spots and waves, great tube riding shots, good story....