Product Details

• Actors: Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, Willie Nelson, Scott Glenn, Sarah Mason
• Directors: S.R. Bindler
• Producers: Matthew McConaughey, Gus Gustawes, Mark Gustawes
• Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English (Dolby TrueHD 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: December 30, 2008
• Run Time: 85 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B001FU791W
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #137,947 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Surfer, Dude [Blu-ray]" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It’s hard to say just what the target audience for Surfer, Dude is. Maybe surfers--except that since the storyline involves one of the longest big wave droughts in Malibu history, there’s actually precious little surfing to be seen. Probably stoners--not only does the cast include noted herbivores Willie Nelson and Woody Harrelson, but many of the rest of the actors are rarely, if ever, seen without a joint dangling from their mouths. Definitely Matthew McConaughey fans, especially the female kind--as pro surfer icon Steve Addington, McConaughey spends approximately 99% of the movie shirtless. Slight but entertaining, director/co-writer S.R. Bindler’s film finds Addington returning to SoCal following a six-month surfing tour of the world. He soon finds out that things have changed. He still has his manager (Harrelson), but smarmy new sponsor Eddie Zarno (Jeffrey Nordling) wants Steve to appear in a reality TV show and be the model for “Free Surfer,” Zarno’s new “first person immersion video game.” But Steve’s not into it, brah. All he wants to do is surf, get high, and chase women, but when the former dries up for months on end, he decides to forego the other two until the waves return. Meanwhile, the dastardly Zarno re-edits some interview footage to make Addington look bad, whereupon Zarno’s cute East Coast assistant (Alexie Gilmore) quits and takes up with Steve, who plots (sort of) his revenge against the bad guy. It’s all pretty flimsy, occasionally amusing, filled with soft-core female nudity and, you know, like, stoked. --Sam Graham

Stills from Surfer, Dude (Click for larger image)

Beyond Surfer, Dude

Surfer, Dude + Digital Copy [Blu-ray]

More from Matthew McConaughey - Fool's Gold (Widescreen Edition)

More from Anchor Bay - Henry Poole Is Here

Product Description

Longboarding soul surfer Steve Addington (Matthew McConaughey) returns to Malibu to spend his summer surfing his home break. But the waves go flat, and his sponsorship deal turns south. Aided by his manager (Woody Harrelson), his mentor (Scott Glenn), his guardian angel (Willie Nelson), and his summer lover (Alexie Gilmore), Addington has a chance of keeping his cool, but it’s not going to be easy. The dude needs a wave, and there’s never been a drought like this.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Zen Surf and The Art of Doobie May 16, 2009

By Unlucky Frank

Format:DVD

Dudes, comparisons to Spicoli aside, this is a unique little comedy about the religious philosophy of Wake 'n' Bake Surf Culture. Matthew McConaughey is absolutely brilliant as So Cal surf legend Steve Addington. A modern day stoner Buddha seeking enlightenment thru the meditation of carving waves, riding girls, and sipping doobage. McConaughey walks thru almost the entire film shirtless and barefooted, wearing only a pair of baggies. Even when McConaughey is just walking down the street, he's surfing. He's like a fish out of water, brah. His swaggering swaybacked bowlegged performance is fully righteous. And, totally funny. (Not quite, but almost as good as his role as Wooderson in DAZED AND CONFUSED.) His performance is DEAD ON TUBULAR. (Ladies, you're gonna want his bod.)

Obviously, this film is not for everyone. But, this short comedy is rife with religious and aesthetic symbolism. I was stoked by its heaviosity, brah.

Like an aesthetic Christ, The Addman is a free spirited surfer, baptized in The Ocean, who cares nothing for the material world of money and fame. He seeks only religious adoration and worship of God thru The Living Wave, The Sacramental smoke of The Wisdom Weed, and The Unification of The One Body thru sexual concourse with chicks. Upon returning home after being away from Cali on a surfing sojourn, Addington is tempted by The Devil into a starring role on a TV Reality Show about surfers, ala Big Brother, and a chance to profit from his digital image in a virtual reality game called FREE SURFER. Representing Lucifer, ex-surfer and evil TV producer Eddie Zarno (Jeffrey Nordling) entices The Addman with a totally humongous bag of sheckles. "We own his image. And his image is reality." But, Addington is hip to the fact that the illusion is transitory and meaningless. While contemplating a monitor of virtual tropical fish in Zarno's beachhouse studio, The Addman poses this saltwatery Zen koan: "Something's wrong with these fish, dude." No way, brah. The Addman refuses to sell his soul to The Devil for material gain. "I'm not some _ssclown in a greenroom. I'm a surfer, dude."

For what does it profit a dude to gain the world, and lose his wave?

The Devil metaphorically breaks The Addman's skeg, and there is a sudden drought of waves. "Something's bogus, dudes." Totally like Christ, The Addman wanders the desert beaches in prayer, for MORE than 40 days and nights, fasting from the pleasures of The Scented Lotus Blossom and the sustenance of The Good Green, until God's return on The Waves of Everlasting Life Giving Water. It's The Addman's Dark Night of The Soul, man. BRAH?! Why hast thou forsaken, dude?!

Willie Nelson as John The Baptist, who passes his shepherd's rod to The Addman. Will Addington become The Good Shepherd of The Goats? Yay, though I surf through the barrel of the shadow of death I will fear no shark infested waters, for thy rod and thy board they confront me, dude.

Who else but Woody Harrelson, as The Apostle Peter and The Addman's dope smoking manager? "We got financial worries, brah."

Will the Addman sacrifice himself on The Cross of Virtual Surfboard to save the souls of his brahs? You grommets should ask yourselves only one question: WHAT WOULD THE ADDMAN DO?

A perfect Double Feature alongside Swayze's POINT BREAK. Funny, symbolic, and full of topless chicks and bud. (Bitchin'!) This film is defintely worth the rent for Matthew McConaughey's performance, and for all the stoner surfer aesthetes out there. It's like THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST for surfers, dude. Hodads, landlubbers, and non-philosophers might want to avoid this one.

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

Whoa!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's about a surfer, not surfing April 16, 2009

By Gregor Mandella

Format:DVD

I see so many reviews about this that say it isn't surfing. How many of you have hung at the beach and surfed every day? I know lots of surfers who are just like Addington. If you hang at one break long enough you'll find them and generally it doesn't take long! I enjoyed this movie cause it was about a surfer who finds his "world" under attack and has to deal with the greatest hardship (no waves) that could happen. Have you ever lived through a wave drought? Usually won't last longer than a week but it sucks none the less! It didn't have slash and burn hardcore surf footage: so what? It's not a surf video. Having Keith Malloy double as Addington in the water was good style. He rips on a longboard. I rate this highly because it's an accurate depiction of what some surfers are like and how they are focused on nothing but waves!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You either get or you don't! May 12, 2010

By Devin B. Orrell

Format:Blu-ray

For those who rated this 1 star..... after reading each of your reviews careful and thoughtfully, I understand why you would rate this film the way you did.... you don't get it. And that's okay. For those who want a movie that goes way outside the lines, then this is a movie you will enjoy. Enough said on that.....