A generous portion of modern day movies are what Macbeth was talking about when he uttered the words, “…full of sound and fury. Signifying nothing.” But SURFER from Doug Burke is no tale told by an idiot. No sir. For this writer, director, actor, poet, musician is also a physics professor – so about as far from an idiot as you can get.
When I was gifted the opportunity to watch the film and chat with Doug I thought I’d look into it a little first. Through my trawling I came to an article that spoke of Surfer as the next ‘The Room’. And, with lines like, “God made me out of squid and lightning” – let’s just say I was intrigued.
What I came away with after watching Surfer is two things. Firstly, it is not the next ‘The Room’ – that along with its creator, Tommy Wiseau, are a law unto themselves. Secondly, Surfer is more than a piece of self-expression, more than what an audience might label as absurd. What I saw was Hamlet, trapped in the microcosm of a relationship between father and son. A father passing on his legacy, ideology, faith – all to aid in the strengthening, fortifying if you will, of his son’s character – specifically to aid him, in this case to get back into the ocean which he loves, but also for the journey – the long life he is yet to experience and endure.
This was one of those instances for me where the character and the motivation, indeed the creator of the picture, was just as fascinating as the images on screen. It was a trip to watch the movie (I hope you will seek it out) as it is to present this interview with one of this world’s true originals in the form of Douglas Burke.
You might say, “Hamlet don’t surf!”
Well, this one does . . .
Podcasting Them Softly 