Wave Babes

Sure, this was made on a shoe-string budget, but it has the energy and quirkiness you have to love when you're sick of the formula Hollywood movies and want something different. The kind of story you don't know where it'll take you next. The kind that doesn't feel bound to make money for big investors.

There's no doubt that talented people made it, just not wealthy people. In some ways, the lack of budget helped to make it work because it suspended your disbelief by not being too slick.

If you like a slick big-budget look, then this definitely isn't for you. There weren't as many takes as the director and actors would've like, but it works for what it is, a unique, fun story with interesting characters.

What can I say? There are sometimes movies that are so dreadfully awful, that when they have finished you feel not only a deep shame for the person you've now become, but cause you to lose faith in humanity as a whole.

That said, there is in "Wave Babes" one performer who delivers such a powerful interpretation of the director's vision, that it causes almost instant swelling of tears to your eyes.

"Obnoxious Beach Boy #1", played by Dustin Petok, is an emotional vortex of Nth dimension intensity rivaling such greats as Olivier, Branagh, Burton, and O'Toole. Petok's performance can arguably be considered a tribute to the long-lost skill of proper theatre acting; a virtual olympic workshop of poise and elocution. His delivery both fine and acute, Dustin Petok practically owns each and every shot, as if the lense and film were not only just weapons contained within his own unique arsenal, but also the steps of a tango to which only he knows the moves.

Never again let it be said that a B-movie must necessarily lack both substance and delivery... For even the darkest of stages can have a bright focused spotlight of hope... and that hope now has a name: Petok.

I must say that the actors and directors and everyone in between put their heart into this project. I saw the extras and really liked the people that did this film and the improvision. The fact that most of the people involved with this, multi-tasked , including the actors. I have to say this dreadfully, that this film was horrible. I can put my heart into playing a major league game but I will still strike out every time. My point being that every facet of this film was bad; The writing, the script, the direction, the acting, the cinematography. It was a dull movie from start to finish. 3 middle age women reliving their past at the beach , they used to hang. Old scores to settle, old friends to party along with new ones. This was simply a bad film, which brought nothing new to the table. There is no redemption from anything even remotely attached to this film. The extras are actually better than the movie itself. Enough said.

Blue Crush this was not. Seems to me this is a low, low budget Sex And The City wannabe movie about surfing. The three starring women in this movie were hardly attractive at all. Maybe if I was in my late 40's to early 50's I would like looking at them. Ashley Yegan was the only woman who I found attractive in this movie. She's the only reason I made it through to the end (By the way, couldn't they find a better body double?).

Not much else to talk about. The movie sucked. The story line was horrible. Let's not even go into the special effects. Toy sharks and the "too obvious" blue screen special effects didn't do it for me at all.

Come to think of it, I'm not even sure who the target audience for this movie was. Too campy and bad for the Sex And The City crowd. Not enough sex and women for the younger male crowd. Or the older male crowd, for that matter. No matter who they were going for, they did something to turn them off of it.

The best and funniest parts were when the end credits were rolling and you got the bloopers and behind the scenes stuff that were much better than the movie itself.

I can't give this movie any more than 2 stars of the 10 available.

If you want "Blue Crush" or even "How To Stuff A Wild Bikini," then this is not the movie for you. But if you just want some shameless laughs and to celebrate independent film-making, then "Wave Babes" is worth a look. I saw this movie at a Gay and Lesbian Film Festival and we (the audience) had a great time. It was fun to see grown-up and real women making fun of themselves and the struggle to stay young and sexy. The cast is funny and serves up the camp on a silver spoon... or a rubber chicken. The story is paper-thin, but it's a comedy... I wasn't looking for a message, just some jokes. Shot in 4 days for 30 grand, in my book, it kicks the stuffing out of some of the big budget movies that are supposed to move us. And I really liked the relationship between the three friends. One of them was gay and it was never an issue, in fact, it was envied at times. It was great to see girlfriends who share common life scenarios without the judgment of orientation. A nice slice of life with cherry on top.