One of the handful of B movies that George Clooney made before ascending to super-stardom, "Red Surf" tells a decent story about a group of surfer / slacker types who make their money through drug deals, working for a crime kingpin named Calavera (Rick Najera). Mark Remar (Clooney) learns that girlfriend Rebecca (Dedee Pfeiffer) is pregnant, and swears that he just wants that typical "one last big score" so they can make enough money to move to Portland.
This is really not bad at all, in my humble opinion. Granted, the bits with the crime lord are all pretty routine, except for the fact that the guy feeds victims to wolves living in the basement of his property. What makes the difference, and where the film works the best, is its portrayal of the camaraderie between the protagonists, with Doug Savant a standout as Remars' loyal friend Attila. Also appearing are Philip McKeon, as a weasel named True Blue, real life surfer Vincent Klyn (the villain in "Cyborg"), and rock icon Gene Simmons in the key supporting role of "Doc".
The story does turn very conventional in its final act, but "Red Surf" is still worth a look, and fairly poignant at times as well as visceral. The lead character does feel familiar in the sense that he's this jovially irresponsible type who has a hard time facing up to reality, but that Clooney charisma still comes through strong. One definite bonus is that eclectic soundtrack.
Had this been made a dozen years or so earlier, it could easily have made for a decent drive-in movie.
This marked the directing debut for the late H. Gordon Boos, who was usually an *assistant* director on things like "Night of the Comet", "House", and "Platoon".
Seven out of 10.
