Surf II

''Surf II'' is a 1984 American comedy film written and directed by Randall M. Badat and starring Eddie Deezen, Linda Kerridge, Eric Stoltz and Jeffrey Rogers. The plot follows two dim-witted surfers attempting to thwart the plans of a mad scientist attempting to rid the beaches of surfers by turning them into zombie punks through chemically-altered soda pop.

A parody of 1960s-style beach party films, ''Surf II'' mixes elements of the science fiction, horror, surf and sex comedy genres, featuring a prominent soundtrack comprising both classic surf music and contemporary new wave. Although the film was received negatively by critics upon released, it has since been positively reappraised in cult film circles. In 2021, Vinegar Syndrome released a 2k restoration of the film on Blu-ray.

Despite the title's implication, ''Surf II'' is not a sequel and there was never a ''Surf I''. The film was marketed with a number of subheadings, the most common of which was the tongue-in-cheek ''Surf II: The End of the Trilogy''.

Plot

:''Long ago in "The Good Old Days", surfers ruled. It was bitchin'! That was before the threat of chemical pollution, nuclear waste and the horror of Buzzz Cola.''

:''Menlo Schwartzer was a high school genius who hated surfers. He invented a weird soft drink, involved local businessmen and set out to rule the coast. He nearly succeeded. This is the story of Buzzz Cola and Menlo's revenge.''

Deep in his secret underwater laboratory, teenage mad scientist Menlo Schwartzer plots to rid the beaches of his greatest enemies: surfers. Having been driven to revenge following a cruel practical joke gone awry, Menlo concocts an addictive chemical agent which turns its drinkers into mutated, garbage-ingesting zombie punks. With the reluctant help of his girlfriend Sparkle and a pair of greedy, cigar-chomping soda businessmen, Menlo distributes the chemical under the guise of "Buzzz Cola", and one by one begins to build an army of brainless zombie slaves to do his bidding.

After several of their friends fall victim to Buzzz Cola, airheaded surfer dudes Chuck and Bob begin to piece together the parts of Menlo's evil scheme. Finding no help from their spaced-out parents or the bumbling efforts of the local police force, the two enlist the services of their eccentric science teacher and vow to stop Menlo for good, or else they will not be able to compete in the big surf contest this weekend.

Cast

* Eddie Deezen as Menlo Schwartzer
* Linda Kerridge as Sparkle (Florinda Budnik)
* Eric Stoltz as Chuck
* Jeffrey Rogers as Bob
* Peter Isacksen as Dr. Beaker
* Joshua Cadman as Johnny Big Head
* Tom Villard as Jocko O'Finley
* Corinne Bohrer as Cindy Lou
* Lucinda Dooling as Lindy Sue
* Cleavon Little as Principal Daddy-O
* Lyle Waggoner as Chief Boyardie
* Ron Palillo as Inspector Underwear
* Morgan Paull as Chuck's Dad
* Ruth Buzzi as Chuck's Mom
* Biff Manard as Bob's Dad
* Brandis Kemp as Bob's Mom
* Terry Kiser as Mr. O'Finley
* Carol Wayne as Mrs. O'Finley
* Lucy Lee Flippin as Mrs. Big Head
* Fred Asparagus as Fat Boy #1
* Jim Greenleaf as Fat Boy #2
* The Untouchables as themselves
* Jed the Fish and The Poorman as Disc Jockeys
* Shaun Tomson and Skip Engblom as surfers
* Brinke Stevens as student (uncredited)

Production

;Writing

Director and screenwriter Randall Badat conceived the idea for ''Surf II'' while he was living in Venice, California during the early 1980s, drawing inspiration from stories about the colorful punk characters in his local surf scene and by incidents of contaminated water and chemical spills in the area.''The Stupidest Movie Ever Made: Drinking the Drink of Surf II'' (2021) According to Badat, he had suffered a surfing injury to his face which necessitated the use of heavy painkillers; it was during this period of being "whacked out of isgourd on Demerol" that he discussed the concept of a satirical beach party movie he described as "Frankie and Annette Go to Hell" with his writer friends, who encouraged him to develop it into a screenplay. Badat wrote the first draft of the screenplay over the course of two days. Originally titled ''Surf Death: The Movie'', the film was originally envisioned as "darker and more sinister", which Badat likened to a Russ Meyer film or "an '80s punk version of '' Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein''".

After completing the screenplay, Badat's agent dismissed it as "the worst piece of shit e'dever seen". Undeterred, Badat continued to shop the script around until it eventually caught the attention of independent film producers George Braunstein and Ron Hamady, who helped put together financing and eventually sold the project to production company Arista Films at the Cannes Film Festival. At this point, the film's title - which had been changed to ''Surf Trash'' - was again changed to ''Surf II'', which Badat claims was a sarcastic extension on the trend of films featuring the subheading "The Movie".Badat, Randall. ''Surf II'' Director's Commentary, Vinegar Syndrome (2021) Arista had planned to film ''Surf II'' in 3-D