Endless Summer 2 on the big screen for one night only

The cult sequel to Bruce Brown’s 1965 epic surf documentary The Endless Summer is back on the big screen for one night only.

The Torquay Film Society is hosting a screening of The Endless Summer 2 at Bells Beach Brewery next Friday and, with limited seating, registration is essential.

Rotten Tomatoes film reviewer Cole Smithey described the movie as both important and historical.

“The film is an invaluable time capsule of surfing and of cultural significance. If it still occurs as the ultimate example of a vacation-as-vocation movie, then so much the better.”

The 1994 sequel follows the adventures of Pat O’Connell and Robert “Wingnut” Weaver as they retrace the steps of Mike Hynson and Robert August in the first film almost 30 years later.

The Endless Summer series might be an iconic surf classic but it was almost over before it began.

When Bruce Brown finished making the first movie in 1964, he couldn’t find a distributor because nobody thought a surfing flick would have widespread appeal.

After hiring his own theatres for screenings and taking control of his own marketing, Brown finally landed a deal.

When The Endless Summer hit the cinemas in 1965, it didn’t just take the surfing community by storm; the film sparked widespread interest in surfing and wanderlust in audiences worldwide.

The documentary-style movie follows Mike Hynson and Robert August as they chase summer around the world. They travel to California, Tahiti, Ghana, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and more.

The Endless Summer 2, which came out almost 30 years later, was Brown’s final movie. Again, Brown succeeded in making a surfing movie that wasn’t just for surfers.

In non-surfing circles The Endless Summer is sometimes mistakenly thought of as one of the first surfing flicks. However, Brown had been making surf films and developing his artform for 10 years prior to its release.

Brown’s first surf film Slippery When Wet came out in 1958 and follows five surfers from California to Hawaii.

The Endless Summer 2 is screening at Bells Beach Brewery on Friday, April 16 at 7pm (film starts 8pm).

BYO camp chair, otherwise it’s barstools and standing, or be early for a couch. Find out more on the Torquay Film Society Facebook page.