Billabong Odyssey

• An extreme sports adventure! Top professional surfers scour the world's oceans to ride the biggest waves on the planet. Experience the thrills and spills of action-packed big wave surfing.Running Time: 92 min. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: SPORTS/GAMES Rating: PG Age: 085393431921 UPC: 085393431921 Manufacturer No: 34319

No Description Available.
Genre: Sports Highlights
Rating: NR
Release Date: 20-APR-2004
Media Type: DVDIn addition to boasting one of the most astonishing opening sequences in the history of extreme-sports filmmaking, Billabong Odyssey offers a breathtaking survey of big-wave surfing at a pivotal stage in its evolution. With the advent of Jet-Ski Waverunners used for "tow-in" access to gigantic waves that paddle-surfers could never reach, this three-year, globe-trotting quest for the world's biggest waves is nothing less than spe! ctacular. As documentaries go it's a bit cruder than 2003's other surfing movie, Step Into Liquid, and many of the same world-class surfers appear in both films (including 49-year-old Ken Bradshaw, still going strong). But Billabong is unrivaled in its abundance of jaw-dropping footage--most of it shot from helicopters hovering in close proximity--showing the sheer, terrifying scale of breaking "tubes"--some reaching 100 feet--at the most challenging big-wave locations on the planet, including Maverick's at Santa Cruz, California; Cortes Bank off the Pacific Coast; "Cyclops" in Australia; Mundaka, Spain; and the treacherous "Jaws" reef on the coast of Maui, Hawaii.

While touching on various hot topics such as safety training, serious wipe-outs, swell-tracking technology, female surfers (like the great Layne Beachley), and hydrofoil surfboards (billed as "the future of the sport"), director Philip Boston applies a casual, competitive structure that's too di! ffuse and lightweight to have much impact. But when the film f! ocuses o n the climactic "Jaws" showdown between Carlos Burle and Mike Parsons, Billabong Odyssey achieves a state of raw power and spiritual intensity, culminating in Parsons' best-ever 10-point ride on a massive tube that constantly threatens to consume him. As dozens of adrenaline-junkie surfers strive for new horizons of unprecedented skill, Billabong Odyssey chronicles their efforts with amazing bird's-eye cinematography. For surfers and non-surfers alike, this movie must be seen to be believed. --Jeff Shannon

Read more »

Breakfast With Scot

• BREAKFAST WITH SCOT (DVD MOVIE)

The lives of Eric, an ex-hockey player, and his partner Sam are thrown into turmoil when they are forced to take in Scot, a flamboyant 11-year-old, who is not the sports-loving “boy” they expected. Starring Tom Cavanagh, Ben Shenkman and Noah Bernett. Like most couples, Eric (Tom Cavanagh, Ed) and Sam (Ben Shenkman, Angels in America) have their differences. A former NHL player, Eric broadcasts sports news, while Sam practices corporate law. If Sam seems comfortable with his orientation, Eric keeps their four-year relationship a secret for the sake of his career. When Sam's wayward brother Billy's girlfriend passes away, the Toronto couple takes temporary custody of her 11-year-old son, Scot (the unflappable Noah Bernett). Until he makes his gardenia-scented entrance, Breakfast with Scot appears to be a comedy about gay parenting, excep! t Scot isn't a typical boy. He sings show tunes, wears feather boas, and makes "T"-shaped pancakes (because his first name ends with one "T"). As an ex-Toronto Maple Leaf, Eric finds Scot's flamboyance discomforting, so he encourages him to play hockey. To his surprise, the kid takes to the ice like a fish to water, but as Scot spends more time with the athletes than the outcasts, he develops a mean streak, which presents even more of a challenge to his guardians. Further, Billy (Colin Cunningham, Da Vinci's Inquest), who lives in Brazil, expresses greater interest in his ex-girlfriend's insurance money than the child that comes with it. Loosely adapted from the novel by Michael Downing and paced like a sitcom, director Laurie Lynd presents few storyline surprises, but the basic premise is sure to resonate with parents of all persuasions. In the end, Scot teaches Eric that it's better to be yourself than to conform to constricting gender roles. --Kathleen C. Fenne! ssy

Read more »