Endless Summer - Rob Culpepper

For some people, myself included, winter is a really nice time of year. Of course, I live in the South (in the US), and the weather is generally mild. Most winters we have a few weeks of sub-freezing temps, and this year's came last week. (We still have snow on the ground in spots that don't get much sun.) So we, for a brief time, hunker down like our countrymen up north, and like those around the world who are snowed in regularly. Having stocked up on bread and milk (mainly because that is traditionally what we stock up on when snow threatens), we brace for a few days inside. That usually means movies for me, and I was feeling warmer weather and sunny days....

Endless Summer is a classic documentary about two surfers who travel around the world chasing the summer. The idea is that if you had enough money you could always surf in warm water under warm skies. The film is shot, edited, and narrated by Bruce Brown who does a really great job telling a story that could otherwise be supremely boring. He's got a sharp wit and really keeps things moving. My favorite part of the film was when, in Ghana, the two surfers teach a tribe of Africans how to surf. Also, the discussion of women's swim wear in Australia. Other spots they visit include South Africa, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, and Cali. Lots of great surf is covered, and you don't have to know anything about surfing to enjoy the cinematography, the humor, the scenery, the people, and the 1960s. The world was such a different (innocent? undiscovered?) place that the film is just as much of a time capsule as a surf movie. It'll make you want to travel, and definitely see the sea, and maybe try your skill at some waves.

So if you're hunkered down, waiting out the winter, Netflix that shiz. It's on Instant.