The Film (3.5/5)

In the not-so distant future, an earthquake lays waste to a Californian coastline. The surrounding area is now a wasteland and the beaches are now home to gangs. The deadliest being the Surf Nazis, a group of neo-Nazis who will stop at nothing to rule the beaches.

During all this chaos, an elderly lady named Mama Washington (Gail Neely) loses her home and is forced to live in a nursing home. The only bright side to this is the daily visits from her son Leroy (Robert Harden). But this all changes when Leroy is murdered in cold blood by the leader of the Surf Nazis, Adolf (Barry Brenner). Mama is now dead set on vengeance.

SURF NAZIS MUST DIE (1987) was an early film distributed by the notorious Troma Entertainment. A company that can be hit or miss for cult movie fans but still gets taken for granted. But in true Troma fashion, SURF NAZIS is a proud exploitation that works more times than fails.

The film has some major pacing issues in the first 45 minutes but presses on with some cool ideas. Since this was released by Troma, the marketing for the film has always pushed the zany comic moments in the film. But this misleading because I found the movie to be moving in parts despite its limited budget and raunchy sight gags.

SURF plays out more like a budget basement version of Walter Hill’s THE WARRIORS, with a splash of female revenge drama. The surf culture elements are dated and stilted. But the elements of revenge are engaging. Having a sassy elderly African American lady as the hero was fresh and doesn’t come off as a racist sight gag. Gail Neely gives the film it’s best performance and it’s a shame she isn’t better remembered when compiling lists of revenge films of the 80’s.

Audio/Video (4.5/5)

88 films releases SURF on Blu-ray with a handsome new 2K Scan restoration. While not completely perfect, the film is a sight to see. The sound mix is also well kept. The 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio is well balanced and doesn’t feature any hiss or pops. The musical score by Jon McCallum especially sounds wonderful. The track remains an underrated synth gem. English subtitles are included.

The 1080p HD transfer is spot few with some natural film grain. The colors are vivid, and the ocean scenes are magical.

Extras (4/5)

The first interview with actor Tom Shell, entitled “Smeg’s Lament”. Shell comes off as a nice guy with tons of stories of his career in low budget movies. He talks about his early years with Roger Corman and finally working with Troma pictures.  Next up is an interview with Director Peter George. George is another nice and knowable guy who discusses how the production originally began life as an assault on a nursing home movie! 

The last interview is with Producer Robert Tinnell and like the previous two is a joy to watch. There are a few deleted scenes with commentary by George, and a highly entertaining original trailer. The most baffling extra is a promotional piece from the Tromaville Café special.

Overall (4/5)

SURF NAZIS MUST DIE is a fun example of a Troma film for new comers to the Company. 88 Films releases the film in all its cheese filled glory. Recommended.