Point Break Live

First, there must be full disclosure. For all these years (1) now, you have been led to believe that Random Ramblings is a fully staffed internet endeavor, with multiple revenue streams going towards travel, clients, interpretive dance classes, billboard promotion, etc.  However, we (I) cannot live the lie anymore. There is only one member/CEO/Editor in Chief of Random Ramblings.  If there is ever a “we” where an “I” should be in the future, it is just self-denial creeping in. Feel free to virtually slap me in the face.  I just felt like your reading experience would be heightened by the new sense of honesty that you would feel by hearing this admission (in the great words of Marky Mark, “Feel it, feel it“). If you find yourself feeling extremely disillusioned and wanting a refund, feel free to seek out that money by whatever means necessary (extreme force, if warranted).  We will release our office location later (ie-never).

Today I viewed the cinematic goodness that is “Point Break“.  This gem from 1991 has everything you could ask for in a movie.  Keanu Reeves, surfing, Keanu Reeves using surf speak (insert obvious “how is that different from any other movie” joke here), Patrick Swayze, and no embarrassing Patrick Swayze songs on the soundtrack. Speaking of the soundtrack, there is an excellent song by Wire Train called “I Will Not Fall” that is prominently featured during a scene where Keanu Reeves’ character, Johnny Utah, is indeed trying not to fall off his surfboard. Kudos to the screenwriter for that tidbit of cleverness!)

Ok, so the movie is a bit over the top. But I still love it.  I saw it in the theater multiple times and it still holds up for that part of me that likes brainless action movies. And truth be told, it isn’t as brainless as most of Michael Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer’s swill. But is hard not to smirk when Bodhi, played subtly by Swayze, tells Utah that the secret to catching a wave is to “harness it’s energy and react to it”. or when Utah and his partner, Pappas (Busey) engage in various high fives and comraderie building yelling.

So it was with much happiness that I recently discovered that there is such a thing as “Point Break Live”.  This is a live production that is mostly performed out in California (road trip, anyone).  They pick a person out of the audience to perform the role of Utah, and they take care of the rest.  How this has escaped the notice of Broadway and the Tony Awards is beyond me.  But I’m going to go ahead and say, without having actually seen this, that this is the best idea in the history of live performance. Because even as I watched the movie as a 14 year old, I knew there was a dimension that was missing. “Sure,” I thought, “The ocean plays a big part in the movie, and Anthony Kiedis has his foot shot in it, but wouldn’t it just be that much more meaningful to see this performed as a magical live drama?”.  I didn’t have the resources or the daring to pull it off then, but thank God that someone did.  I’m still pulling for them to do a nationwide tour, but if not, I may have to make a special trip out to Cali.

In summary, perhaps the biggest lesson I’ve learned a lot from my multiple viewings of this movie is that 100% pure adrenaline, while intoxicating, usually results in your downfall. Try to get it cut down to like 75% pure adrenaline, and you should be ok.