Film Review "A Wedge To Remember" at La Paloma Theatre

 Big Wedge Wednesday Revisited on the Big Screen.

 On Wednesday August 27^th 2014, Hurricane Marie delivered one of the biggest south swells to hit the west coast in two decades.   Bodysurfers, Surfers, BodyBoarders, and Photographers alike scrambled to the coastline to experience a piece of her gnarliness. “A Wedge to Remember” directed by 34-year-old Josh Pomer is a documentary film, which intends to capture surfing history, thru the “Storm of the Century.” The plot for the film is told from the point-of-view of photographers, by gathering and merging images, from Newport Point to the Wedge, Malibu, to Sandspit in Santa Barbara. A storyline that screams InstaOscar.

 Fast Forward to Wednesday November 5, 2014, La Paloma Theatre, Encinitas, California. Approximately 2 months after Hurricane Marie immortalized hurricane names forever. A sold out crowd from groms to grandmas are frothing at the mouth, waiting for the Barrels, Wipeouts, and Big Wave glory. Instead of the standard announcement to shut off your cellphone, the MC exclaims, “If you see a wave that blows your mind, scream and shout.” I’m amped and my only regret is not bringing a noisemaker.

 1 hour and 15 minutes later, the movie comes to a close with its fair share of ohhhs and ahhhs, and a lot of unanswered questions. Like where were the bodysurfers?  How big were the actual waves? What were the lifeguards up to that day; did they have a day off? Was anyone on the shoreline watching? How much money did I spend to watch this flick? Is there still time to get home and re-watch “Come Hell or High Water”?

If anything, this film certainly made me curious to check out Josh Pomer’s other movies, especially” Discovering Mavericks,” which was the winner of the Newport Beach Film Festival audience award in 2013. Just to try and understand his style and perspective better.

Truth be told maybe it's just better to make memories, than relive them.