“Expencive Porno Movie” (sic) is not your ordinary surf film. Directed by Argentine surfer and filmmaker Tin Ojeda and released in 2014, the movie features the to-be-expected great surf sequences by great surfers (the very talented Alex Knost making a couple of lengthy appearances in the flick) and highly original, arty interludes.
But what is so special about this surf film is that it was all shot on actual 16mm film in an experimental retro-style that celebrates — almost to the point of fetish — the low-fi, rough-hewn early 1970’s-era filmmaking style common to low-budget, independent American Blaxploitation, sexploitation and X-rated “adult” films of the period. All sorts of happy accidents that come with using celluloid — light leaks, dust, scratches and other flaws — can be seen in the footage. And the soundtrack is a beautifully curated set of organ-laden R&B, Afro-pop, funk, jazz, and jazz-rock from the era that perfectly matches the film’s aesthetic.
Surfing aside, the movie is a beauty, a true original that has raised the aesthetic bar for the genre. Check out the trailer below and this Wax magazine interview with Ojeda.
Expencive Porno Movie Trailer – Available on DVD from Grandview on Vimeo.
GLOBAL GRAPHICA 