Surf Nazis Must Die Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1987

When a gang of Californian surf Nazis brutally murder Eleanor "Mama" Washington's son, she comes to one simple conclusion: the Surf Nazis must die. Arming herself with a pistol and hand grenades, she leaves the comforts of her nursing home to hunt down each and every member of the neo-Nazi gang.

This campy low-budget flick certainly doesn't qualify as a good movie (it's a Troma production, after all), but it's so quirky and unique that over the years Surf Nazis Must Die has become a true cult classic.

In the near future a monstrous earthquake rocks the Californian coastline, shattering countless communities and creating an anarchic society where various gangs reign supreme. Only these gangs don't rule the streets. Instead they have turf battles over the beaches and prime surfing spots.

The tenuous peace that exists among the gangs is disrupted when Adolf (Barry Brenner), leader of the Surf Nazis, initiates a gang war against the other assorted groups. Since the more powerful Nazis are wiping the floor with their opponents, the other gangs form an anti-Nazi alliance.

Even the alliance isn't able to keep the Surf Nazis back, but one old lady is determined to succeed where other gangs have failed. This lady is Eleanor "Mama" Washington (Gail Neely), one cheesed off mama that is motivated to kill the gang members to avenge the death of her adult son. Rambo has nothing on this old gal either, for she leaves the sanctity of her nursing home armed with bullets and grenades.

The resulting hunt will take place on the beaches, at the gang's hideout and even on the waves. Can "Mama" dish out the ultimate form of justice to the Nazi leader? Watch the film to find out.

In case you couldn't tell by now, Surf Nazis Must Die is just plain weird. The acting is atrocious, the budget was likely lower than a high school production and the storyline is one only a stoned surfer can appreciate. Yet despite all its clear faults, Surf Nazis Must Die is one of those movies that many film fans will want to watch just to see what all the hubbub is about.

In fact the sole reason to watch this flick is to see Gail Neely play Mama Washington – she was hilarious! She brought a frenetic glee to Surf Nazis Must Die, simply stealing every scene she was in. Now granted with the no-name actors that she had to work with that's not a hard feat, but still, Gail did a great job playing a campy version of the stereotypical old-fashioned Christian black grandmas that are depicted in films.

Readers that are aware of Troma's flicks might be fearful of the gore and nudity quotient, but those with more sensitive stomachs need not worry. Surf Nazis Must Die isn't a typical gore-laden horror/Troma flick – it's a pure campfest where violence takes a serious back seat to the… errr… story?

Well, anyways, the bottom line is that this film – like many Troma films – is pretty bad in a somewhat fun kind of way. If the quirky storyline above has you curious, Surf Nazis Must Die is probably worth at least a rental if for no other reason than to cheer Mama Washington on during her quest for vengeance.

Movie rating: 4 stars

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