'Surf School' fifth most rented nontheatrical DVD
The movie produced by a Yuma man in partnership with his Hollywood director friend is the fifth most rented nontheatrical DVD in the country, according to the most recent ranking by Rentrack, the source that tracks movie rentals and sales for the motion picture industry.
"It's the best release we have ever had," said Director Joel Silverman, from his home in the Los Angeles area. "Our movie is the only movie in the top five not made by a major studio."
The movie, "Surf School," was made by Silverman and Doyle McCurley, owner of McCurley Bail Bonds in Yuma, and released as an independent film last year. It was shown in a limited number of theaters around the country, including a June 1 premiere at Yuma's Harkins Theatres. Several stars from the movie also attended the showing.
"It's great to be there, but it doesn't surprise me," McCurley said. "We had the second funniest movie in theaters last year."
"These movies are pure fun," Silverman said. "They are silly and try to have a meaningful message."
A teen comedy, "Surf School" is about a group of students, who are complete outcasts at their high school - the surf-crazed Laguna Beach High School - who decide to crash a team surf contest and pull off the ultimate underdog victory.
According to Videobusiness.com, which posted the rankings on its Web site on Monday afternoon, "Surf School," cracked the top five list of nontheatrical releases for the week ending July 29.
"It's considered nontheatrical because the movie was not made by a major studio and was not released throughout the country," Silverman said.
Variety Magazine, which is a movie industry trade publication, will also run the same list in its latest issue.
"Surf School" is currently available nationwide in every major video-rental chain, such as Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, Hastings and NetFlix.
Lion's Gate Entertainment, which bought the domestic movie rights to "Surf School" last year, released the movie to DVD on July 17.
But big-screen success isn't anything new for the movie-making pair. Their first movie, "Nailed," won critical acclaim in 2001 and the second movie they worked on together, 2004's "Death to the Supermodels," was at one time ranked as the 11th most rented nontheatrical released DVD.
Silverman said "Surf School" has done so well that Lion's Gate wants them to make a sequel.
"The movie company doesn't want people to forget about the first one, so they want to get it out as soon as possible," Silverman said. "It's really a nice problem to have."
Filming on the sequel, Silverman said, is expected to begin later this year in Hawaii or Costa Rica, with the film to be released in the summer of 2008.
The sequel will be a straight-to-DVD release, meaning it won't be shown in theaters.
On a side note, Silverman said he and McCurley have a meeting today (Tuesday) in Los Angeles with screenwriter George Gallo, who wrote the 1988 movie "Midnight Run."
Gallo, Silverman said, is interested in doing a television series about a bail bondsman, and wants to speak with McCurley.
"You never know. It's a long shot, but it's a funny concept," Silverman said. "It could be a really good folksy comedy."
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James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.
