Advertisement
Catherine Zeta-Jones (left), Ewan McGregor (second to right) and the cast of Blue Juice.
Catherine Zeta-Jones (left), Ewan McGregor (second to right) and the cast of Blue Juice.

North Shore’s status as “surfing’s cult classic” threatened by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ewan McGregor fronted Blue Juice!

"I hope, I'm praying that we don't ridicule (surfers) in any way."

I thought I had seen it all, or at least tangentially aware of it all. Every bit of surf-based flotsam and jetsam that has washed through Hollywood/Hollywood-adjacent over the years. From Big Wednesday to Blue Crush, Point Break to Chasing Mavericks. Soul Surfer, Surf’s Up, In God’s Hands, Surfer Dude, Blue Crush 2, Breath, Beach Party, Johnny Tsunami.

The film most quoted by surfers, of course, and long considered our “cult classic,” is North Shore. Sam George’s ex-wife stars alongside Gerry Lopez, Laird Hamilton and others in telling the story of a artist from Arizona with big wave dreams.

Heartwarming and I imagined its place at the top would never be threatened.

Advertisement

And then, for the very first time, I learned about Blue Juice.

The British surf story, released 30 years ago, is apparently experiencing a renaissance, selling out theaters etc. Set in Cornwall, it tells the story of a surf instructor and his girlfriend’s tranquil life getting upset when his unruly friends from London come to visit. The girlfriend just so happens to be Catherine Zeta-Jones. One of the unruly friends Ewan McGregor.

Very aware of her audience, Zeta-Jones declared, “I hope, I’m praying that we don’t ridicule them in any way. It’s about relationships and surfing is a fantastic backdrop to have,” at the 1995 premier in Newquay.

Again, I had never even heard of this picture, much less seen it, but by the looks of the trailer could unseat North Shore.

Advertisement
Blue Juice (1995) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HQ]

Have you enjoyed?

Thoughts?

The Impact of Blue Juice on Surf Culture

0 0 votes
Article Rating

Commented on Disqus? Log out, tap the Disqus button, and your old name and comments come back. The box is ours.

Join the discussion

Your comments are still here. Every one of them.

Twelve years of BeachGrit comments came across from Disqus. Connect and we will show you how many are yours. We get your username, nothing else.

Unclaimed
Handle
Comments
Posting since

Connect Disqus to reveal.

Subscribe
Notify of
46 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
notsurfingtoday

It really was one of the most “in tune with the ocean” moments i remember seeing in competition.
And afterwards goes back to hotel, cuddles baby son to sleep, bangs incredibly hot wife. He’s done well.

Jackie Moon

Gotta say though, I actually don’t mind those Euro cunts. They are generally are fucking kooks and while they are at plague proportions in the northern rivers it’s pretty easy to paddle rings around them and get any wave you want. They know their place too and as soon as it’s over 3ft they’re all over the soft point breaks. Throw Argentinians in there too.

janeausten

Yair, all of that…but mate, the coffee’s way better now.

MeatyInvincible

Didn’t her clam kill Michael Douglas?

Barton Lins

Great writing. But trust me. Brazil surf scene is alive and kicking, completely independent from the rest of the world. Less grommets for sure, the scene definitely grew older.

JSC

A young Catherine Zeta-Jones brandishing a sledgehammer –

What more could you want?

astro

Outstanding !

Chazz Michael Michaels

Peak CZJ.

Nonagon_Infinity

Bondi Tsunami. So bad it’s good, almost
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…

Noncompetitor

Sea of Darkness was pretty underwhelming

Brutus

one day the true story will come out……where Sof D, shows the bottom rung of a much bigger story……

JSC

It will likely be a fictionalised account, where there is a prominent disclaimer that “all persons and situations are fiction” to protect the producers from legal liability –

The problem with “Sea of Darkness” was there was no fictionalisation or legal disclaimer – hence no distribution, exhibition, etc.

The film is supposed to be re-edited for general release, but remove all the liberous material and what do you have? Martin talking endlessly about . . . Martin

Brutus

I was actually there and know the full story!

janeausten

you tease!

channelbottom

Get writin’, sunshine.

justiceminister

North Shore won’t be unseated. But the Skinning flame from Perranporth is coming to make British surfing a big time contender as time goes by. Or so I have been advised. Get yer money down.

Chief of Rort

I remember watching this as a 13 year old grub with a massive crush on Catherine Zeta Jones and my family giving me crap because they thought it was rubbish. Still didn’t stop me watching it 3 times during a 24 hour video rental.
Has anyone seen the Aussie surf thriller/ horror flick called ‘Caught Inside’. It’s about a group of surfers going rouge on a boat trip. I’ve only seen the trailer for it but it looks like it could be an underground gem.

NEGATRON

Gonna track that Caught inside down. Actually looks ok.

Chief of Rort

If you find a streaming service that has it can you let me know thanks mate.

Barrelled

Get a better schtick Rabin. Creating a 2nd online name is old hat here. Next order of business is to upvote your own post through your second Disqus handle. Douchebag!!!

Sit down to pee

Blue Juice is a classic and shits all over those earnest Hollywood attempts at surfing. Fantastic cast, genuinely funny and emotional. I still watch it once every few years.

I grew up in the town where this film is set. It was massive at the time, I remember they did the premiere at the local cinema. Pertwee turned up for it. My school classmate is the bratty kid in the surf lesson. It’s actually a really authentic representation of Cornwall in the 90s, the radio station actually sounded like that, “my mother used to swear by thistledew”.

The only bad part is the usual crap surfing sequence at the end where he goes left and right on the same wave at La Santa.

Jon

Seem to recall hearing that Pertwee and some of the cast/crew got on the piss down in St Agnes with the locals too – would that be right?

Sit down to pee

I was 12 when this came out but apparently that’s what happened. This Carve article about the making of the film mentions it https://www.carvemag.com/2021/06/the-making-of-blue-juice/

Barnycle

I discovered this last year and watched it for the first time (on an Obi Wan kick after watching The Long Way Around) and it was …….something. Catherine’s character was cool and gorgeous.

Stick man

Evil Dead 2

Stick man

Zeta?? …thought she was dead.

Whitefolkswithdreadsarefunny

No. That might be her husband Michael Douglas, who got mouth cancer from eating her pussy so much. At least according to him.

Sean Connery

Gonna see a lot of blue juice in the 2026 mid terms.

Mapski

There will be no more elections.

notsurfingtoday

Fuck yeah jack r.

Mapski

This is why the CT should be held in heaving slabs, separate the wheat from the chaff real quick.

Mapski

And get rid of the finals.

Mapski

Supertubos on hold because waves showed up. Live thread on hold due to an abundance of indifference.

notsurfingtoday

Jack robinson is clearly swimming against the indifference tide – massive massive one. Me and mitchell just creamed our pants


46
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x