The Endless Summer (1966)

If you love the seashore and if you're fond of surfing you will definitely like Bruce Brown's documentary, one of the first ever shot on surf culture. Still if you don't like surfing or even the seashore its very likely you'll love it. It's not just the ultimate surfer movie, actually I didn't select one single shot in which there's actually someone riding the waves. This is one of these documentaries that covers so much more than just the main-subject; it's about unknown cultures, a cool lifestyle, traveling, beautiful sceneries, silly and good humor but most of all about some cool dudes that know how to enjoy life. And of course the endless shots of some guys and girls floating on the waves are breathtaking, wave after wave.

From Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, South-Africa, Australia, New-Zeeland, Tahiti to Hawai the two surfers, Michael Hynson and Robert August, are searching for the best spots to practice their skills and to discover the surroundings. Persol sunglasses, fisherman knits, slick haircuts, khaki chino's, waterproof watches, Vans sneakers, Fiat 500's, Volkswagen Beetles, suits and naturally the oldskool surfboards are all present. Bruce Brown really knows how to cover a certain subculture.

If you liked 'The Endless Summer' you should make sure you get to see 'On Any Sunday' real soon too. The second documentary by Brown covers motorcycling and dirt-bike riding and features Steve McQueen (as a professional driver) among others and has the typical Bruce Brown elements added to it.

A River Runs Through It (1992)

Movies that cover the places in nature where human presence is not an everyday occurrence always get a hold of my attention. Whether it's 'Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.. and Spring' from Korean's best Ki-duk Kim or the beautiful shots of nature Terrence Malick manages to capture in all of his oeuvre. Robert Redford chose the landscape around Missoula, Montana for a peaceful depiction of the story about two brothers sharing a passion for fly-fishing inherited from their father. I tried fishing with my brother when we were young in the urban environment we lived in and never really could understood the thrill about it. But when having these fly fishing rods and a fast-flowing river nearby I can imagine.

One of the best roles I know of from an innocent Brad Pitt presents some classic Americana outfits; out fishing with his suspenders khakis and Red Wing Irish Setters. And other old-fashioned wear from the American countryside like round collars on the flannel check shirts, an overload of hatstyles and the funnel used by the deaf to improve his hearing.