Vampire Surfer movie

[Flick James]

I heard there is a film from the 80’s, very low-budget, intentionally campy.  I’ve never seen it.  I thought the title was as simple as Vampire Surfers, but I haven’t found anything on that title.  Anyway, you already know the basic premise.  Vampire surfers terrorize the California coast.  Apparently there’s a scene at the beginning where the members of the 80’s indie band Camper Van Beethoven, playing a bunch of hippies in a VW bus, are the first victims of the vampire surfers.
 
Anyone know about this one? 

[Andrew]

Not a great match, and I am not familiar with that band, but perhaps "Surf II" (1984).

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088207/

I keep hoping for a DVD release of this film.

[Flick James]

It's not Surf II.  I like that one.

I've done some online research and can't come up with anything.  I had read about this film in some liner notes from an old vinyl LP I used to have from that band, but I don't have the LP anymore.  I'm beginning to wonder if it was a student film from UC Santa Cruz, which most of the band members attended in the early 80's.  Just a guess.  Whatever this film is, it's definately obscure. 

For those who are not familiar with Camper Van Beethoven, they were a kick-ass phychedelic/cowboy/punk/ska/folk/etc band from northern California, the main singer of which went on to form Cracker.  Camper almost made it to prominence around 1989 with the album Key Lime Pie.  Their greatest album, however, was 1987's Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart, a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the days of the Patty Hearst trial.   

[Rev. Powell]

I have no idea about the movie, you may be right, could be a student film.  Just wanted to second your recommendation of "Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart."  One of my favorite rock albums of all time, there's not a weak track on it. 

[Rayo Casablanca]

I concur, fantastic band.

Here are the actual notes:
"NEVER GO BACK: B-movie and CVB aficionados may recall this song from the soundtrack of Paul MacKinney's 1974 classic "Vampire Surfers" movie. The Campers actually have cameo roles in the film: they play a group of doomed microbus hippies who camp on a deserted beach. Needless to say, they last only a few minutes into the movie. Later, at a surfer beach hangout (many will recognize it as the now defunct Safari Sam's in Huntington Beach), "Never Go Back" blares from the jukebox while the tanless, cape-wearing Transylvanian surfers square off against a wholesome bunch of California wavehounds."

[Flick James]

Wholeheartedly agreed.  BTW, I was wrong about that album, it was 1988.  I saw Camper about 5 times back in the late 80's, and every show was great.  The first time I saw them was in '87 at a place called McCabes Guitar Shop in L.A.  They played in the back room lined with various acoustic stringed instruments from various parts of the world, on a tiny stage in a tiny room that held about 80 people.  What a show!  They had a horn section come out of about 12 players who positioned themselves along the walls around the room, so depending on where you sat, you heard the section differently.  I was sitting next to a french horn and a trombone so I heard those predominantly.  At one point in the show they were going around the room and picking instruments off the wall and playing various songs with them, mostly David Lowry and Jonathan Segal.  Very organic.  You knew you were seeing something that noone else will ever see.  I was sad to see the departure of Jonathan Segal for Key Lime Pie, the band just wasn't the same.  The woman that replaced him was technically a better violinist, but just didn't bring the same things to the table that he did.

Anyway, sorry to turn a movie board into a music board.  I will stop pining for the good old days now.

[Flick James]

OMG, Rayo, that sounds exactly like the liner notes that I recall.  Why can I not find anything on the internet about this film?  I even search google with the keywords "vampire surfers 1974" and can't find anything.  Any leads?

[Flick James]

Okay, I still have my doubts as to the existence of "Vampire Surfers."  I can't find any information on Paul MacKinney.  I think it either doesn't exist or it's a student film that was never distributed.

[Rev. Powell]

Okay, I still have my doubts as to the existence of "Vampire Surfers."  I can't find any information on Paul MacKinney.  I think it either doesn't exist or it's a student film that was never distributed.

It looks like the movie is a hoax.  Check out the review of Vampire Can Mating Oven from AMG: "With completely over-the-top fake liner notes from an 'Isaac Fringe' describing the song's origins ... 'Never Go Back,' allegedly from the soundtrack of a 1974 surfer vampire movie (but of course)."

As to McCabe's, jlb67, I envy you.  Apparently everyone plays well at McCabe's.  About 12 artists have released albums entitled "Live at McCabe's."  In particular Norman Blake (bluegrass/acoustic guitar icon) scorched the strings there. 

[Flick James]

I kinda figured that.  I know that David Lowry wasn't exactly very young during his stint with CVB, but he, and the rest of the band, would have been too young to have appeared as hippies in a movie in 1974. 

And yes, McCabes is awesome.