Welcome To Malibu!
It’s another gorgeous day in Malibu, as the waves crash against the California shoreline – and people are eagerly anticipating the solar eclipse…
The pacific ocean seemed to want to get into the celebration, for we saw some of the biggest waves in Malibu ever – loud and huge….
Because of the upcoming full moon, the waves are larger than usual, and the high tide created some amazing water action at the steps leading to the beach!
Here is a video I took of the waves having a good time as the high tide approached:
The waves have been amazingly strong here, and I could literally watch them for hours…but I decided to get a bit closer for some shots of the waves crashing into the bulkhead…leading to this shot that ended up all over me! Yes, at the end of this video, I found myself right in the path of the spray…
Water In The Movies!
My sister-in-law Lauren told me I needed to showcase great movie moments that took place on the beach, and here are a couple – beginning with this woman, who sees something in the water…
Yes, “Bruce” the shark terrorizes beachgoers in Steven Spielberg’s thriller “Jaws” – talk about a stampede!
Forty-two years later, this shark still shocks movie lovers, but for some reason, Spielberg never seemed that nervous about his villain:
If you want to read more great trivia about this classic film, click here:
Sometimes, the only things you need to make a beach moment iconic is to just step out of the water:
Halle Berry did just that in 2002’s “Die Another Day” as NSA operative Jinx. As EW noted:
“In the grand tradition of Bond girls — most notably Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder in 1962’s “Dr. No” — Berry rocked a bikini to make a showstopping entrance on the beach.”
Yes, Andress made quite the entrance in the first 007 movie – did you know her nickname was Ursula “UNDRESS?”
See more about her “casual relationship with clothing” by reading my story here:
Another iconic movie moment was the first time you got to see Daryl Hannah in her “natural state” in “Splash”:
This movie moment from 1984 helped make “Splash” a big splash at the box office.
But enough of women partially clothed – how about the same with Ralph Macchio?
Yes, “The Karate Kid” has a memorable beachside training scene, where Macchio works on his balance while developing his “crane technique”!
OK, that’s not fair…going back to 007, let’s all remember when Daniel Craig did his “Bond Girl moment” in “Casino Royale”:
My wife Alex told me that was the fair thing to do – I’m sure it had NOTHING to do with how 007 looks in a bathing suit…
Alex also reminded me of the last shot in “The Shawshank Redemption” – when two old friends reunite in Zihuatenajo…as well as scenes in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”, when Mila Kunis dares Jason Segal to jump from a cliff into the Pacific Ocean…it doesn’t go well for him…
But forget all that – the greatest movie moment involving water is actually this amazing TV moment!
The Origin Of “Jumping The Shark!”
Yes, the TV series “Happy Days” inadvertently created a new catchphrase in season 5 when Henry Winkler – as “the Fonz” – and wearing a leather jacket – jumps over a shark on water skis!
A new catchphrase was created that signals the moment when a TV show or movie goes in such a ridiculously wrong direction that it “jumps the shark!”
But time to end on a serious note. This is one moment that has to be mentioned, for good reason.
That’s because the single most iconic beach moment in all time in cinema is “From Here To Eternity”!
This illicit moment, in which the adulterous lovers kiss like there’s no tomorrow, was originally written with them standing up; it was reportedly Lancaster’s idea to shoot it lying down, with water washing over them!
While this moment may have conjured up all sorts of thoughts of intimacy and isolation, making a movie is anything but that, as the behind-the-scenes shot of the moment shows:
Talk About Lack Of Privacy!
Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr has no time to themselves for this scene, which is considered the greatest beach scene of all time.
It was nicely parodied in a number of movies, my favorite being “Airplane!” Their romantic time on the beach left them just a bit more “kelp-covered!”
Even animated movies got into the act, as the scene was parodied in “Shrek!”
Let me know what iconic beach scenes I forgot – time to get wet and wild in the cinema!
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johnrieber 
I’m waiting for my chance to re-enact that From Here to Eternity scene.
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You can do it anytime you want…oh, unless you want someone else in it, then you need some help!
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Haha, a little help would be good.
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hmmm…your wife is right about that Daniel Craig moment….the fair thing to do…Noooo, absolutely no other reason 🙂
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Yes, she got that one right!
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😉
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Nice theme, John. Made me think of ‘Baywatch’! The big moon certainly affected the ocean, but the power of the waves is always fascinating to watch.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, if only the film wasn’t such a disaster! I have to remember that you can never have too much Hasselhoff!
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I think -everyone- watched it for the girls! (OK, maybe not the lady viewers…)
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