Max Miller & John Teague
Rated E
Score 5/6
Torquay, Victoria. This is the small town that went global. A quiet coastal community until the booming surf culture swept in and it swelled to become an international surfing mecca that is home to industry brands and colourful personalities.
Two hours can be a great runtime for movies depending on the genre, though I believe that as a runtime when used by some Marvel movies this runtime might come across as being self indulgent on the part of the filmmakers. Considering the massive history dump about Torquay the mammoth runtime is perfectly understandable though John Teague’s narration does make some spots easier to get through, though some people might find it a good idea to watch this one online so they will be able to rewind if they catch themselves drifting. Because there were a couple of points where I found myself drifting even with how interesting Belly of the Beast is, probably I’ve never considered myself that interested in surf culture..Some of the history about Torquay that was discussed that I found to be interesting included the discussion about William Buckley a convict who escaped the settlement at Port Phillip Bay in 1803, and was given up for dead, while he lived among the Indigenous Wallarranga tribe of the Wathaurong nation for 32 years.Buckley’s improbable survival is believed by many Australians to be the source of the vernacular phrase, “you’ve got Buckley’s or none”. The connection between surfing in Victoria, the reason for the founding of the surf club in Torquay and the founding of the companies Rip Curl and Quicksilver. Recollections of all the partying that went down in the 60’s and 70’s is just another entry in the list why our generation will never be as cool as either parents or grandparents.
