Step Into Liquid (2004)

Even if you're afraid of the water, Step Into Liquid, a documentary on quirky surf culture from around the world, will make you want to don a wet suit and wax up your board. Director Dana Brown captures on camera some of the most compelling wave footage ever. From 60-foot-high monoliths to 2-foot ripples, every drop of ocean looks more gorgeous than cut sapphire. But as he tells stories of surfing the Great Lakes, Texas shipping channels, and off the coasts of Ireland and Chile, Brown's overblown narration frequently ''snakes'' enjoyment of ''the stoke.''

EXTRAS Fortunately, Brown doesn't talk so much here. Instead, there's a cool surfing lesson from Robert ''Wingnut'' Weaver, complex rules on wave etiquette (which should help you avoid getting punched out on your next Hawaiian vacation), and an amazing look at the film's cameramen -- who may just be more extreme than the surfers they were shooting.

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