Surf soundtrack goes live

A new kind of musical movie experience is set to hit Surf City tonight at the Pierside SurfCity 6 (formerly Mann’s Pierside Pavilion).

In another installment of Big Red Productions’ Surf Theater, moviegoers will get to explore 7,000 miles of coastline and breaks with five Austrians exploring the surf phenomenon.

“Zen and Zero,” an surf film made by Philipp Manderla of landlocked Austria, follows in the footsteps of Allan Weisbecker’s cult surf novel “In Search of Captain Zero,” promising to be a surf film like no other.

“It’s the most intelligent surf film I’ve ever seen,” said Leslie Carlos of Big Red.

Along with the innovative premise of not only finding great surf but looking beyond the waves to the men and women who patiently wait for them, guests who come to one of tonight’s two screenings will get a chance to hear the entire soundtrack played live by a band led by the film’s composer Herwig Maurer, who has worked on films like “The Passion of the Christ” and “Ghost Ship.”

The clincher ? they’ll be playing the music in sync with the movie.

“Initially, the plan was to have an elaborate premiere in Europe, where I was asked if I’d be into doing a concert after the movie to play some of the material from the soundtrack,” he said. “Then [Manderla] asked if I could just play the music live for the movie.”

Initially Maurer, 32, was hesitant because of the high level of difficulty such an engineering feat would require, but his concerns only made Manderla more excited about the idea.

“I said, ‘Nah, it’s too difficult,’” he said. “There’s a reason why no one else is doing it. It gets pretty complicated.”

Complicated or not, Maurer accepted the challenge and began looking for musicians willing to take on the job.

Unlike many surf films on the market, the music in “Zen and Zero” is all original, composed and recorded by Maurer.

“[The music] is sort of like desert rock, or mellow rock, with a rock-type guitar theme,” he said. “There’s almost a little bit of a Western quality ? like Neil Young and Ry Cooder and all that type of music.”

Maurer and his bandmates have played at two other premieres in Munich and Los Angeles County, and feel confident in bringing the show to Huntington.

Specialty programs like this are in line with the philosophy of the movie theater’s new owners, Newport Beach-based The Movie Experience, said spokeswoman Lisa Kanno.

“We’re really excited,” she said. “We’ve never done anything like this before at any of our locations. It’s definitely something that is exciting and I think will go very well.”

The Movie Experience officially took over the Mann’s Pierside Pavilion on May 12 and lowered the price of admission. Surf City joins the company’s other locations in Temecula, San Luis Obispo and Lake Arrowhead, and Canno said they encourage residents to make suggestions on programs they’d like to see.

Some of the films they’ll be showing every other Wednesday during the summer are “Big Wednesday,” “Point Break,” “Dogtown and Z-Boys,” “Riding Giants,” “North Shore” and “Jaws.”

I’m really excited about the new ownership” Carlos said. “They are very progressive with independent films, and they’re open to fresh marketing ideas.”

Canno and The Movie Experience are also creating an art-house setting at the theaters, which will screen art and independent films, and serve free coffee in a bistro-like setting.

For more information about Surf Theater, or to purchase tickets, log on to www.bigredprod.com. For more information about tonight’s film, visit www.zenandzero.com.hbi.08-surfmovie-CPhotoInfoG31RO67N20060608j0gu0vnc(LA) A scene from the movie “Zen and Zero,” a surf film created by Austrian filmmaker Philipp Manderla. “Zen and Zero” follows the footsteps of Allan Weisbecker’s “In Search of Captain Zero,” as five Austrian surfers try to find waves and the secret of the surf phenomenon.