Blue Crush 2: Interview

‘Blue Crush 2,’ the highly anticipated sequel to the 2002 smash ‘Blue Crush’ starring Kate Bosworth and Michelle Rodriguez, was released on June 7 and I had the pleasure of sitting down with some of the cast and the director.

I meet Sasha Jackson and Ben Milliken, two of the film’s stars, and director Mike Elliot at ‘Hotel Le Germaine’ in Toronto. It’s clear they’re doing well for themselves, I mean, the hotel is swanky.

The first thing I tell them is that the movie actually surprised me – it was fun and, unlike many sequels, not horrible.

“Did you like it? Because we haven’t seen it yet,” says Jackson.

That must drive you crazy, I say. Imagine yourself being recorded and broadcast to a global audience without approving it. Terrifying right? To make matters worse, Jackson says she can’t stand to watch herself on screen.

“I don’t watch it as it’s me, I never have. But I will notice when I look like, ugly in a scene,” says Jackson. “I’m not good of an actress.”

Jackson has no reason to be tough on herself, though. The budding actress has appeared in everything from ‘One Tree Hill’ to larger film roles that are in the works.

Milliken, though, seems a little less used to fame. Well, at least according to director Elliot, who jokingly berates him for admitting he’s married. “Ben, you’re not supposed to let the little girls out there know that you’re married. The fantasy has to be maintained.”

“I’m terrible at this whole thing,” Milliken says.

As we continue the chat, Jackson admits that she had never been on a surfboard before the film and found it rather difficult to shoot the scenes she did.

“Every time you see me stand up and come off the board, that’s me. Not fall off the board, but [laughs] yes. Every time you see me fall and nearly die, that’s me.”

You can thank her stunt double, Rosy Hudge, for making her look like a pro surfer. In fact, the two look so alike that Jackson’s then-boyfriend mistook her for Sasha while filming, hugging her from behind. Talk about awkward.

Milliken says he’s been surfing his whole life, though (he grew up on Sydney’s northern beaches), which is funny as he only has one surfing scene in the film. Is he mad he couldn’t do more? You bet.

“It would have been fun to surf more, but I was doing as much actual surfing as everyone else,” says Milliken.

“Yes, he did get in the water a lot, it just wasn’t in the movie,” says Jackson.

I turn my attention to the director, Elliot. With a long resume including films like ‘The Eye,’ ‘Death Race 2,’ and ‘The Devil’s Rejects,’ a surfer movie seems a little out of place. What’s it like jumping from action and horror to a fun sport movie?

“Well, it’s all really pretty formulaic. What we do is take the bullets and the blood, and switch it out for bikinis and babes. And then just put it all in the same storyline, and set in on a beach instead of a race track or hell hole or something.”

As we end our short chat, our conversation is increasingly drowned out by the sound of nearby police sirens. Gotta love the city.

Not missing a beat, Jackson says “meanwhile, the police are coming to get us and we have been discovered… Kate Bosworth is actually gagged back there, because she nearly booked this role and she keeps trying to go to press about it, and I’m like ‘listen, Kate Bosworth, you can’t. What is this?’”