Photo: IMDB
Move over Big Wednesday, there’s a new classic in the surf film canon. A new horror movie about a demonic surfboard just released a trailer, and it’s exactly as crazy as it sounds.
Written and directed by Diq Diamond, Plankenstein is a horror film in which a Kailua police captain attempts to protect her daughter from a demonic surfboard that is attempting to absorb the souls of every surfer in town. The decidedly campy production features surfing, Hawaiian culture, and a hell of a lot of gore.
As to how exactly a surfboard becomes a haunted killing machine: “Hawaiian locals talk story of a fierce king, his radiant queen and his scheming brother,” explains the synopsis. “Amidst a celebratory luau, the king’s brother overpowers the queen and takes her honor atop an old plank board in the water at night. Furious, the king calls upon the spirits of his ancestors to deliver a curse. A pig’s foot, the vessel to enact revenge, is thrown at the brother but misses, and instead hits the old board, cursing it to an eternity.
“Some say the old plank board still floats adrift at sea. Others say the curse has been passed to newer boards throughout the generations. Still, it waits silently adrift waiting to protect the queen’s heirs, awakened only by the stench of fresh pork. The more the board kills, the stronger it becomes.”
As Diamond told Dread Central, the inspiration came from an old abandoned log he found on the North Shore.“I repaired it with metal hinges and twine, creating a Frankensteinian board that sparked the idea for Plankenstein.” he explained.
Plankenstein will premiere at Kailua Cinemas on Oahu on November 8, 2025, followed by a week-long limited theatrical run.
