Psycho Beach Party (2000) ***1/2
I have a bit of a soft spot for Charles Busch's Psycho Beach Party (2000), as I was musical director for a production of the stage play just shy of 10 years ago. My cousin and I supplied the live tunes on drums and guitar, respectively, and a few of my theatre friends starred and directed as well, including my friend Victoria (in the role(s) of Chicklet/Ann Bowman). Before those 3 performances took place, I watched the film and greatly enjoyed it. But even if I hadn't been involved in the stage play, I'm sure I would have found my way to this whacky little movie eventually and embraced it.
Busch wrote and stars (in drag) in the film adaptation of his play about a regular square teenage girl who wants to learn how to surf and to fall in love but suffers from blackouts, multiple personalities, and might be responsible for a series of murders. Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under (2001–2005)) brilliantly takes over the lead role of Chicklet in the movie, which Busch himself played in the original 1987 production. Ambrose and the rest of the cast (including Amy Adams in only her second film role) perfectly handle the campy nature of the performances (I particularly love Chicklet's brainy best friend Berdine, played by Danni Wheeler). When the characters rhyme their dialogue, beatnik style, you can't help but smile—you dig, crocodile? There's also some LGBTQ+ characters that, while the subject of humor, clearly represent an underlying message of equality, representation and inclusion. The production quality is very solid for a low budget film and certain aspects are played for laughs anyway (such as the intentionally poor green-screened surfing scenes).
Psycho Beach Party is both a love letter to and a parody of the films of its namesake, along with 50s and 60s psycho and melodramas, and slasher flicks. While I personally think PBP would have benefited from an elevated gore factor to make it that much more outrageous, and while the pace drags a little here and there, it's hard to find fault with such a fun film that has this kind of heart. So unpack your bongos, ride the waves, then head to the luau for some limbo and dance-offs, but if you're a little different from the normal crowd, keep your eyes peeled for crazed killers.
Busch wrote and stars (in drag) in the film adaptation of his play about a regular square teenage girl who wants to learn how to surf and to fall in love but suffers from blackouts, multiple personalities, and might be responsible for a series of murders. Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under (2001–2005)) brilliantly takes over the lead role of Chicklet in the movie, which Busch himself played in the original 1987 production. Ambrose and the rest of the cast (including Amy Adams in only her second film role) perfectly handle the campy nature of the performances (I particularly love Chicklet's brainy best friend Berdine, played by Danni Wheeler). When the characters rhyme their dialogue, beatnik style, you can't help but smile—you dig, crocodile? There's also some LGBTQ+ characters that, while the subject of humor, clearly represent an underlying message of equality, representation and inclusion. The production quality is very solid for a low budget film and certain aspects are played for laughs anyway (such as the intentionally poor green-screened surfing scenes).
Psycho Beach Party is both a love letter to and a parody of the films of its namesake, along with 50s and 60s psycho and melodramas, and slasher flicks. While I personally think PBP would have benefited from an elevated gore factor to make it that much more outrageous, and while the pace drags a little here and there, it's hard to find fault with such a fun film that has this kind of heart. So unpack your bongos, ride the waves, then head to the luau for some limbo and dance-offs, but if you're a little different from the normal crowd, keep your eyes peeled for crazed killers.
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