Psycho Beach Party

Infobox Film
name = Psycho Beach Party


caption = DVD cover
director = Robert Lee King
producer = Virginia Biddle
Jon Gerrans
Marcus Hu
Victor Syrmis
writer = Charles Busch
starring = Lauren Ambrose
Thomas Gibson
Nicholas Brendon
Matt Keeslar
distributor = Strand
released = 23 January, 2000 (Sundance Film Festival)
runtime = 95 min.
language = English
budget = $1.5 million
music = Ben Vaughn
awards =
amg_id = 1:193570
imdb_id = 0206226
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"Psycho Beach Party" is a 2000 film based on the off-Broadway play of the same name, directed by Robert Lee King. Charles Busch wrote both the original play and the screenplay. As the title suggests, "Psycho Beach Party", set in 1962 Malibu Beach, is a parody of 1950s and 1960s beach movies. Besides the obvious references to "Gidget" and similar early 60s beach movies, the movie also borrows from Alfred Hitchcock movies like "Marnie".

Plot

Florence Forrest (Lauren Ambrose), a Gidget-like character, experiences inexplicable blackouts, and fears that she might be the one responsible for a series of mysterious deaths in her beach-side town. The deaths are investigated by Captain Monica Stark (Charles Busch), who also suspects Chicklet's mother (Beth Broderick), Chicklet's best friend Bernadine (Danni Wheeler), surfing guru The Great Kanaka (Thomas Gibson) and B-movie actress Bettina Barnes (Kimberley Davies). Florence is determined to learn to surf, and earns the nickname "Chicklet" from the surfer guys, while developing multiple personalities.

Other characters include university drop-out (and Chicklet's love interest) Starcat (Nicholas Brendon), Swedish exchange student Lars (Matt Keeslar), surfers Yo-Yo (Nick Cornish) and Provoloney (Andrew Levitas), Starcat's girlfriend Marvel Ann (Amy Adams) and the class "queen bee" Rhonda (Kathleen Robertson).

Cast

*Lauren Ambrose - Florence "Chicklet" Forrest
*Thomas Gibson - Kanaka
*Nicholas Brendon - Starcat
*Kimberley Davies - Bettina Barnes
*Matt Keeslar - Lars
*Charles Busch - Capt. Mornica Stark
*Beth Broderick - Ruth Forrest
*Danni Wheeler - Bernadine
*Nick Cornish - Yo-Yo
*Andrew Levitas - Provoloney
*Amy Adams - Marvel Ann
*Kathleen Robertson - Rhonda

Production

The play was originally entitled "Gidget Goes Psychotic", but the title was changed due to concerns about copyright. In the original 1987 production, Charles Busch played the role of Chicklet. Deciding that he might not be believable in the role of a sixteen year old girl ("while I can still manage, with the aid of a sympathetic cameraman, to play a sophisticated 25, 16 would be a stretch"), he added the character of Monica Stark to the movie.

External links

* [http://www.charlesbusch.com/film.htm Charles Busch's website]