Psycho Beach Party

Director: Robert Lee King Robert Lee King

Overview

"A cinematic skewering of the carefree Frankie Avalon/Annette Funicello films of yore, director Robert Lee King's psycho-killer satire arrives on DVD courtesy of Strand Releasing. Presented in 1.85:1 widescreen, this disc offers audio commentary from director King and writer/star Charles Busch. Extra features include an original theatrical trailer and a music video from Los Straight Jackets."

Product Details

Release Date:	04/10/2001
UPC:	0712267990023
Original Release:	2000
Source:	Strand Home Video
Presentation:	[Letterbox]
Language:	English
Time:	1:35:00
Sales rank:	51,061

Special Features

Filmmaker's commentary track; Los Straight Jackets music video; Original theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Lauren Ambrose	Florence 'Chicklet' Forrest
Thomas Gibson	Kanaka
Nicholas Brendon	Starcat
Kimberley Davies	Bettina Barnes/Diane
Matt Keeslar	Lars
Charles Busch	Captain Monica Stark
Kathleen Robertson	Rhonda
Danni Wheeler	Berdine
Nick Cornish	Yo Yo
Andrew Levitas	Provoloney
Amy Adams	Marvel Ann
Nathan Bexton	T.J.
Beth Broderick	Mrs. Forrest
Buddy Quaid	Junior
Jenica Bergere	Cookie
Channon Roe	Wedge Riley
David Tobocman	Composer
Ben Vaughn	Composer

Technical Credits

Charles Busch

Robert Lee King	Director
Virginia Biddle	Producer
Jon Gerrans	Producer
John Hall	Executive Producer
Marcus Hu	Producer
Victor Syrmis	Producer
Charles Busch	Screenwriter
Laura Schiff	Casting
Tim Walston	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Even by playwright Charles Busch's own admission, this parody of films as diverse as Marnie, Gidget, and Halloween was a pretty lightweight piece when it premiered in New York in the mid-'80s. Beefing up the plot and adding a fun new character for himself, however, drag auteur Busch and first-time feature director Robert Lee King turned the film version of Psycho Beach Party into a fun little luau. A who's who of young alt-Hollywood -- from Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Nicholas Brendon to Gregg Araki vets Nathan Bexton and Kathleen Robertson -- get to paraphrase the teensploitation epics of years past with a knowing wink, while future Six Feet Under star Lauren Ambrose shows her considerable range in a performance that veers from goofy melodrama to all-out slapstick and includes no less than three separate characters. (Grown-ups Busch and Beth Broderick get some laughs, too, but sometimes come off like defanged John Waters heroines.) The over-the-top but humorous homoeroticism, broad caricatures, and frequently profane sight gags and puns may not endear the film to all audiences. But for those who appreciate its dated East Village attitude and its frequently spot-on pop culture spoofs, Psycho Beach Party is a quirky, deliberately low-rent ball of laughs.