Monday, September 29, 2008

What Does Wikipedia Have to Say About Pyscho Beach?

You can always look to Wikipedia for short answers...

P
sycho 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).

Original Cast
Lauren Ambrose - Florence "Chicklet" Forres
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.

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