Maidgethma Wonderfully offbeat film!
GamerTab That was an excellent one.
Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
Helllins It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.
noway234-1 Anytime the phrases "Psycho" and "Beach Party" appear in the same sentence you can tell that what's about to follow won't be able to be taken seriously. This is one of those films that defies the conventions at face value while giving the finger to the loyal horror audience. The film follows a girl named Florence Forrest, or Chicklet as she is commonly known by the surfers, who just wants to learn how to surf. Meanwhile a psychotic murderer is killing people who have anything that could be considered an imperfection, ranging from a skin condition to missing a testicle. The film is filled with strange quirky dialog filled with puns, sexual innuendo and some coarse language. the jokes are layered on so thick that it's hard to see through them without a shovel and flashlight. The performances are played with a wonderful sense of silliness that it's obvious that the actors aren't taking themselves to seriously (Considering the content of the script how could they) but by far the best performance is that of Nicholas Brendon (Xander from Buffy) who plays Starcat, and he does so in a way that seems realistic yet silly.
AlloTBNO5 This is one of my all time favorite movies! I only bought it yesterday and i have already seen it six times! It is hysterical and very fun! The plot revolves around a teenage beach bunny named Florence (Lauren Ambrose of TV's 'Six Feet Under') who has multiple personality disorder. She is sort of a combination of Gidget and Norman Bates! Anyway her friends start getting bumped off and she does not know whether or not her alternate personality Ann Bowman may actually be the killer. She is excellent, very funny, and a very talented and promising actress. Many other talented actors stand out such as the ditsy b-movie bombshell, the two gay surfer guys, the mean spirited cripple girl, and Florence's mother who is sort of June Cleaver after drinking too much vodka. From the high energy opening credits, to the unexpected ending it is non stop fun. (even the opening credits are entertaining!) Sure the surfing scenes are lame, but that adds to the movie's campiness. Nicholas Brendan (TV's 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer') did not stand out a whole lot but he did well with what he was given. One scene that is particularly fun is the 'Dance Fight'(You just gotta see it). The entire cast does a great job! Very original, very campy, and overall just very entertaining! Highly recommended!
Pepper Anne Psycho Beach Party is one truly odd comedy. The plot nearly makes no sense, the ending (when you discover who is the culprit of this murder mystery) is completely ridiculous and unbearably drawn out, but yet, it is something so different, it is entertaining. If you enjoy strange comedies like Pumpkin (including the retro 60's-esque atmosphere), Ghost World, Drop Dead Gorgeous, or Surf II, then Psycho Beach Party is probably a title worth checking out. It is a slasher spoof combined with a Beach Party spoof, and something of a Scooby Doo adventure (without the dog).Life's a beach! Lauren Ambrose is terrific as star, Chicklet Forrest/Anne Bowman, bubbly red head turned bad girl via a bad case of split personality (I love her Joan Crawford impression). Things ain't so hot on the beach. Murder is a foot at the beach, and anyone with noticeable handicaps are getting bumped off. Chicklet is the main suspect, always conveniently popping up after a murder, but likewise conveniently not ing anything that happened moments ago. When her personality changes, she has blackouts. But she's not the only suspect. Leaving no good clues to assess the killer's identity, Captain Monica Stark (writer/director Charles Busch), the lead investigator of the murders, has a an atmosphere of completely wacky characters that arouse suspicion from rhyming beatnick surf studs to burn out horror movie actresses to obsessive perfectionists. It is such an oddball story, and one that really doesn't make sense, and at times, fails to hold your attention (though, this occurs more towards the end when you're waiting for something good to come about in this murder mystery saga instead of more cheap ploys and boring diversions). The problem with strange movies like these is that they tend to operate more on jokes and little broken bits of entertainment instead of pulling together an interesting story in its entirety. And usually, like Pumpkin, and several others like it, not only is the ending boring, but it becomes far too exaggerated to enjoy what there is. I guess, Psycho Beach Party really does model the cheap 50s and 60s horror films in that respect. It could've been a really great film if there was more going on. Well...it does have some good moments, and offers a few great laughs (most coming from the dimwitted, bubbly Florence/Chicklett and her split personality, Anne, and the other sassy attitude character she portrays).If for nothing else, watching it simply to see something different. It is still quite an oddball comedy in everything from the scenery (a throwback to the 60s Beach Party style) to the characters to the dialogue (sort of). Lauren Ambrose is great as the split personality Chicklet/Anne Bowman (Joan Crawford isn't the only impression she does). Boogie on this Psycho Party!
Meron_Ron You have to love camp to like this flick; as Lauren Ambrose's Chicklet learns about boys and girls, 60's style (with some 90's surprises thrown in.)As far as I know, Annette and Moondoggie never met any multiple-personality slashers (Too bad) but Busch's film more than makes up for that lack. Introducing cross-dressing cops, constipated surfers searching for their sexual identity and a possible serial Mom, "Psycho Beach" bends and blends teenage angst and softcore slasher porn.Best scenes: Starcat explaining his relation with MarlaDene to Chicklet; Starcat accidentally removing MarlaDene's bikini bottom while retrieving his frat pin...just because they are so totally out of the genre.6 out of 10.
