Psycho Beach Party

A fun spoof of the Gidget type of movies. In addition to the surf spoof, it also adds camp, noir and suspense, all in B-movie style. The style itself is very '50s, with no details missed. With the movie's shifting of suspicion to different characters all the time, it will keep you guessing all the way toward the end as to who killer is.

I don't know why I had heard of this film, but I had. I don't know why I wanted to rent it, but I did. I don't know why I laughed all the way through it, but I did.... Yeah, I do know why I laughed. It was funny. It wasn't as purile as most modern "teen" comedies are, but it sure did have fun poking fun at the 60's beach movies like "Beach Blanket Bingo".

Charles Busch, who plays the part of the female detective, is absolutely a laugh riot: I truly believe he was channeling Kathleen Turner. The two hunky doofus boys who are more in love with each other than any of the babes...Nicholas Brendan, in a reverse take on his role on "Buffy", plays the major stud puppy here...Thomas Gibson in a reverse take on his televsion role as "Greg", plays a beatnik surfer dude. Beth Broderick, with her unbelievably sexy raspy voice, plays this films version of June Cleever with a twist.

The lines are outrageous. The costumes dead on. The portrayals ridiculous and accurate at the same time.

The is high camp! Don't expect serious - don't expect typical humor. But if you're over thirty, and remember those old beach movies, then you'll get a real blast out of this film.

This film really grew on me. It's got great actors (namely Nicholas Brendan and Lauren Ambrose), a great throwback sense of style, and very clever dialogue. I can't tell if this film is intentionally hysterical (I think it is, but some parts...it's hard to tell.) I also really liked some of the characters, including police"woman" Monica Stark. All in all, a light-hearted summer movie, perfect for a few good laughs.

I've noticed the more recent the review for this film there is here, the worse it is. I'm wondering if it has something to do with age? A lot of X-ennials (people born from the late 70s to the mid-80s) remember when The Disney Channel and Nickelodeon were drenched in 1950s and 1960s nostalgia so that our parents and grandparents would feel comfortable with us watching it.

As a kid, I saw all the beach party movies (along with The Patty Duke Show, Ozzie and Harriet, and re-runs of the original Mickey Mouse Club) so I know exactly what this movie is about. The person who said Psycho Beach Party "makes fun of 1950s horror movie" is regrettably under 35.

Yes, a few of these viewers dont even seem to know the work of Charles Busch - the creator/writer and performer of Psycho Beach Party. Busch has a huge following in theatre (Psycho beach Party started a s a play)and all of his work is tongue-in-cheek and some of the complaints on these posts sound like people who wouldn't "get" Rocky Horror Picture Show or Plan 9 From Outer Space either. But that's okay - Busch's work is not for everyone - just like John Waters/Divine's work isnt for everyone. And this film adapatation certainly has it's weaknesses - but much of it is DEAD on - including the opening and closing credits with a young Ann-Margaret look-a-like doing her best go-go boot dancing. Busch is hysterical as the hard-as-nails "female" police chief and Lauen Ambrose has a field day playing the perky like Gidget with multiple personalities. The film is fun and if you like it, check on Busch in Die, Mommie, Die.