Psycho Beach Party

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Psycho Beach Party

Directed by	Robert Lee King
Produced by	Virginia Biddle Jon Gerrans Marcus Hu Victor Syrmis
Written by	Charles Busch
Starring	Lauren Ambrose Thomas Gibson Nicholas Brendon Matt Keeslar
Music by	Ben Vaughn
Distributed by	Strand
Release date(s)	23 January 2000 (Sundance Film Festival)
Running time	95 min.
Language	English
Budget	$1.5 million
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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. Florence 'Chicklet' Forrest (Lauren Ambrose), a Gidget-like character, has been experiencing a series of inexplicable blackouts, and is worried that she might be the one responsible for a series of mysterious deaths. The deaths are being investigated by Captain Monica Stark (Charles Busch), who also suspects Chicklet's mother (Beth Broderick), Chicklet's best friend Berdine (Danni Wheeler), surfing guru The Great Kanaka (Thomas Gibson) and B-movie actress Bettina Barnes (Kimberley Davies). Other characters include university drop-out (and Chicklet's love interest) Starcat (Nicholas Brendon), Swedish exchange student Lars (Matt Keeslar), surfers YoYo (Nick Cornish) and Provoloney (Andrew Levitas), Starcat's girlfriend Marvel Ann (Amy Adams) and the class bitch Rhonda (Kathleen Robertson).

Besides the obvious references to Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello movies, the movie also borrows from Alfred Hitchcock movies like Marnie.

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.