Not even bad in a good way

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Psycho Beach PartyOne telltale sign that you have had sex on the beach is that human/jellyfish hybrid you just gave birth to.Luckily, the amorous adolescent in this comedy is avoiding interspecies breeding.Prudish Florence (Lauren Ambrose) wants to learn how to surf from The Great Kanaka (Thomas Gibson) and his crew (Amy Adams, Nicholas Brendon).While making great strides on the waves, Florence - now Chicklet - still struggles with the unpredictable blackouts that turn her into a sex-crazed psychopath.Meanwhile, a police detective (Charles Busch) has come to the seaside to investigate a recent rash of murders that seem to implicate everyone Chicklet knows.Based on the off-Broadway production, this subversive sixties surf movie spoof has ample seventy slasher film tendencies to please both fans of deliberate camp and low-budget horror.By the way, if you're going surfing after committing a murder make sure to wash the blood off beforehand.Yellow Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

So with an awful title like "Psycho Beach Party" you'd think that this was yet another mindless sexed-up teen slasher flick, right?In fact this movie is a satirical send-up of many classic movies from the 50's, 60's, and 70's and plays upon all those things we suspect lurk beneath the surface.The movie uses the original "Gidget" film as its starting ground, and really just for their take on that alone it's a hoot. Along the way the director cleverly, if not campily, weaves in references to a wide variety of films including Hitchcock classics like "Marnie." The serial killer in question? (AND THIS IS NOT A SPOILER) Someone who goes after all those who do not fit the perfect cookie-cutter standard of the 1950's. The high price of non-conformity indeed.Basically, if you've watched a lot of old movies - you'll catch the references and enjoy this clever, campy satire to the fullest extent. If you're without the 101 on classics, you'll probably be a little confused but at the very least you can enjoy the wry social commentary.

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 remembering 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!

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.