Psycho Beach Party

Based on the campy stage play by Charles Busch, Psycho Beach Party (2000) mixes the Gidget films and Frankie and Annette beach party movies up with slasher films and psychological thrillers, stirring in an undercurrent of sexual repression and homoerotic lust. Lauren Ambrose stars as Chicklet, a chaste but schizophrenic cutie with multiple personalities, who joins the local surf clan led by Kanaka (Thomas Gibson). While she falls for college psych major dropout Starcat (Nicholas Brendon), Kanaka flirts with the dark side of Chicklet's split personality. There's also a haunted beach house with co-ed slumber parties and a mysterious slasher who is slicing the teenage population into shish-kabobs. Busch delivers a brilliant drag performance in a supporting role as a cop who channels Eve Arden doing Dirty Harry. Bright and spirited, with a terrific surf-rock guitar score by Ben Vaughn, wild go-go dancing credits, and cheesy B&W mock drive-in movie clips, the film overflows with quotes from Attack of the 50 Foot Woman to Marnie while sandwiching in every teen movie cliché this side of the ‘60s. But director Robert Lee King ultimately never gets beyond self-conscious gee-whiz spoofing and the film stalls in a sitcom style in which the dialogue comes in sputters and pauses, as if waiting for the laugh track to kick in. A minor cult film with inspired elements but poor direction, Psycho Beach Party makes its Blu-ray debut with extras including audio commentary by King and Busch, and a music video. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)