Hey folks, Harry here with a look at PSYCHO PARTY BEACH, which this particular scooper didn't care for... Now, before you pass judgement.. find the Trailer on line, take a gander... From that trailer I can say that at the very least there will be a major division about who likes and dislikes this movie.... It's weird as hell looking... but at the same time I'm a little giddy about the flick.... But this review does put a bit of a damper on that, but I say we hold on and see what others think closer to release...
Hi Harry. First off, I want to thank you. My girlfriend was looking forward to seeing WHIPPED this weekend. She’s been wanting to see it ever since they started running those tv ads that end with Amanda Peet saying, “Who’s your daddy? That’s the most he ever asked me about myself.” Anyway, she's not the type to listen to movie reviews. But, I am, so Friday night before going out, I sat her down in front of the computer and made her read your WHIPPED review.. word by word, line by line.. and, that brought her to her senses. You saved me $16. Thanks, man.
I’m here to return the favor. Just came back from a screening of PSYCHO BEACH PARTY, at the Egyptian here in Seattle, and I feel a gradient or two more retarded. The film is a spoof (er, throwback) to 60’s and 70’s cheeseball flicks we all know and love -- well, used to -- and I certainly appreciate all that. But, you know what, it’s not enough. It needs to be.. something. Something more than a well- produced immitation. The film just isn’t that much... fun. It’s too subdued for it’s own damn good, with the occasional one-liner tossed about. There is energy in the first five minutes, but something happens to it. Now, I do have the hots for Lauren Ambrose (from CAN’T HARDLY WAIT -- yak!). Her performance here, the things she does, should be lifted out of this movie and put in another where all the focus is on her character. Not on the all the ridiculous surfing footage, or the two guys who may or may not be gay, or the transsexual cop.. whenever she/he is on screen, I’m snoring... not even on Kathleen Robertson, though no one does snooty/evil bitch better than she does.
Nope, I just want Lauren Ambrose. She’s a white-as-snow, red headed angel teeny (she plays 16, but I’m sure she’s older, actually) who can act. She’s the only one who seems to *get* the joke of this film, whereas no one else is in on it. Except maybe for Thomas Gibson, as the head surfer who stands around spouting off phrases like, “Don’t be sleazy, no one wants what they can get too easy.” Lauren plays Florence, who is a square and doesn’t fit in, and when she sees spinning objects, she turns into Ann Bowman (there’s an explanation for why, at the end of the movie, but it’s pretty dumb), who is a polar opposite personality. She’s a more commanding presence, by far -- a total sex kitten dominatrix with ’tude to spare. And then, there’s Tyrene, a black girl, and a few others.. but anyway. No matter what Lauren is doing, or who she is at the time, she’s the only thing that held my attention. She has fun with this role, and it rubs off, big time.
Now, sometimes the film tries to be all cheeky and poke fun at the fact that it’s a present day movie stuck in a time warp. Like when Florence asks why her mom is cleaning urine stains from underwear in the sink, when she could just use a washing machine. But, overall, there’s nothing clever or witty or exciting or humorous about it. I kept waiting for it to get kinky or exploitive, but it never does -- aside from one overly pornographic description of a blowjob. Why is this film unrated? An R-rating would do. Actually, if you take out the blowjob thing, this movie could get away with a PG-13; it’s just shy of family friendly, really.
If there's anything aside from Lauren Ambrose that works in this film, I missed it. There are couple of twists in the end, but they're blah. I totally wanted to like this missed opportunity, but it just put up a wall that I couldn’t tear down, ya know?
Ok, that’s my two cents. Spare yourself more, whenever possible.
j-man
