Josie: Rachael Leigh Cook
Melody: Tara Reid
Val: Rosario Dawson
The Villains
Wyatt Frame: Alan Cumming
Fiona: Parker Posey
The Comic Book Returns
Alan M: Gabriel Mann
Alexander: Paulo Costanzo
Alexandra: Missi Pyle
DuJour
Seth Green
Breckin Meyer
Alexander Martin
Donald Faison
First of all, you have Alan Cumming, Seth Green, Tara Reid, and Breckin Meyer all in one movie. All of them have graced my Top Hottie Lists at some point. In fact, Seth is #2, which is why I doctored the above picture, haha. It's a hottie fest.
Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, the directors/writers of the movie have also directed Alan in Flintstones Viva Rock Vegas. Harry Elfont went to the same local film program for "kids" that I spent the golden years of my life in, except he was in the 70's. Deborah Kaplan is engaged to Breckin (so I've read).
Granted, it seems like all they do is either make teen movie fare or bring TV shows to film, but they do a good job of it. Josie and the Pussycats is an excellent satire/commentary on the current youth culture. It shows how distributers and the media are brainwashing well-off kids to absorb and pick up on every trend, no matter how fleeting. Ironically, Josie skewers marketers, yet many products are being promoted from the movie! Oh well, it's inevitable. As Alan said, it's "art eating art."
It is also a wonderful look at the teen pop domination of the music industry. We all know how easy it is to put together a group. The recent wave started with the Spice Girls and has continued through till O-Town, or whatever the hell is the most recent collaboration. Even Carson Daly, the massive tool, makes a cameo. Aw, isn't that cute, cause you know, he and Tara are together...and she postponed the wedding. HA! Actually, Josie, Melody, and Val are like punk pop stars. Kind of like Baby, Scary, and Sporty meet Blink 182 (if you can call the recent alboum punk...I have come to realize that fact...anyhoo!). Josie's voice is provided by Kay Hanley of Letters from Cleo (from or to? oy). No Britney or Jessica here! The girls are strong and independant, and are actually pretty good role models for young girls. They have a goal and work for it. Granted, everything becomes showered on them, but hey, nouveau riche...ya just go with it if you get it! Their bus pass speech was rather cheesy, but it was kind of nice at the same time. You *know* this movie is going to end relatively happily ever after, but it's cool, ya know?
DuJour made me laugh till I damn near cried. It was the ideal blend of *NSync, Backstreet Boys, 98 Degrees, and any other one that is out there. Their opening song "Backdoor Lover" is one of the main reasons I bought the soundtrack. Only 2 dudes do all the voices in the group, which just shows how interchangeable and identical these guys are! It was also a nice spin on BSB's nickname, Backdoor Boys, lol. So yeah, the song sounds normal, but just think about the title if you haven't gotten it...the lyrics are a hoot and I give major props to Harry and Deborah for their writing. I also love how they had so many things immediately released in their posthumous honor...DuJour 2000-2001. LOL!!!
This is also a movie reunion of sorts for the boy band. Breckin and Donald were in Clueless together. All four of them were in Can't Hardly Wait, another Elfont/Kaplan movie. Breckin and that Paulo dude were in Road Trip. Seth, Breckin, and Ryan Phillippe have their own little production team, and Ryan was in Company Man with Alan. It's just a load of fun, lol.
Oh, and the scene where Alan took the Goth girl to go get brainwashed into conformity had me rolling too. I think he did a great job. He says his acting is just ridiculous in this, but I think it worked quite well. He's a fucking cartoon villain on the big screen, what do you expect him to do?! Like he always says, "Be as big as you like, as long as you mean it." And he means it! He has a lot of onscreen time too, which is really awesome. When my friend leaned in to tell me something towards the end, we banged heads, coming close to ripping out my eyebrow ring. But that ending with him is just so damn funny that I didn't notice the blood down my face...
making deals
getting pissy
ooh, sweet
diabolical laughter!
we tried to take pix of the screen...this is at the end
WORK
Alan Cumming Homage