Seth Green film festival
Published July 26, 2004
We borrowed Josie and the Pussycats and Party Monster from our friends Melissa and Caroline, whose house we invade every other Sunday or so to watch the fourth season of Six Feet Under, as we do not have cable. I grabbed Josie off the shelf to show it to my wife Tiffany and say we had to watch it sometime, because we have to watch anything that includes Parker Posey, no matter how silly the movie or inconsequential the role. Melissa said it was one of her favorites. Caroline said of Josie: "It's better than you would think." And of Party Monster: "That one is worse than you would think." I must concur with these judgements. And besides, what are the odds that I would grab two unrelated movies off someone's shelf and have them both include Seth Green? (Probably not that bad, actually, since he works a lot.)
I wouldn't go so far as to call Josie and the Pussycats a "good" movie, but it had a number of clever bits and the kind of supporting players who can somewhat elevate an inconsequential movie — Parker Posey as an evil record company executive, Alan Cumming as the A&R man for the record company, and Seth Green as a singer in boy band Du Jour, who could totally pass for a real boy band, and who rival the Meaty Cheesy Boys from the Jack in the Box ad.
I must admit, Josie and the Pussycats is a movie that I wouldn't have minded being involved in. I got the feeling that the writer-directors knew that they were being called on to produce something commercial and lightweight and basically meaningless, and just decided to have what fun they could with it.
One of the reasons I borrowed this to watch, besides the redoubtable Parker Posey, was that the last movie we had watched was 28 Days Later, and I felt I had to make amends to Tiffany for that. I loved it. She didn't. I can go on more about 28 Days Later, and probably will, but for now I will just say that no horror movie has ever put me in mind so many times of Albert Camus.
Party Monster, as Caroline said, was not as good as you might think. Even if you didn't think it would be particularly good. It was a watchable mess of a movie, and even though I didn't have high expectations it was just the sort of thing that I had to watch, since I've been fascinated by the Michael Alig case ever since I read an article years ago in Details Magazine. My interest grew when a friend's son, who was on a hiatus from studying at NYU, told me that the son of one of my favorite novelists had been on the nod in the next room when Alig was busy dissolving Angel's insides with Drano. I have no idea if that's really true, but I have to think that if someone was going to make up gossip about the famous, the son of the author of a not-too-terribly famous postmodernist would be a rather obscure and unlikely rumor victim. But maybe that's how they do things in New York. Unlike the bridge-and-tunnel set (which includes everyone on the mainland of the United States) they don't bother spreading rumors about trite figures like Richard Gere.
- Seth Green film festival
- Published: July 26, 2004
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- Section: Video
- Writer: Sean Scott
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Comments
I rather like the soundtrack to Josie and the Pussycats: Fountains of Wayners - plus the lead singer from Letters to Cleo. Decent movie-styled power pop. . .
I've heard the Cola-Up-the-Nicks'-Ass story before, and can say in all truthfulness that if it's true, it's one hell of a story.
Ranks up there with the Gerbil-Up-the-Gere-Ass story. Also recall hearing Rod Stewart had to get his stomach pumped for swallowing too much - *coughs* - cum.
Hmmm, what else?- That Van Halen was really KISS without makeup (heard that one for years); That Judas Priest was gay (say it ain't so!!!!!); that AC/DC had a part of the stage with a glass floor where roadies would display potential groupies for band members during concerts.....band members would simply shake heads "Yes" or "No" if the groupie struck their fancy for that evening..........
And then Keith Richards had to get a blood transfusion because his blood was so unpure - you know, thoses years and years of drug abuse had taken its toll. Poor Keith, eh was in the hospital for over a month!
As for the Seth Green flicks, well, haven't seen them, but enjoyed the post anyway....
Bill, I too love that soundtrack. Kay Hanley rocks! You forgot to mention the awesome Du Jour songs too.
Du Jour is great. The bonus videos, obviously improvised and each done in one shot, are some of the funniest things on the DVD.
Chris, the band is straight, but Rob Halford, the lead singer, came out of the closet years ago. I don't think he's with them anymore.
he's back with them - they are among the headliners of Ozzfest
regarding stevie nicks and her bizarre habit, having viewed 101 Embaressing Sexual Accidents last night on Brit TV, the notion of having anything blown up my arse now seems much less enticing. That fella that decided to fling some concrete up there was jsut asking for trouble, is what.
sean, ha!
much more so than i would admit to, say, a relative or hitchiker.
i mean stevie nicks did it, man.
ok, first of all, i would have to say that party monster is much better than josie and the pussycats. dont get me wrong, i have them both, and i love josie and the pussycats dearly, but it wasnt nearly as good as party monster. yes i definitly agree that they should have used "disco bloodbath" as the title of the movie, because it sounds much cooler and they already used "party monster" for the documentary. But i think that macaulay culkin and seth green were perfect for the roles they played. if you have ever read disco bloodbath or seen the documentary or really done some reasearch on the club kids, they did a great job. i mean, seth and james look alot alike! and macualy culkin does look somewhat like michael (but there really isnt anyone else that looks enough like michael, so culkin was very good in the role). they acted just as michael and james.
but one thing i would have to say is that fenton and barbato should have really made the movie more realistic. for example, there are several parts in the movie that were differnet than the book and documentary that either happened to someone else or was slightly different. and since fenton and bailey made the documentary, they know they truth and you would think that they would make it that way in the movie. well thats really all i have to say really, so if you want to email me my email is:
[email edited]
farwell,
*Josie






I read somewhere Klosterman likes to have Cocoa Puffs blown up his ass. Is that true?