"Hilarious industry spoofing..."
(E! Online)

"Josie serves up lots of eye candy..."
(The Hartford Courant)

"...across-the-board appeal to be a crossover hit."
"...a revealing and richly detailed snapshot of contemporary pop culture."
"This is one sharp pussycat. Sensationally exuberant, imaginatively crafted and intoxicatingly clever"
(Variety)

"Rachel Leigh Cook is just adorable as Josie. Rosario Dawson plays really well as Val. Tara Reid is SO convincing as airheaded Melody, you have to wonder how she ever found the set."
"There's plenty here for kids to love..."
"Josie's the cat's meow for the MTV generation"
(Post-gazette.com)

"...light-hearted film with a feel-good message: Be happy with who you are."
"Josie is packed with smart fun"
(Houston Chronicle)

"...clever consumerist satire that includes well-earned laughs"
"hilariously exaggerated product placements appear everywhere, even inside a Beluga-whale tank"
(TV Guide Online)

"Pre-teens especially should enjoy the candy-colored adventures of this girl-power group"
(New York Post)

"Gets a lot of mileage out of its spirited performers and their peppy music."
(Los Angeles Times)

"...it's eager to please, and it's hard to stay grouchy in its presence."
' Josie and the Pussycats' does a better job than most of its kind with its wholehearted kitsch-as-kitsch-can approach."
(Boston Globe)

"The humor is, like, so of-the-minute..."
"We dare you to not tap your toes to the rockin' tunes on the way out..."
...it works, in a fast-food, guilty-pleasure kinda way"
(E! Online)

"A sweet-natured bubble-gum movie about the escapades of an all-girl band, 'Josie and the Pussycats', like those venerable Frankie and Annette beach movies, gets a lot of mileage out of its spirited performers and their peppy music."
(Times Film)

"...there’s more to this film than is evident at face value."
"Josie often rings with a great deal of resonance and truth."
(Variety)

"Has substance to match its sparkle, sassiness and, yes, volleys of girlish squealing."
(Detroit News)

"It is funny ... with a sharp script by directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan that's also sneakily subversive."
(Oregonian)

"Nicely balances high-energy pop music, teen comedy and plenty of not-so-subtle digs at the business of star-making."
(Jam!Movies)

"It's all stuff and nonsense and far more enjoyable than we expected."
(Cranky Critic)

"Diverting, furry fluff, and just-amusing-enough for summer cinema."
(Reel.com)

"This pop culture comedy is just popping with giggles, laughs, rockin' tunes, a smart script, and an infectious spirit."
(FilmCritic.com)


"...it's a fun ride"
(Movie Headlines)

"The movie is full of quick, funny gags"
(People.com)

"If you are looking for a rockin' good time to shake off the winter blues, you can't go wrong hanging around with "Josie and the Pussycats"
"...clever and witty script, a slick production, and wholly-likable characters"
(Media Circus)

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Josie and the Pussycats

As reported by Jeffrey Lyons on NewsChannel4

It would help to have a teen-ager along when seeing this movie, but even so it’s a surprisingly witty and fun film, even for parents.

New York, April 14 -- I'd expected this movie to be 90 minutes of intolerable fluff aimed solely at teen-agers who don't realize that there are other channels besides MTV. But with its spoof of product placements and silly fads that pervade every upcoming generation, this movie actually has a message -- not a very deep one, but a message all the same. According to my better-qualified assistant -- namely my teen-aged daughter -- these characters first appeared in Archie Comics and were then on a cartoon show in the ‘70s. The title player is Rachel Leigh Cook, who has 19 films already on her resume. She's backed up by Tara Reid of Just Visiting and Rosario Dawson of He Got Game.

The girls become overnight superstars when they're plucked from obscurity and small town poverty by a sinister promoter, Alan Cummings of Spy Kids and a dozen other recent movies. Parker Posey, who’s also in every other movie, is his sinister boss.

I liked the film's unpretentiousness and the shameless product placements, which is part of the joke. This is the script the Spice Girls should've had. Sure, it helps to take a member of the target audience along, but Josie and the Pussycats is surprisingly witty and fun, even for a parent.

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Summary: Whipped Cream and Fluff (with a real message inside!)

Comment:
Unexpectedly, Josie and the Pussycats has a solid core message-- and enough whipped cream and fluff to make it possible to get that message across to an audience that doesn't want to hear it.

The comic strip always taught friendship, the importance of family, and that "doing the right thing" was the best choice. . . and that not all of your family and friends were likable, but they remain your family. How do you take a short comic and turn it into an eight dollar plus night with
strangers in a dark room with sticky floors? The recipe: Toss in Rachel Leigh Cook's best performance, mix in solid support from Tara Reid and Rosario Dawson, leaven with a "oh so heavy, oh so light" Alan Cumming, add a so over the top Parker Posey, and shake and bake with an absurd but just maybe true conspiracy about big business and the government experimenting on mind control. . . and let simmer for a few days after you walk back out into the sunshine.

Of course you know they were kidding but product placement will never be quite so effective again.

Comment Author: H. W. S.

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Summary: Purr-fect

Comment:
I got a chance to see a sneak preview of Josie & the Pussycats this past week. I really didn't have many expectations for this film...all I was looking for was a fun movie that wouldn't make me cringe (too much.) Well, without hesitation I can say this movie totally blew me away. It was by far one of the funniest movies I've seen in a LONG time. Sure, it was campy, but it garnered genuine and consistent laughs from the audience. It's been a long time since I've seen a movie with such energy and well-balanced
pacing.

All three actresses were fantastic as the Pussycats, staying very true to their comic book/tv characters. Rachel Leigh Cook was an excellent choice for Josie...she adds a poignancy to the role that was completely unexpected. As you can imagine, there is the usual romantic subplot, but Cook gives it an honesty and sweetness that saved it from becoming a cliche. Rosario Dawson also did a wonderful job of humanizing Val, portraying her as a strong yet insecure woman. Tara Reid had the hardest part of all. How do you portray a ditzy character so that it doesn't degenerate into a one-note gag? Answer: Make the character endearing. Reid did a wonderful job at making Melody's sappy optimism and absent-mindedness absolutely adorable. In less capable hands, some of the gags would have fallen flat...but they got me smiling, and even laughing.

The soundtrack utterly rocks...the last teen movie I can think of with a soundtrack that was so well matched to the visuals was "Clueless." Songs that could have been just filler really added to the overall energy and appeal of the film. The music style was more "hard rock" than the original TV series, but they managed to get the theme song in there somewhere, so I was happy. :) At the screening I went to, people actually danced in the aisles during the end credits...not something I see every day.

The script is phenomenal, filled with many in-jokes and great timely references. What's most amazing is that Josie & the Pussycats is a movie with something to say, yet it got its message across in a
witty and entertaining way while avoiding being too preachy.

I can honestly say Josie & The Pussycats is one of the best TV-to-Film adaptations I've ever seen--very enjoyable for fans of the old series, but remaining accessible for those who weren't.

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Summary: Irreverent Fun with a great little soundtrack

Comment:
What I expected to find, I didn't. I went knowing that I would think it was a bubble gum movie that I would never pay anything but the matinee price to go and see, but that it would do its job of picking me up before Finals this semester. What I didn't expect was such a goofy look at modern pop culture without Chirstina Aguilera screaming down my ear.

The players are fun because they poke fun at themselves. The product placement of the movie - you'll know what I mean ten minutes into the film - are hilarious. The irreverent way they look at the music industry is fun. And who knew I'd love the music so much? I really anticipated a lot of pop nonsense, but I loved the guitar and drums so absent in top 40 artists (you know who I mean).

Don't expect Saving Private Ryan or Sleepless in Seattle...this movie pokes fun at itself. It's more like Austin Powers. Seeing Seth Green in an orange and red boa is worth the price of admission - even full price.

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Summary: That was SO twenty-minutes ago!

Comment:

Like many of the other commenters, I did not know what to expect from this film. I did cringe in December when I heard they were making a Pussycats movie; I recall saying at the time "Is there nobody in Hollywood with an original idea anymore?" But knowing that the musical voice of Josie was a respectable female performer from here in Boston, I was curious as to how the tunes would carry...

What a pleasant surprise! I had no idea how precise a shot the movie was to
make on the entertainment industry. I really enjoyed it. How can you leave the theater without looking at product placement in films for the unabashed hucksterism it is?

Great tunes, funny scenes (including some great inflective humor), and some nice eye-candy... It's not going to take an Oscar, and it will never be viewed with the significance of say, Bresson's "A Man Escapes", or even the 70's smash "Network", but it is DEFINITELY worth seeing!

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Summary: Commercialized fun

Comment:
After being bombarded with one negative review after another from the local papers (all of which were written by middle-aged men), my friend and I went into "Josie" pretty wary, to say the least. We're both into that "girly-cute" stuff, so we'd thought it looked like a fun movie...but the critics had made us fear the worst.

Well, I came out of the theater with a catchy tune in my head and for once, feeling my five bucks had been worth it (unlike with most of the kiddie drivel I take my little brother to.) But then again, I'm a teenage girl, and this was, well, a teenybopper movie. Whatever. I wasn't expecting a cinematic treasure; I wanted goofy escapist fun, and I got it.

Most of the critics were whining about the constant product placement, which, I thought, was the whole point (unless my impressionable teenage brain missed it entirely). It's self-parody. And I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the "America Online Hotel" or a hotel room that looks like a Target store threw up all over it. Not all the jokes hit, but the campiness alone was enough for me. The over-the-top villains were great, and I especially loved Tara Reid's turn as Melody (or was it Bubbles from Powerpuff Girls?) I despise nearly all boy bands, but I found myself falling for DuJour just the same. And Alan M? Yowza!

From what I've heard so far from other people, the chances one will like it is a bit of a crapshoot. (I imagine most guys won't, and when their girlfriends drag them to it they will simply use the opportunity to ogle Rachael Leigh Cook.) But I enjoyed it on the grounds of what it is; cute campy fun.

And, oh, yeah; where can I find McDonald's shower puppets?

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Summary: Not for the pop-culture impaired

Comment:
For the love of Cthulhu, people! Get a grip! I see users complaining about the product placement, the unattractive leads, this and that, yadda yadda. The whole movie is a spoof of itself, and it's done in an amazing way. I paid full price for this movie, and I don't regret one penny. The product placement was a dig at the whole entertainment industry, and being so over-the-top, couldn't have been anything *but a satire. Anyone who can't see that is either really dumb or just has no sense of humor. The young ladies who played the leads were perfect (I *loved Melody's martial arts stint towards the end), and their singing (yes, they did the vocals themselves, along with some other people, check the credits if you don't believe me) was great. The soundtrack isn't something I had been planning tox buy, but it's awesome - perfect for driving in the car with the top down and the volume up.

And for crying out loud, people, lighten up! Not every movie is designed to be a thought-provoking masterpiece. This is a movie to go see with your date, to relax in and laugh at the silliness people do.

Comment Author: Paulina B.

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Summary: Meow!

Comment:
To be honest, my expectations weren't all that high when I went to see this. There was only one rave on the print ad on for this film, which usually sets off warning signs. Plus, given the track record for adaptations of old TV shows, I wasn't expecting much. But after it was over, I was pleasantly surprised. This is a very clever satire, in the same vein as "American Psycho" and "Fight Club", but much more family-friendly. I'd never read the comic or watched the show (both were before my time), but that really didn't matter. It just took the basics (the basics that I'm aware of) and planted it in the 90's, making them a struggling rock group in a small town. The plot, which combines satire of the commercialism in the music industry (hardly a scene goes by without some blatant product placement) and a nefarious scheme involving mind control as it relates to pop culture, paints with a very wide brush and rarely misses. The three girls do well, but it's Tara Reid as Melodie that really steals the show, particularly in a scene with Carson Daly as himself. And, as every good film needs a good villain, the film gives us not one, but two, in the form of Alan Cumming and Parker Posey as a pair of ruthless record executives. As for the music, it's very good too; it had a good beat and the lyrics were easy to follow (even my brother was tapping his foot to it, and he's NOT into music at all)

Rating (out of 10): 8.75

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Summary: Wonderful satire, grossly mis-reviewed

Comment:

It's amazing to me how so many reviewers, who are supposedly smart, intellectual people, completely missed the satire and parody of this movie. So many reviews complained about the barrage of product placement in the movie. Guess what....it's so over-the-top, it's obviously a joke. It's our consumer culture taken to the extreme. What's sad is that the plot of this movie, record execs placing messages in music in order to change trends as often as possible, is probably at least half true. I especially loved the shots of suburbia where everybody owns the exact same SUV.

I think it's obvious from the IMDb user rating (7.8 as I write this) that this is the most mis-reviewed movie in a long time. Who knows, maybe all the reviewers are part of the conspiracy, and this hits a little to close to home :)

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Summary: Read this review, it may just change your mind

Comment:
I had never before had the urge to write a review of a film until now. I found it to be pointless, but then I realized how often I read these reviews, and that if I had read reviews for this movie before I saw it (as I sometimes do) that I probably would have stayed far away from the theatre. Fortunately for me, I avoided the reviews until after seeing the film this time. I have racked my brain trying to figure out why this movie has gotten such terrible reviews. Going into the theatre I had no expectations whatsoever. I knew nothing about the cartoon or the comic. I am not a fan of your typical teen movie either. I hated "She's All That", and movies of the like. This may be a film that is targeted towards teens, but in my opinion delivers to a much wider audience. I am in my mid-twenties and laughed hysterically through the entire length of this film. Expecting a serious movie, or even one with a serious plot you will not like this movie. But you can tell just from the previews that that is not what this film is supposed to be. I wanted to be entertained, and many "serious" films have not even lived up to that potential recently. This was entertainment at it's best. A good comedy, much like a good horror movie, is extremely rare, and I was very excited to finally find one. The casting was perfect, the soundtrack was probably one of the best since "Reality Bites" and "The Crow", and the plot was absolutely hilarious. Don't listen to the reviews on this one, the theatre that I was echoed with laughter. And from my personal experience the general public is a much better source than anyone who calls him or herself a "film critic". After all, aren't we all?

Obviously if you are reading this then you value my opinion. And as I said this is the first review I have written, so obviously I had something important to say.
Bottom line...10/10...I walked out of the theatre wanting to walk right back in for a second run. Being that I saw the late show I settled for heading across the street to Wal-Mart for the
soundtrack.

Go see Josie! It rocks!

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Josie is packed with smart fun
By Bruce Westbrook
Houston Chronicle
Published: 04/10/01

If newspaper film reviews could hide subliminal messages, this one would say, "Go see Josie and the Pussycats."

Instead, you can take that advice up front.

It may look like a slight retread of ''70s comics and cartoons, but Josie is surprisingly smart fun. Like Charlie''s Angels, it''s a girl-power romp for a tight trio, here a struggling rock band.

Suddenly they''re snapped up by a big label''s Machiavellian manager (Alan Cumming), who makes them instant superstars.

This is not a good thing, and the girls know it, distrusting a success they didn''t earn.

Sure enough, their ascent owes not just to marketing, but a vast conspiracy. Subliminal messages are being hidden on CDs, brainwashing kids to buy products and worship bands.

These messages pack punch in large part because kids are shown as fickle slaves to instant fashions and trumped-up trends.

That''s a bold stance for a film aimed at kids, and Josie doesn''t stop there. It also slams formulaic pretty-boy vocal groups via DuJour, a fictional foursome whose vain posturing is a hoot.

By contrast, the Pussycats are nice, down-to-earth girls and legitimate rockers, in a female Green Day way. But the film isn''t about music so much as the music business -- and business greed in general.

Perhaps no film in history has had so much product-placement, brandishing brand names in almost every frame. But for Josie, it''s also a plot device and a grand running joke.

In its not so far-fetched fantasy, the world is one big commercial, with corporate symbols plastered everywhere. Josie is a cautionary, almost sci-fi stab at how hollow our consumerist society can become.

This is George Harrison''s encounter with arrogant trendsetters in A Hard Day''s Night, taken to extremes. Josie also recalls the subliminal conformity in John Carpenter''s underrated They Live.

Yet Josie''s cynicism is encased in a light-hearted film with a feel-good message: "Be happy with who you are."

Writer-directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan (Can''t Hardly Wait) also add mental nourishment to their eye-candy, jamming Josie with visual gags and witty dialogue.

Cumming is a sneaky delight, ably backed by the crazily charming Parker Posey as his label chief. But the good-girl roles are less satisfying.

As singer-guitarist Josie, Rachael Leigh Cook gets to have a personal life via a tentative romance with a nice guy from back home (Gabriel Mann). But that's about it.

Tara Reid is merely a cheerful airhead as drummer Melody, while Rosario Dawson is grounded and aware as bassist Valerie.

Their songs are ghost-performed by music pros, which seems a cheat for a film about cheating. Yet some are actually hit-worthy.

That's not to say the Pussycats merit superstardom. But neither do many real groups who attain it, and that's just one of the points scored by this sharp, savvy film.

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THEY'RE FELINE GROOVY

By LOU LUMENICK
New York Post

April 11, 2001 -- 'CHARLIE'S Angels" it ain't, but "Josie and the Pussycats" is still more fun than you'd expect from an adaptation of a '60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon that was in turn derived from a comic book.

Pre-teens especially should enjoy the candy-colored adventures of this girl-power group.

They're perfectly embodied by the lively and endearing performances of Josie (Rachael Lee Cook), Melody (Tara Reid) and Val (Rosario Dawson).

The furry-eared trio is plucked out of the mythical Riverdale bowling alley by record company exec Wyatt (the ubiquitous Alan Cumming) and within a week, they have a chart-topping CD.

Soon the pals are arguing among themselves. Meanwhile, the slimy Wyatt and his even more evil boss, Fiona (Parker Posey, who's even more over the top than Cumming, no mean feat), are secretly hiding subliminal messages in the Pussycats' songs.

The amusing (if somewhat dated lately) conceit is that the record labels are in cahoots with the government to steer teens' tastes to keeping the economy perking - planting messages (voiced by Mr. Moviephone!) like, "Heath Ledger is the new Matt Damon."

This conspiracy includes MTV, whose Carson Daly is enlisted to eliminate Melody and Val when they become suspicious ("consider it 'Total Request Dead,'" as Daly, playing himself, puts it) - just as Wyatt takes care of a group of *NSYNC clones during the film's amusing opening sequence.

The girls fly on a Target plane and stay in the Revlon room of an AOL hotel. There's an entire montage devoted to plugging brands and products.

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'Pussycats' is purrfect kitsch
By Jay Carr
Boston Globe
Published: 04/11/2001

Who needs Christina Aguilera or Britney Spears now that we can feast on ``Josie and the Pussycats'' on the big screen? Mindless glitz-o-ramas don't get any snazzier. This one plays like a slumber party on speed, spinning out its high-energy girl band fantasies all the way from Riverdale to Times Square. There are passing references to a plot involving (gasp!) the brainwashing of teen minds by what might be called mall rat rock, which is planting subliminal messages prodding kids to buy, buy, buy.

``Josie and the Pussycats'' may not be ``This Is Spinal Tap'' or ``Phantom of the Paradise,'' but it's eager to please, and it's hard to stay grouchy in its presence. This is no small thing at a time when, given the recent run of repellently brainless movies aimed at the youth market, road rage is about to be replaced by multiplex rage.

Actually, the film might be shooting for ``Spinal Tap'' territory in a funny prologue about an airhead boy group called Du Jour. But one plane crash later, the band's manager - played by Alan Cumming, the villain du jour of cartoony movies - is looking for a new band to feed to his voracious boss, Fiona, played by Parker Posey as the Cruella De Vil of rock merchandising, bent on world domination. He finds Rachael Leigh Cook's Josie, Pussycats Melody (Tara Reid) and Valerie (Rosario Dawson), and their brother-sister managers (Paulo Costanzo and Missi Pyle).

In the hands of writers/directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, this movie sunnily kids many of the excesses of prepubescent rock and marketing. The feline trio never behaves with an off-putting sense of entitlement. They're hard-working and lively, and so much fun to have around that even their furry little cat ears seem OK. ``Josie and the Pussycats'' does a better job than most of its kind with its wholehearted kitsch-as-kitsch-can approach.

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Wednesday, April 11, 2001

MOVIE REVIEW
A Bubble-Gum Romp.

By KENNETH TURAN, Times Film Critic

When you think about it--and thinking about it is probably the last thing you should do--"Josie and the Pussycats" is a third-generation cartoon. First came the Archie comic book debut in 1963, then the animated series a decade later, and now this amiably cartoonish cinematic slumber party. Talk about a distinguished family tree.

A sweet-natured bubble-gum movie about the escapades of an all-girl band, "Josie and the Pussycats," like those venerable Frankie and Annette beach movies, gets a lot of mileage out of its spirited performers and their peppy music. It's clearly aimed at a Clearasil audience, but if anyone older happens to wander in, they won't be significantly worse for the experience.

Written and directed by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont and based more on a notion than an actual plot, "Josie and the Pussycats" is all about girls having fun and saving the day. Less fiendishly calculated than "Coyote Ugly," a film aimed at the same demographic, "Josie" has a loopy and at times unpredictable sense of humor. When one peripheral character is asked why she's around, "I was in the comic book" is the wised-up reply.

The action starts not with the Pussycats but with the hot band of the moment, called Dujour, naturally. Four idiots managed by Wyatt Frame (Alan Cumming, who succeeds in looking sinister in granny glasses and a Prince Valiant haircut), Dujour disappears after getting curious about a strange background track on their new remix.

Fiona, the one-named boss at MegaRecords (Parker Posey channeling Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard") insists that Frame find a new band for the label at once, and it soon turns out there's more than neurosis behind her urgency.
MegaRecords, it seems, is merely a front for a nefarious government-funded plot to hide subliminal messages in rock music, to brainwash America's most spendy demographic (as if it needed much encouragement) to buy, buy, buy oodles of consumer goods. It's Vance Packard's "The Hidden Persuaders" recycled for a new generation.

Meanwhile, Josie and the Pussycats, a trio that, darn it, really believe in their music, are living small in mythical Riverdale, regarding gigs at vacant lanes in the local bowling alley as a step up the career ladder.

Josie, the band's redheaded leader (a convincing Rachael Leigh Cook), pines for Alan M (Gabriel Mann), the cute guy who, guess what, thinks of her as a friend. Valerie Brown (Rosario Dawson), is the reliable bass player, and drummer Melody Valentine (Tara Reid) is as much of a tree-hugger as her name suggests. Such good friends that they appear on each other's bus passes, these girls know they rock and we know they rock, but no one else gets the message.

That is, until Frame stumbles on the group and signs them up considerably faster than a New York minute. Actually, he hasn't got time to care whether they rock or not; harassed by Fiona, he inks them on looks alone, without so much as hearing a note. The girls are astonished at what turns out to be their instant success, but they vow to be friends first and a band second. That, of course, is a wee bit tougher than they imagined.

The three leads all learned to play their instruments (acting is not all fun and games) and also do their own backup work, though singer Kay Hanley does Josie's lead vocals. The trio is great fun to watch, as is its nemesis Cumming. Very much the villain du jour after this and his equally funny role in "Spy Kids," the actor has a charming way of practically twinkling with evil.

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E! Online

Watching this comic book come to life on celluloid is like getting a heavy dose of MTV's TRL, shameless product placements, lip-synched music, Carson Daly and all. Riverdale rockers Josie, Valerie and Melody dream of the big time from their garage until fate steps in and hands them the cat's meow of a record deal (hilarious industry spoofing provided by Parker Posey and Alan Cumming). Overnight, these sexy kittens become a success--but the fans, fame and free fashion aren't as purr-fect as expected. The humor is, like, so of-the-minute: boy bands, jabs at Carson and Tara Reid's relationship--even the AOL Moviefone guy is in on the joke. And it works, in a fast-food, guilty-pleasure kinda way. Don't believe us? We dare you to not tap your toes to the rockin' tunes on the way out (even if you're over 13 and feel a little embarrassed about it).

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Variety Review by Joe Leydon

Though clearly aimed at an under-25 female demographic, the movie has sufficient across-the-board appeal to be a crossover hit.

While remaining reasonably faithful to the spirit of two short-lived (16 episodes each) but much-rerun TV cartoon shows, “Josie and the Pussycats” (1970) and “Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space” (1972), writers-directors Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont (“Can’t Hardly Wait”) have slightly expanded the central characters and significantly altered the overall tone. (Those TV cartoons were inspired by a popular Archie Comics series.)

As before, the three leads — plucky singer-guitarist Josie McCoy (Rachael Leigh Cook), ditzy blond drummer Melody Valentine (Tara Reid) and levelheaded bassist Valerie Brown (Rosario Dawson) — are the hard-rocking members of a girl group. In this version, however, they’re introduced as an unknown garage band, not a successful touring act.

And instead of battling diabolical villains in Aztec pyramids or criminal masterminds near the Grand Canyon, Josie and the Pussycats face the serious challenge of being true to themselves, and to each other, while ensnared in star-making machinery.

Borrowing a few pages from Peter Watkins’ dead-serious “Privilege” (1967) and Bob Rafelson’s comic-fantasy “Head” (1968), Kaplan and Elfont imagine a world in which pre-fab pop stars are manufactured and sold to masses of pliable, trend-conscious teens, while shadowy government-corporate co-conspirators manipulate those masses to maintain social order and, more important, a booming economy.

CHEEKY, EVEN BRAZEN
Early on, when ‘Josie’ introduces DuJour, a fave-rave boy band that’s a spot-on burlesque of ’N Sync, the filmmakers bare their satirical claws. The self-reflective cheekiness is almost breathtaking in its brazenness: “Josie” itself is unabashedly a textbook example of the kind of product sold by the system that the movie satirizes.

Early on, when “Josie” introduces DuJour, a fave-rave boy band that’s a spot-on burlesque of ’N Sync, the filmmakers bare their satirical claws. From there, it’s a quick hop to DuJour’s private plane, an aircraft that’s top-heavy with product-placements for Target stores, Ivory dish detergent, etc. (Prominent displays of name-brand merchandise serve as a deliciously nasty running gag throughout.) Unfortunately, DuJour doesn’t remain aloft very long: Their flight is sabotaged by manager Wyatt Frame (Alan Cumming) after the band members air their suspicions about subliminal messages being added to their songs.

Driven to find new nobodies who can be transformed overnight into pop music icons, Frame fortuitously arrives in Riverdale, U.S.A., where he discovers Josie and the Pussycats and signs them to a contract with Mega Records. Suddenly they’re whisked to New York, and joined for the ride by Alan M. (Gabriel Mann), a dreamy-looking folk singer who’s like catnip for Josie; Alexander Cabot (Paulo Costanzo), the group’s none-too-bright original manager; and Alexandra Cabot (Missi Pyle), Alexander’s sister, a sour-tempered vixen who also has the hots for Alan M.

CHART-TOPPING SUPERSTARS
In less than a week, Josie and the Pussycats are chart-topping superstars with millions of frantic fans, oodles of commercial endorsements and a cover-story profile in Rolling Stone.

But success comes at a high price. Fiona (Parker Posey), the spectacularly vain-glorious CEO of Mega Records, uses the Pussycat CDs to slip subliminal hard-sell messages into the brains of teens everywhere. Kaplan and Elfont cram so many in-jokes, knowing allusions and on-target parodies into their film that a second viewing may be mandatory for anyone who wants to savor all of the gags. The funniest bits involve efforts to control trends among teens (“Gatorade is the new Snapple!,” “Heath Ledger is the new Matt Damon!”). No less a notable than Mr. Moviefone is embroiled in the stealthy brainwashing.

And MTV’s Carson Daly — played, in a bold stroke of casting, by Carson Daly — reveals his true colors as a ruthlessly efficient co-conspirator and potential murderer.
Cook is a nifty Josie, Reid is a funny dumb bunny, and Dawson hits all the right notes. Cumming goes just far enough over the top; Posey goes a little too far. Mann, looking and sounding very much like a younger and less threatening James Spader, is suitably boy-toyish. Costanzo and Pyle are broad but amusing. Look closely at the DuJour lineup and you may spot a familiar face under an assumed name.

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Review of Josie and the Pussycats
Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, and Rosario Dawson star in this comic-to-film adaptation that makes some surprisingly bold statements.

by Glen Oliver
2001-04-11

WHAT'S IT ABOUT?
Josie and the Pussycats (Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, Rosario Dawson) are a garage band looking for their big break. They get their big break when record executive Wyatt Frame (Alan Cumming) literally brakes to avoid hitting them while they’re crossing the street (get it – big brake?!?!?)

Josie and her band are propelled into a bizarre, semi-futuristic reality where product placement has infiltrated every element of our everyday lives and culture, and quickly find themselves swept-up in a horrendous and insidious plot:

For the last few decades, record labels have been conspiring with the United States government to drive the national (and soon global) economy by embedding subliminal signals within rock music to entice people to purchase goods and services. In effect, what’s “in” and what’s “out” (i.e. trend and purchasing habits/movements) is totally controlled and determined by unseen Powers That Be.

Invariably, the talent generating said music discover their tunes are being used as vehicles for such nefarious purposes, and revolt. The Powers That Be subsequently snuff-out these groups, resulting in the famed “plane crashes”, “bus wrecks”, “car accidents”, and “over-doses” which have claimed many of our most famous musicians. VH-1’s Behind the Music is a propaganda vehicle creating illusions to serve such ends.

The group soon comes to suspect something is amiss with their newfound success, and makes a stand against its management and label. Bringing forth the ire of The Powers That Be, who dispatch a corporate hit man (MTV’s Carson Daly, playing himself) to do away with Josie and the Pussycats once and for all…

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If Newton’s Third Law is correct – and if, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction (or something like that) – it stands to reason that Josie and the Pussycats (target of great skepticism and disinterest among the comic fan & Internet communities) is actually bubbling over with merit, and even manages to kick in a few departments. Never in my wildest imagination could I have ever guessed I’d someday equate Newton’s Third Law to Josie and the Pussycats, but never in my wildest imagination did I anticipate Josie and the Pussycats might actually work.

Much of the credit goes to a script by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfant, which takes the concept of the original Archie comics and drops it into a scenario which scuring just-about every element of the entertainment industry, and “pop culture” in general. Very little is sacred in this film: big business (most notably music and television – the film industry fares reasonably well here, presumably spared in deference to Universal and MGM, who produced this flick) is thoroughly eviscerated. Marketing influence on our culture is considered and roundly nuked, the talent of high-profile “boy bands” & teeny-bopper musicians is aped and criticized – the list goes on. If the industries and corporations considered by the film have a sense of humor about themselves, Elfant and Kaplan may end-up becoming some kind of champions or heroes. If the corps are as humorless and stuck-up as they often appear to be, Elfant and Kaplan and may soon become Public Enemy #1 in certain circles.

Come what may, there’s a very strong sense those behind this movie are saying things (about our “real world”) many people have wanted to say for a long time. Which means, despite the film’s generally over-the-top nature, Josie often rings with a great deal of resonance and truth.


(l-r) Travis (Seth Green), D.J. DJ (Donald Faison), Les (Alex Martin), Marco (Breckin Meyer), and their manager Wyatt (Alan Cumming): a boy band named Du Jour, whose disappearance (?) leaves MegaRecords searching for new talent.

Kaplan and Elfant co-directed the film as well. The duo excels in little character moments and comic set-ups/execution, but sometimes their direction fails to match the visual pop of Josie's edgy and imposing production design (which finds inspiration in everything from Blade Runner to 2001), or the aural drive of the film’s extensively-used music. They don’t fail at what they are doing, but Josie sometimes feels a little lackluster at times it should be going visually insane.

In this sense, even though it is often over-the-top, simple, and fluffy, Josie and the Pussycats represents a rather bold move by The Powers That Be. Maybe audiences won’t know what to do with it. Or, maybe the gamble will pay-off for them, and audiences will recognize and appreciate that there’s more to this film than is evident at face value – which is more than one can say for many films these days, especially comic-to-film adaptations such as this.

Josie and the Pussycats may be soft and cuddly at first look, but it also packs a bit of bite.

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Reviewed by: Chuck the Movieguy

Three girls live their dream when their band gets signed by Mega Records. Based on the characters from Archie comics.

A better title would have been Josie and the Product Placements. I have never seen seen such an abuse as this and they try and flip it by turning it into a major plotline. Scott from Movieheadlines who was sitting next to me said if they made a drinking game out of the movie every time they showed a product placement, you would be plastered before the second reel.

But there is something even more bizarre about this movie... It was fun. As silly as it was stupid I couldn't help but laugh at the antics of the girls, especially Melody (Reid), the "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands" song had me crying it was so funny. A few inside jokes concerning the comic strip and Carson Daily and the music business make it even more fun.

Another bizarre thing... the music is good. I found myself tapping my foot and singing along a couple of times.

And the most bizarre thing of all is that I liked the movie. As silly as it was was and I use this term with reservations... cartoon-ish, you can't help laugh. The girls are beautiful, funny, but most of all likeable. Alan Cumming (Floop! from Spykids) makes an excellent Record company weasel and bad guy. Even Parker Posey's over the top cardboard villain Fiona was somehow enjoyable.

The bottom line is I had a good time, the movie is fun.

Not bad for a couple of girls from Riverdale....

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Reviewed By: Scott Chitwood from Movie Headlines

This movie was surprisingly funny! From the commercials, I thought this was just going to be yet another teenybopper film. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the humor in the script.

The movie starts out with a hilarious parody of boy bands such as N Sync and Backstreet Boys. The band is called Du Jour and is dead on. From the clothes to the moves to the little microphone headsets, it's a great parody. Seth Green adds a fun cameo to them. They are apparently killed at the beginning of the film, but their ultimate fate is revealed by the end and had me really cracking up.

All of the Pussycats were great. Cook and Dawson were perfect and really showed a knack for comedy. Tara Reid steals every scene, though, as Melody. Ditzy blonde jokes are always good for a cheap laugh, and they make full use of them here. She also has a fun (if not gratuitous) cameo with her real life fiancée Carson Daly.

Alan Cumming plays yet another bad guy, but this one is pretty fun. He's wickedly sarcastic and by the end reveals a deep, dark secret about his past that takes the film over the top, just as they intend to do.

Josie and the Pussycats is all about laughs and dumb fun. It's not an intellectual exercise. And while poking fun at pop culture, they never take themselves too seriously. One line in the movie highlights this as one character asks the evil Alexandra what she is doing there. She replies, "Because I was in the comic book." Taking the movie in that spirit, it's a fun ride.

So will they go into space in a sequel? :)

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Summary: Purr-fect

I got a chance to see a sneak preview of Josie & the Pussycats this past week. I really didn't have many expectations for this film...all I was looking for was a fun movie that wouldn't make me cringe (too much.) Well, without hesitation I can say this movie totally blew me away. It was by far one of the funniest movies I've seen in a LONG time. Sure, it was campy, but it garnered genuine and consistent laughs from the audience. It's been a long time since I've seen a movie with such energy and well-balanced pacing.

All three actresses were fantastic as the Pussycats, staying very true to their comic book/tv characters. Rachel Leigh Cook was an excellent choice for Josie...she adds a poignancy to the role that was completely unexpected. As you can imagine, there is the usual romantic subplot, but Cook gives it an honesty and sweetness that saved it from becoming a cliche. Rosario Dawson also did a wonderful job of humanizing Val, portraying her as a strong yet insecure woman. Tara Reid had the hardest part of all. How do you portray a ditzy character so that it doesn't degenerate into a one-note gag? Answer: Make the character endearing. Reid did a wonderful job at making Melody's sappy optimism and absent-mindedness absolutely adorable. In less capable hands, some of the gags would have fallen flat...but they got me smiling, and even laughing.

The soundtrack utterly rocks...the last teen movie I can think of with a soundtrack that was so well matched to the visuals was "Clueless." Songs that could have been just filler really added to the overall energy and appeal of the film. The music style was more "hard rock" than the original TV series, but they managed to get the theme song in there somewhere, so I was happy. :) At the screening I went to, people actually danced in the aisles during the end credits...not something I see every day. ^_^

The script is phenomenal, filled with many in-jokes and great timely references. What's most amazing is that Josie & the Pussycats is a movie with something to say, yet it got its message across in a witty and entertaining way while avoiding being too preachy.

I can honestly say Josie & The Pussycats is one of the best TV-to-Film adaptations I've ever seen--very enjoyable for fans of the old series, but remaining accessible for those who weren't.

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Full of fun hi-jinks and lots and lots of high energy music.

Copyright 2001 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***

JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS is SPICEWORLD but with -- are you ready for this? -- an actual plot. It's about nothing less than a "conspiracy to brainwash the kids of America with pop music," specifically with subliminal messages.

A cute-as-a-button Rachael Leigh Cook (ANTITRUST) plays lead singer Josie McCoy of the Pussycats. Rosario Dawson (HE GOT GAME) and Tara Reid (AMERICAN PIE) play Scary Spice and Baby Spice, oops, I mean Valerie Brown and Melody Valentine, the group's guitarist and drummer. Fiona (Parker Posey), the maniacal manager of MegaRecords, accurately calls the latter two, "Mopey and Dopey." The group is based on a Hanna-Barbera cartoon series from the early 1970s, which was itself based on a 1963 Archie comic book.

As the story begins, a boy band, DuJour, is in a descent so rapid that they'll soon vanish, so their manager, Wyatt Frame (Alan Cumming, SPY KIDS) has to locate a new band pronto, or Fiona will have his head on a platter. Once he literally runs into the Pussycats, he decides to make them overnight stars without even bothering to hear them sing. Rocketing to number one in their first week, their fame is like a sudden and unexpected tornado.

The movie, written and directed in a collaborative effort by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, who last gave us the miserable comedy CAN'T HARDLY WAIT, is full of fun hi-jinks and lots and lots of high energy music. The songs are actually sung by Kay Handley of Letters to Cleo, but the three lead actresses sing back-up.

The funniest parts of the story are the product placement parodies. Everything in the girls' rooms from the wallpaper to the bedspreads is filled with corporate logos. "We will turn the world into one gigantic TV commercial," Fiona brags. Usually spectacular, Posey delivers a chillingly off-kilter performance as the weird, wacky woman CEO of MegaRecords. With their subliminal messages, MegaRecords is able to turn the opinions of millions of young consumers on a dime, causing them to shell out cash like a broken slot machine. Thinking thoughts like, "orange is the new pink" and "feathers are the new rhinestones," the teens have to go out and buy the latest fashion fad to replace perfectly good items that they already have.

Eventually, of course, Josie rebels against being a "trend pimp" for Fiona, and begins to sing songs free of secret messages. Even if the movie isn't exactly unforgettable, the same can't be said for the main song, "3 Small Words," which sticks in your brain like Super Glue. You don't think that there really are some hidden messages in it, do you? Personally, I don't. At any rate, I'm too busy right now to think about it. I've got to buy some new Nikes so I can walk to McDonalds and get a Coca-Cola and a Big Mac. After that there are 17 items of designer clothing at the mall that I just remembered that I absolutely have to buy before sunset.

JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS runs 1:35. It is rated PG-13 for language and sensuality and would be acceptable for kids around 7 and up.

My son Jeffrey, age 12, gave it ***. He said that it was funny and that he liked Josie and loved the music. He remarked how much the film was like SPICEWORLD.

The film opens nationwide in the United States on Wednesday, April 11, 2001. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the AMC and the Century theaters.

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