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Posted in: Movies, Universal | Tagged: Alan Cumming, film, Josie and the Pussycats, Universal Pictures
Alan Cumming Reflects on Josie and the Pussycats
Alan Cumming is sharing his thoughts on Josie and the Pussycats and how the industry-focused film was largely ahead of its time.
Article Summary
- Alan Cumming discusses his role in the ahead-of-its-time 'Josie and the Pussycats'.
- The 2001 film highlighted dark aspects of the music industry with humor.
- Originally misunderstood, the movie now enjoys a strong cult following.
- Cumming reflects on the blend of adult themes with a satirical kids' film facade.
Back in 2001, audiences weren't extremely receptive to the live-action adaptation of Josie and the Pussycats, based on the Archie Comics series and the Hanna-Barbera cartoon of the same name. However, it definitely resonated with some due to its ability to spotlight some of the unnerving tactics of record labels and their thrall over pop culture — including the desire to use subliminal messages through music or artists' mismanagement and manipulative contracts.
Thankfully, the film has since garnered a strong cult following who have likened its premise to what we know about the industry today, making it a film that uses its goofy nature to highlight a few credible issues within the parameters of modern music management. And one of the film's essential stars is just as impressed with what the film accomplished through its depiction of industry-heavy themes.
Alan Cumming on the Significance of the Live-Action Josie and the Pussycats Movie
During a recent conversation with Entertainment Weekly, actor Alan Cumming discussed his role in the film Josie and the Pussycats and how the movie was ahead of its time. Cumming explains, "I had a phase in the early 2000s of doing these bonkers films on the queer scale. Some of them were more coded than others, but, again, about the idea of being manipulated in the media, being used… it was so ahead of its time, in terms of the subliminal messages and the product placement." The actor then elaborates, "I just think [the studio] didn't quite know how to sell it. They sold it as a kind of kids' film, and it really is quite adult and also hilarious. And I was actually in that film doing an impersonation of Richard E. Grant in Spice World. I just copied him."
At least more than two decades after its release, the film is still being talked about (and in a positive way). Did you enjoy the 2001 satirical film?
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