Bell Manor park
thursday, august 25, 2022

josie and the pussycats

With the short film Idols Never Die

When three best friends from the storied small town of Riverdale form a band and get their big break, Josie & the Pussycats become a pop sensation overnight. Soon the girls are swept up into a world of fame filled with all the glitz and glamour that comes with being rock stars. But their new lifestyle starts to feel a little too good to be true as Josie is pushed more and more into the spotlight and the girls’ friendship and creative drive starts to wane under the pressure of their corporate overlords. Directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan re-work the Archie comics spin-off to create a bitingly satirical world of cutthroat record labels and screaming fans and a snapshot of contemporary pop culture that resonates more today than ever before. Cementing its reputation as a millennial favourite, the film features a legendary pop-punk soundtrack produced by Babyface and written/performed by members of Letters to Cleo, Fountains of Wayne, That Dog, The Go-Gos, and Counting Crows. 

Paired with Josie & The Pussycats is Korean-Canadian filmmaker Jerome Yoo’s darkly funny short, Idols Never Die, exploring the limits of what it means to be a true fan. When a young K-pop star suddenly dies, a group of fangirls experience grief that at first tears them apart, but they soon realize the tragedy actually has the power to bring them even closer together. When they discover a secret message from the late pop sensation is recorded on his album, they embark on a mission to fulfill his last wish, showcasing the magical bond music can have and the lightness of youth. Like Josie & the Pussycats, Yoo’s film balances a satirical edge with a story about how the things we love always have the power to bring us closer together.