Best Movie Ever: An Oral History of Kaplan and Elfont's "Josie and the Pussycats"

by Russ Burlingame, Eva Hendricks (Foreword)

Best Movie Ever centers on the production, reception, and legacy of the 2001 film Josie and the Pussycats, which starred Rachael Leigh Cook, Tara Reid, and Rosario Dawson as the titular band. Based on characters created by Archie Comics, Josie and the Pussycats was a box office disappointment for MGM and Universal, who produced and distributed the movie, but has gone on to become a cult classic in the years since.Best Movie Ever is the product of dozens of hours of interviews with members of the movie’s cast and crew, as well as industry analysts, comic book creators, and the fans who helped keep the movie alive after the filmmakers had been told it was “dead on arrival.”

Released in 2001, Josie and the Pussycats earned less than $20 million on a budget that has been reported in the $30 to $40 million range. Its soundtrack, which featured Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo singing as Josie, went gold, and eventually got a 2017 vinyl reissue from Mondo, who also hosted a special fan screening, concert, and Q&A to go with it. From YouTubers and bloggers to Buzzfeed and the Los Angeles Times, Josie and the Pussycats is getting a critical reappraisal now that would have been difficult to imagine in 2001.

Genres: Nonfiction

298 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 21, 2021

Reviews

[Danielle Zimmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I considered myself a fan of JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS before reading this oral history, but now? Now I feel like I'm even MORE of a fan than before while also very much paling in comparison to all of the superfans around the world. There are so many fascinating insights and anecdotes in this book, not to mention fun tidbits and little known facts that I just couldn't get enough of. The amount of time, care, and passion that Russ Burlingame put into each and every interview and the compilation of this oral history is apparent on every page. You can tell just how much the project meant to him, as well as how much the movie meant to everyone he talked to.

My only nitpick(s) with BEST MOVIE EVER are the occasional spelling or grammatical errors, as well as the organization. Some interview snippets seem randomly placed (because there wasn't really anywhere else for them to go), while others feel like they come a few pages after their main topic had already been covered. I'm sure it was difficult to organize everything and figure out what parts of interviews to cut, but if there had been more time and resources, this book could do with another editing pass.

But overall, as an Indiegogo backer of this fantastic project, I loved this book and have already rewatched JOSIE through its delightfully orange-is-the-new-pink filter. Thank you so much Russ Burlingame for putting this together.

Dujour means family.

Join the army.

[Christian Lipski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setting aside the fact that the movie is amazing and deserves a book and much more, Burlingame fills pages with insight from the people involved in Josie, from the directors to actors playing unnamed characters. But in what might just be the perfect tribute, he also includes a massive amount of testimonials from the fans who kept the excitement alive. So many stories about being the only one who *got* the movie as a kid, and finally found their community.

This book is totally jerkin’.


(join the army)

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a jerkin’ trip down memory lane. This movie means so much to so many people, myself included, and I’m glad there’s a book to honor its legacy. The interviews got a little repetitive - how many different ways can you say something was ahead of its time? - but I love that it features all of the major cast and crew, along with fans from different walks of life. And the surprises on the first page of every chapter are too fun. Thank you, Russ Burlingame, for bringing your labor of love to life!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, enjoyable read and a solid history of the movie that taught me some things I didn’t know, like that it was marketed to little girls at the time. I was the target young adult audience when it came out, a young woman roughly the same age as the actors, so that was news to me. 100% did not know or expect that a movie that opens with a 3 minute song about anal sex was marketed to kids, but ok, that explains some things about why it tanked. One thing I wish the author would’ve talked about, in terms of the movie tanking, was that it came out at the height of the Napster era, with a chunk of the target audience being college kids with access to torrent sites and fast internet connections. I loved the soundtrack and downloaded it, but I certainly didn’t pay for it at the time (though who among us hasn’t rebuilt their music library multiple times at this point).

[Henry Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I'm a bit biased as a participant in this book, it does a great job as a concise and entertaining history of the "best movie ever".

[Carson H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t think I could possibly learn anything new about JATP, which has been my favorite movie since it’s opening day in 2001 — I so appreciate Ross Burlingame proving me wrong. I can’t believe the lengths he went to for this book. So many behind-the scenes photos, background on the original comic book character of Josie, testimony from artists who were inspired by the film… He even interviewed the Mr Moviefone! To have this incredible record of the movie that means so much to me is a precious gift.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Josie and the Pussycats (which, I mean, it's the best movie ever, so you should), then you will love this book! I contributed to the Indiegogo campaign and am thrilled with the content.

[Badgerhoneyx · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a little biased as the narrator but, it's awesome.

[Austin Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suspect a chronological telling of the events would have served it better. But I am happy I read it.