Movie Substrate · Film

Josie and the Pussycats (2001)

★ 5.8 · 370 ratings on TMDB

Here kitty, kitty, kitty...

Josie and the Pussycats poster★ 5.8

Josie, Melody and Val are three small-town girl musicians determined to take their rock band out of their garage and straight to the top, while remaining true to their look, style and sound. They get a record deal which brings fame and fortune but soon realize they are pawns of two people who want to control the youth of America. They must clear their names, even if it means losing fame and fortune.

DirectorDeborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont
CastAlan Cumming, Alexander Martin, Donald Faison, Gabriel Mann, Missi Pyle, Parker Posey
GenresComedy, Music
The emergence reading

Josie and the Pussycats keeps every mind human — it fights its subject at zero distance. The story fights on E8/E11 of the E0–E14 reality ladder, compressing consumerism, conspiracy, media, music, corporate.

zero-distanceCAconsumerismconspiracymediamusiccorporate
⇄ Parameter shift — the dial this world turnsrigor: loose
E8subliminalmusic everywhere carries hidden messages that automatically drive listeners to buy targeted consumer products (technology · universal)
Also inFilms that alter a rule of reality
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Same rung, same subject

Films fighting at the same level of reality, about the same things.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)E8/E11 · consumerism, corporateThe Truman Show (1998)E8/E11 · consumerism, mediaRoboCop (1987)E8/E11 · corporate, mediaSmall Soldiers (1998)E8/E11 · consumerism, corporateNetwork (1976)E8/E11 · consumerism, mediaThe Hudsucker Proxy (1994)E8/E11 · consumerism, media

Same subject, different rung

The same preoccupations examined at another scale — one mind versus a nation.

The Stuff (1985)E14 · rare rung · consumerism, corporateWar, Inc. (2008)E12/E13 · rare rung · corporate, mediaWho Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)E9/E10 · corporate, mediaScary Movie (2026)E9/E10 · consumerism, mediaAmerican Dreamz (2006)E9/E10 · consumerism, media

Also bends a rule of reality

Other films that change a standing rule of their world — ranked first by those bending it at the same rung.

They Live (1988)alters at E8 · same rung · looseInfluencer (2023)alters at E8 · same rung · looseScott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)alters at E8 · same rung · rigorousChappie (2015)alters at E8 · same rung · looseSoul (2020)alters at E8 · same rung · rigorousNope (2022)alters at E8 · same rung · rigorous

Same people

Shared director or cast.

Can't Hardly Wait (1998)dir. Deborah KaplanGet Carter (2000)Alan CummingCharlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)Missi PyleGone Girl (2014)Missi PyleThe Bourne Supremacy (2004)Gabriel MannMen in Black II (2002)Rosario Dawson