Passable in Pink

From the mind of writer Mike Sacks (Stinker Lets Loose!) comes Passable in Pink, a five-hour-plus Audible audio project that takes the piss out of John Hughes’s filmography…. In addition to the spot-on character parody, the language playfully mocks the popular parlance of typical teen movies from the ’80s, while an original soundtrack takes the music scenes to task in a way that still allows for earworms. Join in on the joke today, and be sure to stick around until the end, as Sacks has some tricks up his sleeve regarding casting and more.

Vulture

Hey, remember the ’80s? Audible certainly does, as it’s once again teamed up with author Mike Sacks (Stinker Lets Loose!) to bring to life his satirical take on the John Hughes extended universe. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Gillian Jacobs (Community) and Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Passable In Pink is like if a VHS copy of Sixteen Candles had spent the last 30 years warping inside of a hot car. Set in 1983, this funhouse mirror reflection of ’80s excess concerns high schooler Addie Stevens, whose thoughtless yuppie parents have forgotten that it’s the anniversary of her first period. This is the least of her problems, as she has also fallen head over heels for dreamboat Roland McDough, but their relationship could never work because Roland is rich and Addie’s family is only upper-middle-class. Sacks gleefully handles the tropes and problematic tendencies of Hughes’ adolescent operas and takes a particular delight in inventing increasingly bizarre teen lingo that wouldn’t feel out of place in a sci-fi novel. The dreamy synth soundtrack and pristine production immerse listeners in this hysterically over-the-top ode to the holy trinity of ’80s teendom: fashion, hormones, and prom.

The Onion’s AV Club

Passable In Pink is irreverent, so don’t expect it to be cute and rosy like the films it targets. Imagine if Doug Kenny (National Lampoon) had made Ferris Bueller’s Day Off or The Breakfast Club. Those listeners expecting a loyal tribute to those films will probably be disappointed. This is a satire. And it’s razor sharp. Mike Sacks has paid attention to every detail and trope that those films used. . . Again, just as he did with the “bandit” “trucker” movies of the late 70s in Stinker. This is a masterclass in comedy right here. The writing is sharp and I can tell it’s meant to read well. But goddamit the performances are brilliant. Gillian Jacobs’ delivery is amazing, understating a lot of the writing’s sharp left turns. Odenkirk’s nerdy borderline embarrassing dad, Rhea Seehorn’s suspiciously older closest friend, and Moynihan’s Grimer are all perfectly painted characters. The entire cast is really fantastic. People looking for a little more earnest representations of 80s teen comedies might be allergic, because the pacing is much faster. And there’s a lot more packed in. Monty Python and Mr Show were the same way. As were Nichols & May. There’s more here than just content. There’s real invention here, which I believe to be exceptional.

Scott Hull

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When love reigns supreme in Northridge High just outside Chicago, by the lake, it happens beneath the soft, pink-infused spotlights hovering over that most special night of the year – prom night!

And when that happens, it’s bound to be called . . . Passable in Pink

Passable in Pink is an Audible Original from New York Times best-selling author Mike Sacks (And Here’s the Kicker, Poking a Dead Frog).

Sacks has teamed up once again with director Eric Jason Martin (Heads Will Roll) to adapt a forgotten John Hughes-type 1983 movie into a fully immersive cinematic audio experience, with an epic all-star cast, including: Gillian Jacobs (Girls, Love), Adam Scott (Parks and Rec, Big Little Lies), Bobby Moynihan (SNL), Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul), Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad), Justine Bateman (Family Ties), Julie Klausner (Difficult People), Laraine Newman (SNL), and Judd Nelson (The Breakfast Club).

Passable in Pink deftly sends up the 1980s while addressing the vital question: Will Addy Stevenson go to the senior prom?

Addy is suffering through her sophomore year at suburban Chicago’s Northridge High. She lives on the “wrong” side of the lake with her father, a struggling advertising copywriter (“Where the hell is the goddamn beef?”) and her ever-boozy mom (“Get me another drink, baby, and really make it sing.”). Addy’s younger brother, Spaz, her soon-to-marry older sister, Princess, and a visiting international transfer student add to the mix.

Her world is turned upside down when she meets Roland McDough, the “most beautiful Richie boy” at Northridge High. Is he actually interested in Addy, or is he just playing a game? This star-studded Audible Original also features a special 11-song, 1980s-infused film soundtrack, produced by Mark Rozzo (Stinker Lets Loose!).

Are you ready to jump back into the cool, neon-glazed, high-topped reality of the 1980s? Do you miss those kick-ass tubular synth-rockin’ sounds and delicious phantasma-gaseous smells? When was the last time you put on your Members Only jacket and danced the Safety Dance?

A loving send-up of a bygone era, this is one audio comedy where Every Breath You Take will remind you of How You Used to Be.

Full cast includes: Gillian Jacobs, Adam Scott, Bobby Moynihan, Bob Odenkirk, Emily Woo Zeller, Rhea Seehorn, Laraine Newman, Judd Nelson, James Adomian, Sasheer Zamata, Joel Kim Booster, Julie Klausner, Justine Bateman, Mark Gagliardi, Jessica McKenna, Justin Michael, Julia Whelan, Eric Jason Martin, Tara Sands, and Mike Sacks.

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