A Midsummer Night's Rave
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''A Midsummer Night's Rave'' is a 2002 American film
adapted In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...
from
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' released on November 1, 2002. The film stars Corey Pearson,
Lauren German Lauren Christine German is an American actress. She had her first major role in the 2002 teen romantic drama film ''A Walk to Remember'', followed by roles in the horror films '' The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' (2003) and '' Hostel: Part II'' (2007 ...
, Andrew Keegan, Chad Lindberg, and
Sunny Mabrey Sunny Mabrey (born November 28, 1975) is an American actress and model. Prior to debuting in films, Mabrey appeared in music videos, such as "Nookie" from Limp Bizkit. Her breakthrough came after she played the lead role, man-eating alien Sara, i ...
; and was directed by Gil Cates Jr. It is set at a rave, rather than the forest where most of the original is set. The film received little attention from professional movie critics, but is considered a success with teen audiences, and has been used as an exemplar for a category of movies (the "McShakespeare", an example of
McDonaldization McDonaldization is a McWord developed by sociologist George Ritzer in his 1993 book '' The McDonaldization of Society''. For Ritzer, "McDonaldization" is when a society adopts the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant. The process of McDona ...
) in more academic publications.


Plot and setting

''A Midsummer Night's Rave'' transposes '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' to modern
rave culture A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mu ...
. Unlike '' Rave Macbeth''—released a year earlier and also adapting a Shakespeare play, '' Macbeth'', into the context of rave culture—''A Midsummer Night's Rave's'' plot also explores the characters' activities outside of the rave: Xander ( Andrew Keegan) and Mia (
Sunny Mabrey Sunny Mabrey (born November 28, 1975) is an American actress and model. Prior to debuting in films, Mabrey appeared in music videos, such as "Nookie" from Limp Bizkit. Her breakthrough came after she played the lead role, man-eating alien Sara, i ...
) needs the aid of a rave and a green glowing drug, provided by a British mystic, O. B. John ( Jason Carter), to admit their love for each other; a drug dealer, apparently modelled on Shylock, named Doc wants his stolen drug money; and Nick ( Chad Lindberg) dons a donkey costume at a daycare center. The plot is significantly altered from the original to "accommodate a homosexual relationship and to allow one liberated woman, Elena (
Lauren German Lauren Christine German is an American actress. She had her first major role in the 2002 teen romantic drama film ''A Walk to Remember'', followed by roles in the horror films '' The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' (2003) and '' Hostel: Part II'' (2007 ...
), to reject her callow lover."


Reception

Among_the_few_professional_reviews_is_
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''_in_2003._The_review_is_generally_negative,_but_highlights_some_actor_performances_and_the_directorial_choice_to_omit_the_original_Shakespearean_dialog._Overall_he_thinks_it_"... plays_less_like_witty_romantic_comedy_than_a_watered-down_(and_dumbed-down)_version_of ...''Go_(1999_film).html" ;"title="Joe_Leydon">Joe_Leydon's_for_''Variety_(magazine).html" "title="Joe_Leydon.html" ;"title="Rotten Tomatoes --> Among the few professional reviews is Joe Leydon">Joe Leydon's for ''Variety (magazine)">Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' in 2003. The review is generally negative, but highlights some actor performances and the directorial choice to omit the original Shakespearean dialog. Overall he thinks it "... plays less like witty romantic comedy than a watered-down (and dumbed-down) version of ...''Go (1999 film)">Go''. [The director] goes for cheap laughs by encouraging actors to chew on the scenery—and each other—without worrying about such niceties as narrative logic and character consistency." His summary of its viability as a film is that " tisn't likely to be a fave-rave with critics or auds." Mark Jenkins, in a review for the ''
Washington City Paper The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focu ...
'', sums it up as: "Although rendered in suitably neon hues, the movie is not a visual triumph; its low-budget seams show, and an attempt at a Trainspotting-like aside is weak. The film's principal virtues are its attractive cast, sprightly pace, thumping soundtrack, and happy-face take on young romance. The love drug is not required for viewing, but any cynics in the audience will probably wish they had taken something." A more positive take appears in the book ''Visual Media for Teens'' (2009), which in its chapter on "'Issues of Identity' Films" recommends ''A Midsummer Night's Rave'' with the description "This film really manages to stick close to the original story in a delightful retelling of a classic play that appeals to teens." R. S. White, however, in ''Shakespeare's Cinema of Love: A Study in Genre and Influence'' (2016), describes it by saying that "...  hefarcical ''A Midsummer Night's Rave'' (2002), sa conscious pastiche of Shakespeare's play, ndshows the irrational events being caused by consciousness-altering drugs and the air of psychedelic fantasy created by a musical rave party." Similarly, ''Joss Whedon as Shakespearean Moralist: Narrative Ethics of the Bard and the Buffyverse'' (2014) lists it among the films it considers "a hit with the teens" in a chapter exploring films that employ allusions to and loose adaptations of Shakespeare, as distinct from the more strict adaptations of
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
, Laurence Olivier, and
Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019), was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post-World War II era, ...
. In an article for
Tor.com ''Tor.com'' is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Tor Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers. The magazine publishes articles, reviews, original short fiction, re-reads and commentary on speculative fiction. From 20 ...
, Leah Schnelbach and Natalie Zutter lists it as among "Shakespeare Adaptations That Best Speak to Teens", and concludes: "If any of you want to revisit a certain best night of your life subset of 1990s culture, this is your Shakespeare adaptation." In 2016, Kristen Stegemoeller, writing for ''
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'', listed it as number 8 in a list of "Shakespeare's Teen Movies" based solely on a plot description found on
Wikipedia Wikipedia is a multilingual free online encyclopedia written and maintained by a community of volunteers, known as Wikipedians, through open collaboration and using a wiki-based editing system. Wikipedia is the largest and most-read refer ...
. And in a 2015 article "In Defense of Go As A Rave Movie" (referring to '' Go'' (1999)), Genna Rivieccio describes ''A Midsummer Night's Rave'' as among the "classics" of rave movies.


''A Midsummer Night's Rave'' and the "McShakespeare"

A "McMovie"—the application of
McDonaldization McDonaldization is a McWord developed by sociologist George Ritzer in his 1993 book '' The McDonaldization of Society''. For Ritzer, "McDonaldization" is when a society adopts the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant. The process of McDona ...
to movies—is, according to Greenberg, characterised by " oggedimitation and allusion rather than experimentation, even within narrow genre confines nbsp;... Uninspiring prototypes
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have spun off sequels, which have birthed still drearier successors—a Barthesian chain of replication unfolding into ever-declining signification." Jess-Cooke adds that " heMcMovie fundamentally draws attention to the ideological assertions and determining factors of a fast-food chain of film production. ... film rip-offs that champion loose endings, weak, cartoonish characters, inconsistent screenplays, stale narratives, fast pacing, loud music and soundbite dialogue ...". Analogous to this, Jess-Cooke creates the concept of the McShakespeare as a commodification of Shakespeare adaptations. In that context she assesses ''A Midsummer Night's Rave''. She finds that it " cknowledgesShakespearean cinema's main audience as teenage" by adapting Shakespeare's play as explicitly "youth culture". As an example she points out that its entire cast is composed of actors that have played in popular teen movies like ''
The Fast and the Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, ...
'', '' American Pie'', and ''
10 Things I Hate About You ''10 Things I Hate About You'' is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Gil Junger and starring Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Larisa Oleynik. The screenplay, written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirs ...
''; and includes a part for pop-culture icon
Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the ''Star Wars'' films (1977–1983). She reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last ...
that "subtly conjures" Princess Leia. She describes its plot as "loose" and "weaves together strands from a variety of Shakespeare's plays", and that it is neither narrative-driven nor ideologically subversive. However, she does find in it an effort to recontextualise Shakespeare away from a "high school" and academic setting, and into a more "in culture" and "anti-authoritarian" one.


Cast

* Corey Pearson—Damon (
Demetrius Demetrius is the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek male given name ''Dēmḗtrios'' (), meaning “Demetris” - "devoted to goddess Demeter". Alternate forms include Demetrios, Dimitrios, Dimitris, Dmytro, Dimitri, Dimitrie, Dimitar, Dumi ...
) *
Lauren German Lauren Christine German is an American actress. She had her first major role in the 2002 teen romantic drama film ''A Walk to Remember'', followed by roles in the horror films '' The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'' (2003) and '' Hostel: Part II'' (2007 ...
—Elena ( Helena) * Andrew Keegan—Xander (
Lysander Lysander (; grc-gre, Λύσανδρος ; died 395 BC) was a Spartan military and political leader. He destroyed the Athenian fleet at the Battle of Aegospotami in 405 BC, forcing Athens to capitulate and bringing the Peloponnesian War to an en ...
) * Chad Lindberg—Nick (
Nick Bottom Nick Bottom is a character in Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' who provides comic relief throughout the play. A weaver by trade, he is famously known for getting his head transformed into that of a donkey by the elusive Puck. Bott ...
) *
Sunny Mabrey Sunny Mabrey (born November 28, 1975) is an American actress and model. Prior to debuting in films, Mabrey appeared in music videos, such as "Nookie" from Limp Bizkit. Her breakthrough came after she played the lead role, man-eating alien Sara, i ...
—Mia (
Hermia Hermia is a fictional character from Shakespeare's play, ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. She is a girl of ancient Athens named for Hermes, the Greek god of trade. Overview Hermia is caught in a romantic entanglement where she loves one man, Lysan ...
) * Jason Carter—OB John (
Oberon Oberon () is a king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', in which he is King of the Fairies and spouse of Titania, Queen of the Fairi ...
) *
Nichole Hiltz Nichole Marie Hiltz is an American actress. She has appeared in several films, made-for-TV movies, and television series. Her most recent long-running television credit is for USA Network's ''In Plain Sight'' from 2008 to 2012 in which she portra ...
—Britt ( Titania) * Glen Badyna—Puck ( Puck) * Olivia Rosewood—Tami ( Snug) * Chris Owen—Frankie (
Peter Quince Peter Quince is a character in William Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. He is one of the six mechanicals of Athens who perform the play which Quince himself authored, "The Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and This ...
) * Will McCormack—Greg (
Francis Flute Francis Flute is a character in William Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. His occupation is a bellows-mender. He is forced to play the female role of Thisbe in "Pyramus and Thisbe", a play-within-the-play which is performed for Theseu ...
) * Greg Zola—Snout (
Tom Snout Tom Snout is a character in William Shakespeare's '' A Midsummer Night's Dream''. He is a tinker, and one of the " mechanicals" of Athens, amateur players in ''Pyramus and Thisbe'', a play within the play. In the play-within-a-play, Tom Snout pl ...
) *
Keri Lynn Pratt Keri Lynn Pratt (born September 23, 1978) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her role as Missy Belknap in ''Jack & Bobby'' and as Dee Vine in the film, ''Drive Me Crazy''; which was her debut role. Personal life Pr ...
—Debbie (
Robin Starveling Robin Starveling is a character in William Shakespeare's '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1596), one of the Rude Mechanicals of Athens who plays the part of Moonshine in their performance of ''Pyramus and Thisbe''. His part is often considered ...
) * Jamie Anderson—Amanda *
Jennifer Crystal Foley Jennifer Crystal Foley (born Jennifer Amie Crystal; January 26, 1973) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Christie Parker in '' Once and Again'' and Rachel Taub on '' House''. Early and personal life Foley was born on Jan ...
—Lily * Jolie Summers—Rose * Jennifer Foy—Violet * Sara Arrington—TP Fairy * Terry Scannell—Doc * Jennifer Rebecca Bailey—Jennifer *
Dinah Lee Diane Marie Jacobs (born 19 August 1943), known as Dinah Lee, is a New Zealand singer who performed 1960s pop and adult contemporary music. Her debut single from early 1964, "Don't You Know Yockomo?", achieved No. 1 chart success in New Zea ...
—Jessica *
Sean Whalen Sean Whalen (born May 19, 1964) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his work in numerous TV shows, including ''Shannon's Deal'' and ''Grace Under Fire'', as well as movies, including ''The People Under the Stairs'' and ''Twister''. H ...
—Gil *
Jason London Jason Paul London (born November 7, 1972) is an American actor, known for his roles as Randall "Pink" Floyd in director Richard Linklater's film '' Dazed and Confused'' (1993), as Jesse in '' The Rage: Carrie 2'' (1999) and as Rick Rambis in '' O ...
—Stosh * Charlie Spradling—Stosh's Babe *
Matt Czuchry Matthew Charles Czuchry (; born May 20, 1977) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Logan Huntzberger on The WB television series ''Gilmore Girls'' (2005–2007) and Cary Agos on the CBS television drama ''The Good Wife'' (2009–2 ...
—Evan


Notes and references


Sources

* * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Midsummer Night's Rave 2002 films 2002 comedy-drama films Films based on A Midsummer Night's Dream Modern adaptations of works by William Shakespeare Films directed by Gil Cates Jr. American comedy-drama films 2002 directorial debut films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films