I hate to admit it, but Serial Mom is my first real foray into the wacky world of director John Waters. His other pieces of work I’ve only seen bits, and I was never really sure I would like any of them. Thankfully, Serial Mom was a kickass way to get into his work, as the film is a true laugh riot, with quirky characters and fantastic performances. There are so many highlights in the movie; it can be hard to narrow down my favourite scenes. I just want to phone someone up and ask them if this is the cock suckers residence?
Serial Mom is a twisted take on the perfect wife and mother, who pretty much snaps one day. Was it the neighbour who stole her parking spot or the neighbour who doesn’t recycle? Either way, Beverly (Kathleen Turner in an incredible performance) was pretty much on her way to the loony bin, when she decides to fix her problems. Is the math teacher not being nice to her child? No problem, just run him over. A boyfriend rudely stands up her daughter for another woman (admittedly he was right in choosing Traci Lords)? Fire poker to the liver will solve that problem. You think the police are going to be a problem? Not in this movie, as they are some of the worst cops around.
There are a lot of hilarious scenes; you just want to watch it over and over again. Each time you’ll notice something new and laugh your head off. If John Waters other films are least as bit funny as Serial Mom, I’ll need to check them out.
The only negative, which is a small negative, is that the film does take a bit of a lull at times. I’ll admit, I wished Beverly would have had a few scenes taking care of some more annoying people. A few characters got to live, and I would have enjoyed seeing her take them out. Of course, if that happened we wouldn’t have got the brilliant court scenes, which are probably some of the best parts of the movie. My sides are still hurting from all the laughing.
Scream Factory has released Serial Mom for the first time on Region 1 Blu-ray, with what looks to be the same transfer that was used for the German Blu-ray release from Universal Pictures. Comparing the two results in the same look, which is to say, a pretty clean transfer with an even amount of film grain. The Blu-ray isn’t going to be reference material, but it offers the viewer an enjoyable viewing and listening experience (audio options are DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0).
Special features included on the Blu-ray are a new 34-minute sit down with director John Waters and actresses Kathleen Turner and Mink Stole. They casually discuss the process of making the film and the other works of John Waters. All other features are older ones ported over from past releases. You have a vintage making-of, interviews, trailers and two commentaries. All in all, not a whole lot new, but what is included is rather nice.
Serial Mom is considered one of John Waters first foray into working in the Hollywood system, with Cry Baby being the other. Even with having to work in the “system,” John Waters hits a home run with the hilarious flick Serial Mom. It’s a twisted, dark comedy that nearly everyone will find something in it to love.
Scream Factory capitalises on the lack of a Region 1 Blu-ray and releases a pretty solid Blu.
*Note – One of those screenshots is from the German Blu-ray release. Which one is it? Muhahahahaha.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- NEW – A Conversation With Director John Waters, Actress Kathleen Turner And Actress Mink Stole
- Serial Mom: Surreal Moments – Featuring Interviews With Waters, Stole, Actress Patricia Hearst, Actress Ricki Lake, Actor Matthew Lillard, Casting Director Pat Moran, Production Designer Vincent Peranio & More!
- Feature Commentary With John Waters And Kathleen Turner
- Feature Commentary With John Waters
- The Making Of Serial Mom – Original Promotional Featurette
- The Kings Of Gore: Herschel Gordon Lewis And David Friedman Featurette
- Original Theatrical Trailer
PRODUCT INFORMATION
DISCS: 1
RUN-TIME: 94 min
ASPECT RATIO: 1.85:1
RESOLUTION: 1080p
AUDIO: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, 2.0
LANGUAGE: English
SUBTITLES: English
REGION: A/1
RATING: R
PRODUCTION DATE: 1994
RELEASE DATE: May 9, 2017
PLOT SUMMARY
Every woman wants to be wanted… just not for Murder One!
Director John Waters (Pink Flamingos, Hairspray) brings his twisted cinematic vision to the seemingly mundane world of suburbia in Serial Mom, an outrageous dark comedy starring Kathleen Turner (Body Heat, Romancing The Stone).
Beverly (Turner) is the perfect happy homemaker. Along with her doting husband Eugene (Sam Waterston) and two children, Misty (Ricki Lake) and Chip (Matthew Lillard), she lives a life straight out of Good Housekeeping. But this nuclear family just might explode when Beverly’s fascination with serial killers collides with her ever-so-proper code of ethics – transforming her from middle class mom to mass murderer! Soon, the bodies begin to pile up… and suburbia faces a horror even worse than wearing white after Labor Day.
Featuring appearances by Mink Stole, Suzanne Somers, Traci Lords, and Patty Hearst, Serial Mom is a bloody hilarious tale that’s as American as motherhood, the flag, and apple die.