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Death Becomes Her (1992)

Goldie Hawn , Bruce Willis , Robert Zemeckis  |  PG-13 |  DVD
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (188 customer reviews)

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Product Details

  • Actors: Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis, Meryl Streep, Isabella Rossellini
  • Directors: Robert Zemeckis
  • Writers: Martin Donovan (I), David Koepp
  • Producers: Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey
  • Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Full Screen, NTSC
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)
  • Subtitles: English, Spanish
  • Dubbed: Spanish
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
  • Studio: Universal Studios
  • DVD Release Date: January 20, 1998
  • Run Time: 103 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (188 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: 0783225482
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,646 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • Learn more about "Death Becomes Her" on IMDb

Special Features

None.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

If Robert Zemeckis's mega-hit Forrest Gump was too sweet for your taste, you may enjoy the undiluted bitterness of his previous movie, a cynical black comedy that was ahead of its time. Death Becomes Her, an outlandish parable about America's obsession with youth and vanity, exposes the corrosive side of Zemeckis's comic sensibility, the sort of scathing satirical edge he gleefully flourished in his overlooked 1980 Used Cars, which has developed a cult following. Meryl Streep has a ball as the deliciously vicious Madeline Ashton, a flamboyantly mannered actress who makes Bette Davis's formidable Margo Channing in All About Eve look like a wallflower. Goldie Hawn is also in razor-sharp comedic form as Madeline's long-time "best friend," Helen. Sensing a bargain she just can't resist, Madeline steals Helen's meek, plastic-surgeon husband Ernest (Bruce Willis) for her own convenience, and the two women become sworn enemies. But the real complications arise when the two are introduced to a secret anti-aging formula by a mysterious and exotic woman (Isabella Rossellini, delightfully ridiculous) that not only smoothes away wrinkles but actually guarantees immortality. As their undying bodies are twisted and mutilated by violent attacks on each other, both women grow increasingly dependent on Ernest for cosmetic repair. The pioneering digital effects inflicted on Streep and Hawn are as grotesque as they are imaginative and hilarious. Like James Cameron (The Abyss, Titanic), Zemeckis loves a technical challenge, and the new visual tools developed for this movie made his later work (in Forrest Gump and Contact) possible. --Jim Emerson

Product Description

Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis. This story of an arrogant actress and a woman who wants revenge on her is a blend of groundbreaking special effects and hilarious dark comedy. 1991/color/103 min/PG-13/fullscreen.

Customer Reviews

This movie is a dark comedy. very funny. D.M.G  |  42 reviewers made a similar statement
Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep and Bruce Willis, they were all hilarious. T. M. Lashley  |  47 reviewers made a similar statement
I doubt they will be making a special edition dvd of this movie any time soon. Sebastian Vale  |  9 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
52 of 56 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Devilish, Wicked Black Comedy July 16, 2000
Format:DVD
Directed by the amazing Robert Zemeckis, "Death Becomes Her" features a clever script, an awesome cast, and mind-blowing special effects that most Hollywood films lack nowadays. The film centers on the eternal quest for beauty and youth by an aging Hollywood starlet, Madeline Ashton, (played by the brillant Meryl Streep). Her high school rival, Helen, (Goldie Hawn), brings her latest beau to meet Ashton after a campy performance in a musical based on "Sweet Bird of Youth" (get the theme already?).

When Madeline runs off with Helen's fiance (Bruce Willis) Helen falls into a demented state and becomes obese and determined to get even with Madeline. After discovering a secret potion sold by a Hollywood witch (Isabella Rosellini) both Helen, and later Madeline regain their youth, vitality, and beauty. However, all this comes with strings involving immortality.

The wonderful script pokes fun at many stereotypes, rumors, and realities Hollywood is well-known for. From plastic surgery to the fact that no one has never met a neighbor in Los Angeles, the script is intelligent scriptwriting at its' best. The special effects by Industrial Light and Magic which has Helen walking with a hole through her midsection, and Madeline walking with a twisted neck are incredible to watch. One thing I adored about this film was the wicked, dark, and diabolical score by Alan Silvestri that incorporates harps and vengeful theme throughout the film.

The film's ending featuring a legion of Hollywood's undead (including Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, and James Dean)is hysterical and even the names of the two main characters, Madeline ("Mad" as in crazy) and Helen ("Hell" as in hellish) is genius. Personally along with "She-Devil," "Heathers," and "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills," this film ranks as one of the best black comedies to come out in recent years. A must-see for everyone!

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Widescreen Please! June 17, 2011
Format:DVD
I love this movie. The script is witty and the actors looked like they were having fun.

Luckily I have the Laserdisc version. It is in Widescreen format and is better quality than the DVD.

I know that studios sometimes misplace their final version of the movie and attempt to clean up one of the best dalies and put it on the market.

Unfair to the consumer. I will gladly sell them my laserdisc to work from.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A very dark, and hilarious comedy November 7, 2003
Format:DVD
Meryl Streep plays Madeline Ashton, an actress who is obsessed with keeping herself looking young and beautiful. Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn), is a plain looking author with a brilliant surgeon, Dr. Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis), for a fiance. Madeline and Helen have hated each other for years, but things become even worse when Madeline steals Ernest from Helen and they get married. Years later, Madeline is even more obsessed with keeping her youth, willing to do ANYTHING to keep from aging physically. On the other hand, Helen is obsessed to get revenge on Madeline for stealing her fiance. But it seems that there is one thing in common between the two rivals, in that both seem to know the same woman, Lisle Von Rhoman (Isabella Rossellini). Lisle, who has the power to give the two woman something the world has been searching for centuries... the secret of youth. But Madeline and Helen will learn that the 'secret of youth' has a high price, and that their 'lives' will never be the same again.

As the title of my review says, "Death Becomes Her" is a very dark yet hilariously funny movie. Directed by genius Robert Zemeckis (director of the Back to the Future trilogy, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", "Contact", and "Forrest Gump"), he gives the movie such an underlying sense of psychological suspense that it's really hard what category to put this movie under.

Is it a comedy?: Yes, "Death Becomes Her" could be called a comedy. But it has a very twisted sort of humor, you'll have to be someone who enjoys all forms of comedy to really enjoy and understand the humor. There is both laugh-out-loud slapstick humor, then there's the dry type of humor which takes a few seconds to really getting you chuckling. But more than anything, the satire and irony of the story is so well imbedded into the plot that there's really no specific part you can pinpoint as the funniest part of the movie. When the movie finished, my parents and I stopped the movie, there was a brief pause, THEN we started howling with laughter! It's the truth, really! No, it wasn't because it was so awful or stupid (some parts were) but because it's not until AFTER the movie that the satire of the film really hits you.

Is it horror?: Yes, there are some parts which you could describe the movie as being under the horror genre. There's the whole 'haunted, creepy, gothic mansion' scene, and one of the themes of the movie is about 'death'.

Is it a drama?: Strangely enough, there is a sense of drama in the story. The story touches upon the topics of death and the dream of wanting to 'live forever and retain your youth'. This is very well expressed through the main actresses and actor of the movie. I mean, what will your choice been when given a chance to be able to live forever? The suspense towards the end when one of the characters must decide is well executed.

But more than anything, it's not just the story of the movie that really gets you, it's the fact that the actors do such an outstanding job with their characters. Meryl Streep is simply fantastic and she handles the dark side of her character very well. Goldie Hawn is also fantastic, can you imagine her as a fat, depressed, and ugly woman? Well, watch this movie to see her handle the role with ease. And Bruce Willis, you would never imagine seeing him in this kind of movie, but he is just GREAT! He plays the character plagued by two very 'obsessed' woman very well, and he's 'kind of' the 'hero' of the film.

As others have also mentioned, the effects of the movie are brilliantly put to the screen. I can't give away much of the story, but check out how they accomplish getting Meryl Streep's character to 'get up and about' after being pushed a flight of stairs and having her neck broken. Weird...

Anyway, though a brilliant film, I strongly suggest that people would borrow before getting this movie to add to their collection. Some people might not be able to appreciate or understand the movie enough to enjoy it's twisted look at 'life after death'.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Death Becomes Her
Very enjoyable movie. I have seen it more than once and will continue to watch it often. Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis interaction with each other couldn't be better.
Published 1 month ago by granma
5.0 out of 5 stars Always a fun watch!
If you haven't seen this movie, buy it, cuz you're gonna want to watch it again and again! Meryl Streep is just the best!
Published 1 month ago by ragdollk
5.0 out of 5 stars great
i havent watched it since i received it. dont know if it is scratched yet but the packaging looked great. ive seen the film before, excellant movie. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Elisha
3.0 out of 5 stars Super actors
Super Actors in this, who done a good job. Something just fell short of it being a good film. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Published 2 months ago by Josephine Hollingsworth
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
It is a farce which is extremely well acted, filmed, and edited. A classic comedy with the message that in spite of a fantasy we all have about living forever, we wouldn't want... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Guy
5.0 out of 5 stars I have watched this at least 30 times and never tire of it!
The acting is superb, the story line way cool (who doesn't wish there was a potion that could make you live forever?). Read more
Published 2 months ago by lorraine a wharton
5.0 out of 5 stars Death Becomes Her is a must have!
Even though it was made a long time ago, it is still remarkable with Special Effects. Performances from the cast are great all around, it is wonderful to see Bruce Willis play a... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Todd Edwards
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Value!
Great movie!! I paid a great price for it and it came with an amazon copy that I can watch whenever from my amazon account.
Published 2 months ago by Yayabubu88
5.0 out of 5 stars Un clasico del cine
Es una pelicula para reflexionar sobre la vida, lo que hacemos con ella y el proceso normal de la muerte. Read more
Published 2 months ago by William
5.0 out of 5 stars great chick flick
Fun and some great laughs throughout the entire film. Great to have on as backup up while doing other things.
Published 2 months ago by Chris Brewster
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i really hope there is an HD DVD or Blu Ray version
This film would only be HD DVD since it is a Universal Studios movie and they are only HD DVD.
Jul 21, 2007 by M. Swanson |  See all 10 posts
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