Customer Reviews

Die Mommie Die!

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Angela Arden, a one-time singing sensation, is fed up with her overpowering, Hollywood-producer husband Sol Sussman. Unable to continue with his abuse, she kills him and makes it appear to be a heart attack. The children -- Edith and Lance -- suspect foul play in their father's death and are determined to prove that Angela played a major role in it.

This is a witty, campy tribute to the melodramas of the 1950's and 60's that starred such actresses as Bette Davis, Susan Hayward, and Joan Crawford. The style and glamour of those films is captured marvellously with smart dialogue, glamourous costumes, and spot-on acting. They show a genuine regard for the genre, instead of making a joke of it.

Charles Busch wrote the screenplay, which includes many memorable lines, very reminiscent of those old melodramas, and wonderful plot twists. He also stars in the film as Angela Arden and gives one of the best performances I've seen in quite a while, full of dignity and respect for the actresses who played such roles in the past.

In fact, the movie is filled with fine performances: Philip Baker Hall as Sol Sussman; Jason Priestly as Tony Parker, a giggolo who will sleep with anyone to get to the truth; Frances Conroy as Bootsie, the maid who is loyal to Sol; Natasha Lyonne as Daddy's Little Girl Edith Sussman; and Stark Sands as Lance Sussman, who hides a shameful secret.

A fine movie and a loving tribute to the original movie divas.

The film Die Mommie Die has been on my list to own since seeing it twice in the theatres. Charles Busch leads a star studded cast to perfection in this hilarious parody and a loving remake of the1940's to 1960's women's pictures.
Angela Arden (Busch) an ex pop diva from the fifties, has lost her ability to sing as she once did and her abusive husband Sol Sussman (Phillip Baker Hall) tries to tame this temptress after finding out about her affair with the notorious gigolo Tony Parker (Jason Priestley). After his death, due to a poisoned suppository; His daughter Edith (Natasha Lyonne), son Lance (Stark Sands), and loyal maid Bootsie Carp (Frances Conroy) all begin to suspect Angela.
Everyone's presence on screen is a delight, from Charles Busch whom lights up the screen from the opening act to Frances Conroy's meddling as the maid.
Jason Priestley proves once again that he has a presence on the screen and in Hollywood as he takes on the whole family to try and find out what is Angela's dirty little secret.
As always Natasha Lyonne performs in top form as daddy's little girl and Stark Sands proves he has the talent to make it in this dirty town.
I highly recommend and plea that anyone who might be interested in this to purchase it as you will not regret owning this great and truly hilarious film.

When I saw this as a play at the Coast theater in West Hollywood, I thought I would split my sides. Charles Busch could make walking across the room a laugh riot. I was a little leery of seeing the movie, fearing that in opening the play out with real locations, some of the fun would be gone.

I had nothing to fear. This movie is hilarious, thanks in great part to Charles Busch's matchless portrayal of has-been "America's Nightengale" Angela Arden. Combining every Diva ever to grace the screen, and frosting her with his own devilish gleam, Busch is a hoot in this from beginning to end. An able supporting cast includes Phillip Baker Hall as the nasty husband who won't give Angela up, Stark Sands her belle-of-the-math-department son, Natasha Lyonne as her "heart belongs to daddy" daughter, Frances Conroy as the booze-swilling maid and, hilariously, Jason Priestly as the gigolo with a secret, who's willing to bed everybody in Beverly Hills to find out what he wants to know. I'm not going to give anymore away (although you have seen it all before); this movie is in limited release under the Sundance Film series. Not nearly as arch or arcane as some reviewers would have you believe, it's worth a trip out of your way to see it.

The films of Miss Crawford, Miss Davis, Miss Turner, and both Miss Francis's (Kay AND Connie) are spoofed here to hysterical perfection. The "suffering in mink" school of over the top womens pictures were slightly unbelievable even in the fifties and sixties; but many a major female star soldered through them with her chin held high (you photograph younger that way, darling!). As in the inspiration films, the leading lady, Angela Arden here, is impeccably (if theatrically)gowned and coiffed for every occasion. The rest of the production values are delightfully uneven. Purposfully-
Miss Arden is, of course, continuously backlit.
There are some wonderful rear projection automobile scenes!
Natasha Lyonne is perfection in the type of role that Sandra Dee played so often modeling Hollywood-teen chic!
Frances Conroy superbly underplays Bootsie. The blowsey yet winning maid (In the Agnes Moorehead mold).
The musical number "Why Not Me" is so good that you will find yourself searching the song lists of old Ella albums to see if it is a "reclaimed classic".
As in all well done satire, the cast plays every sordid moment with supreme earnestness. They aren't in on the joke, nor should they be.....
Buy this movie, you will watch it over and over again! It is a delight-

The theatrical preview to director Mark Rucker's "Die Mommie Die!" (2003) makes it look like the worst kind of camp drag comedy/sendup, doing to Bette Davis/Joan Crawford melodramas what "Psycho Beach Party" did to '60's beach party movies. So I was reluctant to purchase this title, to say the least, but finally did on the basis of the previous customer reviews. Thanks to all of you for recommending one of the funniest and wittiest classic movie sendups I have seen in a long time.

"Die Mommie Die!" is not only a fabulously entertaining and gut-bustingly funny spoof, but also an affectionate tribute to a style of movies that Hollywood just doesn't make any more, and would make a terrific double feature with Todd Haynes' 2002 Douglas Sirk tribute "Far From Heaven." Credit must go to director Rucker, who knows how to ring laughs without trashing his source material, and writer/star Charles Busch, a cross-dressing playwright who clearly loves his source material and treats it with dignity and respect. Busch stars as Angela Arden, a faded one-time singing sensation (along with her late twin sister) who lives in Beverly Hills with her supremely disfunctional family including her cruel and foul-tempered husband Sol (Philip Baker Hall); her spoiled daughter Edith (Natasha Lyonne), who seems to have an incestuous attraction to her father; her troubled son Lance (Stark Sands), who has returned home after being thrown out of prep school for instigating too many gay orgies with his teachers (the last straw: he spun naked on the Lazy Susan (!)); and maid Bootsie ("Six Feet Under"'s Frances Conroy) who prefers Sol and loathes Angela. Things turn sinister when Angela murders Sol with a poison suppository (!) and the mysterious Tony Parker (Jason Priestly) shows up and seduces everyone in an attempt to find out what happened to Sol.

The truly brilliant aspect of "Die Mommie Die!" is in Charles Busch's portrayal of Angela. While Angela is obviously being played by a man in drag, he doesn't camp it up; rather, he plays her the exact same way she would have been played if Davis, Crawford, Rosalind Russell or any other actress of the time would have played her, that is, with dignity and grace. In other words, he is trying to be a real woman and not just a campy joke, and the performance works beautifully. The rest of the cast is on the same level, which is no surprise since Baker Hall, Conroy, Lyonne and Nora Dunn (in a teeny role) have done terrific work on film for years. And Jason Priestly (who was great several years ago in "Love and Death on Long Island" before his career was stalled by a devastating car crash) once again proves he, of all the "90210" and "Melrose Place" alumna, most deserves big-screen success and a chance at the kind of career Johnny Depp has created for himself.

But the real surprise here is first-timer Stark Sands, who is sensational as the supremely troubled Lance. He gives a brave, pitch-perfect performance whether he is painting naked men on the walls while dressed in a skort, singing and playing the guitar naked in the back yard in front of an astonished Priestly, or doing a dead-on, believable drag imitation of Angela. It's no wonder he hasn't stopped working since he made this film; he proves he's willing to do things on screen most actors would run screaming from, and that's what great actors are all about. Remember the name Stark Sands. He has "future superstar" written all over him.

Technically, the film is a marvel, copying the sixties technicolor look beautifully and utilizing only the filmmaking technology available at the time, including process shots. But instead of overdoing it and making everything look campily awful, the crew actually tries to make everything look as good as if they were making an A-list Hollywood film. Kudos to everyone down the line for a job well-done.

As for the DVD, the extras are standard but plentiful, with the aforementioned trailer, a beautiful widescreen 1:85:1 print, a funny and informative commentary by Rucker, Busch and Priestly, screen tests and an excised scene. And don't miss the chance to see Busch out of drag. In all, "Die Mommie Die!" is a cult-classic waiting to be discovered which can be enjoyed by even those (yours truly included) who are not necessarily fans of drag acts. **** (out of *****) for both the film and DVD presentation.

DIE MOMMIE DIE is another fabulous feature film foray for Charles Busch, playwright and actor-in-drag extraordinaire. I've been an admirer of his work for a while, and "Psycho Beach Party" remains one of my favourite movies. DIE MOMMIE DIE is based on one of Busch's recent plays, taking as it's inspiration the florid, lush Hollywood melodramas of the 1960s (in particular the underrated Bette Davis murder melodrama "Dead Ringer"; as well as "Portrait in Black" with Lana Turner).

DIE MOMMIE DIE is the story of washed-up, has-been singing star Angela Arden (Charles Busch). She lives under the thumb of her embittered husband-manager Sol (Philip Baker Hall) and feels alienated by her barb-wielding daughter (Natasha Lyonne). Her only comfort lies in her son (Stark Sands) who is prone to strange psychotic episodes and uses his boyish good looks to entice older men. Angela also delights in the company of high-brow society gigolo Tony (Jason Priestley). Things begin to look up for Angela when she starts making plans for a grand comeback, performing at a Catskills resort. But Sol soon excerts his authority and cancels the booking. When Angela finally does away with Sol, thanks to a rat-poisoned suppository, her mysterious past slowly unravels. Just what happened to her twin sister Barbara? And is Sol really dead?...

The entire film is a pure joy. Charles Busch delivers a fantastic performance as Angela. Busch is careful in that his performance is restrained when it needs to be, but completely over-the-top with diva histrionics when that is called for, too. Busch finds the heart in Angela and plays the role sincerely. The rest of the cast is sensational. In his first big film role, Stark Sands is a revelation as the sexually-ambivalent son. His scenes with Priestley are wonderful. Natasha Lyonne has a comedic charm which is delightful and Philip Baker Hall admirably plays the heavy with a relish. Jason Priestley, in probably the most difficult role in the film, comes off perfectly. And one must not forget Frances Conroy as the faithful housekeeper Bootsie, which she turns into a scene-stealing role.

The DVD is loaded with extra material: audio commentary with Busch, Priestley and director Mark Rucker; "Anatomy of a Scene" featurette; a deleted scene; a music video for "Why Not Me?", trailers and screen tests.

DIE MOMMIE DIE is a well-made and acted homage to the films of directors like Douglas Sirk and Mark Robson, completely charming with a sharp comic edge and modern sensibility.

"Die Mommy Die" is clearly not a comedy that will appeal to everyone, especially the prudish, homophobic, or those not willing to look past lapses in continuity for the sake of outlandish comedy. But for the rest of us, "Die Mommy Die" is a blast.

Writer/actor Charles Busch, with tongue planted FIRMLY in cheek, parodies "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane", soap operas, 60's counter-culture, and probably a hundred other aspects of popular culture with a splash of irreverant, crass sexuality. Along for the ride is indie actress Natasha Lyonne ("But I'm a Cheerleader"), Jason Priestley (poking fun at his own reputation), and "Six Feet Under" alums Francis Conroy and Stark Sands. Although maybe not as uproarious as "Psycho Beach Party", "Die Mommie Die" is a sharp and very funny film.

I used to believe a cult movie was completely accidental, it couldn't be made deliberately. I now stand corrected. This satire, very dark and disturbing at times, is as campy as any melodrama from the 60s, 70s, or 80s. Imagine if "Dynasty" were all gay and the lead females were really drag queens. Imagine if Joan Crawford was played by a drag queen in "Mommie Dearest." Or better yet, the lead female in "The People Under the Stairs" was a drag queen! Wait! The last one was a drag queen! This movie is all those things rolled into one. The only thing missing was John Waters, but you can feel his influences. A great deal of backstabbing, I think aimed at Debbie Renyolds, but could also be Crawford, Davis, et al. A lot of bitchyness and sly humor. The musical numbers are silly and funny. All in all, a very funny film not to be taken too seriously.

Ready for a campy trip back to the movies of yesterday----where a diva like Bette Davis was a woman tormented by secrets, overcomes obstacles in her life and tries to keep her man or keep her family intact? Well, Angela Arden (played with good humor by Charles Busch) is in the same boat. She is an aging entertainer, a star who has lost her shine and must deal with a husband who despises her, a daughter who can't stand the sight of her and a son, who has a secret of his own.

Throw in a maid named Bootsie (played by the wonderful Francis Conroy of HBO's "Six Feet Under") who is a little to devoted to Angela's husband and Jason Priestly as a well endowed gigolo with too many questions and you have a handful of interesting characters who are bound to entertain. With incest, homosexuality, lies, murder, drug use and plenty of sex, "Die Mommie Die" pretty much covers all the vices you can think of!

This movie is a funny throwback to all of those meladramas of the 50s and is worth a look. Recently, I watched "Girls Will Be Girls" and I have to admit I enjoyed it more. But this film is still fun and will give you plenty of giggles at its over the top and naughty camp! Worth a look.

Like Brini Maxwell on a bad trip, Charles Busch manages to slink his way through this absolutely HILARIOUS send up of 60's soaps (and bad Italian-funded movies) with a palpable air of sultriness and fun that I just haven't seen in ages. If you like your humor with more than a bit of a "twisted edge", you'll HOWL at this flick. Naughty? YOU BETCHA! This thing is SOOOO tongue-in-cheek ....and it's got some GREAT lines that are DESTINED to be, well, infamous! Just WAIT for the line about the brat with mustard! You will ROLL!!!!!!