"You slipped into my life as easily as vermouth into a glass of gin," purrs reclusive singing star Angela Arden, as played by camp icon Charles Busch (Psycho Beach Party). Arden is not only haunted by a secret, she's treated like dirt by her louse of a husband (Phillip Baker Hall, Boogie Nights), her snoopy maid (Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under), and her petulant daughter (Natasha Lyonne, Slums of Beverly Hills). Only her mentally defective son (Stark Sands) and a well-endowed gigolo (Jason Priestley, Beverly Hills 90210) treat her with love and affection. Is it any wonder she takes drastic action to improve her life? Replete with lurid sex, incestuous overtones, a poisoned suppository, musical numbers, an acid freakout, and black-and-white flashbacks, Die Mommie Die! lovingly sends up movie soap operas. The tone is uneven, but Busch skillfully walks a razor-sharp line throughout. --Bret Fetzer Amazon.com
Why is it that the most banal and straightforward films get lauded by the Motion Picture Academy, while films that push boundaries and take risks, especially if comedies, get ignored? And why is it that there is no separate category for comedies and musicals for the Oscars? In watching the DVD of the 2003 Sundance channel film Die Mommie Die! I could not help but have these thoughts. It's a truly brilliant film, with an Oscar caliber performance by Charles Busch, playing a Joan Crawford/Susan Hayward/Gloria Swanson/Bette Davis/Doris day-like hybrid character in a spoof of the Grand Dame Guignol classic films of the 1960s that inspired such 1980s television soap operas as Dynasty and Dallas. What makes it so brilliant, aside from the dominant performance by Busch, is that it works both as camp, in the vein of the films it parodies, and also as a lampoon or satire of camp. Achieving excellence in one of these veins is difficult enough, but to go two for two in the same film is damned near miraculous. And given that the Grand Dame Guignol genre is so campy to begin with, it's even harder to achieve than in parodying other stock forms, such as science fiction, in the recent The Lost Skeleton Of Cadavra, itself a terrific spoof of 1950s sci fi, but far easier to pull off than this film's aims were. The moments that are the most memorable, and which make this film soar, are the not quite sure if one should laugh moments, because there is a sense that there is genuine emotion being felt by the ridiculous characters within. This is brilliance, and it all goes back to a terrific screenplay written by Busch, a renowned drag queen, who adapted the screenplay from a late 1990s one man show. Busch, in a red wig, also looks remarkably like Eve Arden, and although it's been years since I saw 1960s sitcom The Mothers-In-Law, which starred Arden and Kaye Ballard, I'm sure that Busch loaded a few sly references to the actress upon whom both the name and look of his character is derived.
The basic premise of the film is that Busch is washed up actress/singer Angela Arden, in a loveless marriage, who takes on many lovers. Her twin sister Barbara died years earlier, her movie producer husband, Sol Sussman (Philip Baker Hall), is failing in health and business and manipulates their maid Bootsy (Frances Conroy), who is in love with him, her daughter Edith (Natasha Lyonne) is a bitch who hates her, and her son Lance (Stark Sands) is a mentally unbalanced homosexual. Add in Lothario tennis pro Tony Parker (Jason Priestley), who also wickedly savages his own tv soap opera persona, and the makings of a fun film abound. He also seems to be channeling a poor man's Peter Lawford in his brim hat, tennis shorts and penny loafers.
There are numerous greatly funny sex scenes.... This is a film that never, in a billion years, would get nominated for an Oscar, the way Brokeback Mountain has, but it represents everything artistically that Brokeback Mountain is bankrupt of- originality, daring, humor, humility, and terrific writing. The same sad fact of neglect also unfortunately applies to Busch's great performance. There will come a time, though, when injustices like this even out, and when film lovers who are speaking of this film draw a blank when Brokeback Mountain is mentioned. Let's hope that we're all alive and kicking when that day comes.
September 10, 2008This is one of the campiest movies I've seen since Mommie Dearest. And speaking of which, you'll recognize bits and pieces from Mommie Dearest, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane, All About Eve and a host of other classics. I've seen the movie several times and purchased it for a friend this past Christmas!
January 20, 2008 |  | Mega Camp a la Almodovar! |  |
Charles Busch is FANTASTIC! Lana turner , move over. I believe there is not one female actress in Holywood today thant can ACT! Charles can act at being all these awesome women in a drop of a pin. The movie has some flaws but they makeup with all the great talent and the FUN. This movie is Fun and if your in for laughs and DRAMA check it out. Great to see at a dinner party.
February 10, 2007| | | A Drag Queen Extravaganza! | |
Charles Busch, who wrote the script for this film as well as plays the lead, has produced an odd soap opera with appeal to gay audiences. I had never heard of Charles Busch but he obviously is the penultimate drag queen in his outlandish flowing gowns, wigs, and dalmation pantsuits.
The story is actually based on Greek tragedy but in the hands of Charles Busch, it becomes a camp classic. The story is based on the Greek myth of the twin sisters, Helen of Troy and Clytaemnestra. Clyteamenestra is married to Agamemnon. Agamemnon has sacrificed his oldest daughter in an effort to change the course of the Trojan War, which he wins. However his wife Clyteamenestra has taken a lover, Aegisthus. He has another daughter, Electra, and a son, Orestes. In the hands of Charles Busch, these Greek mythology characters come to life in a sordid tale of Hollywood murder, incest, and all kinds of other sexual oddities.
Jason Priestly plays the bisexual gigolo lover who seduces both the son and the daughter in the story. One well acted character is the maid, played by Francis Conroy, the mother from "Six Feet Under". Natasha Lyonne plays the role of Electra seeking revenge on her mother. Phillip Baker Hall plays the role of Agamemnon, the Hollywood producer.
Charles Busch, playing actress/singer/dancer Angela Arden, is on camera about 90% of the time and carries the film with his costumes and hairstyles. The clothes he wears are outlandish but entertaining. After I saw the DVD with a group of guys, it was interesting how they described all the outfits you will see in this film.
Some parts of the film move more smoothly than others but overall it is entertaining and a bit over the top.
November 14, 2006 | | Wow This was Lots of Fun!!!! | |
I loved this clever and very campy film. I have always been a fan of female impersonators. I was very impressed and saw in NYC during the 70s the late Charles Pierce, and was equally impressed with the late Craig Russell, the star of the 70s movie "Outrageous" which I highly recommend. I am surprised that I had never seen the work of Charles Busch until I bought this DVD. He is truly a gifted performer. One forgets a bit that he is a man in a dress and you get into his very good acting and comedy effort. I felt that the scenes in black and white seemed to show him as being more male. The movie is one that is played for camp to the hilt and they used a Beverly Hills mansion to film lots of scenes in, and that worked very well. I sort of felt that the film resembled the movie from the 70s "Something for Everyone" in that a young man,basically a gigilo in both films, gets involved with the families, and then proceeds to seduce everyone. This film also makes the viewer work very hard to figure out what is going on, and they basically pull the wool over your eyes as to the true identity of the main character until close to the end. The murders are handled cleverly as well, not being at all what they appear. I thought Jason Priestly and Natasha Lyonne played very well against the work by Mr Busch. In the interview section Busch, who really looks so dramatically different out of drag describes how he was trying to send up different bits from old movies and great film stars of the past like Bette Davis. I think at one point he recreated the scene to some degree in "Sunset Boulevard" where Gloria Swanson is lead away by the cops. Obviously Mr Busch really had so much fun doing this film. I was not aware this had been a stage play. I do think it worked better as a movie as they were a bit restriced with the stage set which I saw on the special features. Oh and I must not forget to pay homage to the incredible costumes for Mr Busch which really were so dramatic. The two designers came forth with some great ones. I needed a laugh, and I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to laugh like crazy and is not put off by camp or parody. It also made me realize I need to watch again the fun and delightful "Wigstock". I find if I am down and depressed putting that movie on really lifts my spirits, so now if I need help elevating my mood in the future I will call on the zany and extremely talented Charles Busch. Finally in a small part Frances Conroy, who of course played the Mom in the brilliant HBO series "Six Feet Under" shows her talents for camp and comedy quite effectively as a somewhat mousy house maid, who has a bit of an evangelic Christian aspect to her character. This certainly is not for all tastes, I would not share this with my elderly parents as they might find it a bit offensive, and wouldn't get into the campiness of it. Everyone in this movie gave their best and I will certainly think of buying other DVDS that Charles Busch is a part of!!! This is one I was so delighted with I intend to watch it again very soon. Also I loved the way they intentionally made the lip synching look so off. A Campy Treat, This movie either works for you, or its doesn't!!
If you are a free spirit, go for it, if you are conservative, and uptight do not even think about it!!!
October 18, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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