DVD Review: Serial Mom
Serial Mom (1994)
Studio: Universal Studios
DVD Release Date: May 6, 2008
Directed By: John Waters
Cast: Kathleen Turner, Sam Waterston, Ricki Lake, Matthew Lillard
Review By: Marc Patterson
Beverly Sutphin is nothing short of the perfect housewife and homemaker. She keeps a meticulous home, and maintains a Godly sense of morality. But once her kids and husband are off to school and work, her devilish side comes out to play. In short form her nasty little pranks turn deadly and she begins to exact her unique manner of murderous revenge upon anyone who would cross her family, and don’t live up to her high standards.
John Waters may not be the first name that comes to mind when you think about horror, but there’s no reason why this offering should be looked over. Sure, it’s not that suspenseful, and no, there’s nothing overtly horrific about the film itself, but even gore hounds need a bit of variety in their life and can find appreciation for this light-hearted, and campy flick that pays tribute to the early days of exploitation cinema.
True to the unique stylings of John Waters, Serial Mom is completely campy, tongue in cheek, perverse, and hilarious. The dialogue is quite intentionally dry and every situation overly outrageous. Kathleen Turner is at her best, and fans of Sam Waterston should take notice. For a horror comedy this film is near flawless in every way. And of course it wouldn’t be a John Waters film if there weren’t some well known faces making cameos and special appearances. Keep a look out for Traci Lords, Suzanne Somers, and even Patty Hearst. Fabulous!
While a fair amount of tribute to the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis, Serial Mom unfortunately runs a bit light on the gore factor, and certainly could have benefitted from a bit more of the over-the-top ridiculousness found in much of Lewis’ films. However, we’re talking about a film that’s nearly 15 years old, so what’s done is done. I’m not here to criticize what Waters did right or wrong.
The film itself unarguably holds high entertainment value, but the DVD extras are not to be missed either. Of special note is the section where John Waters, and film critic Dennis Dermody, dissect the films of Hershell Gordon Lewis, which played a large role in the influence of this film. This segment includes clips from HG Lewis himself, as well as David Friedman, Lewis’ longtime partner in filmmaking. Beyond this we get two great commentary tracks. One with John Waters alone, and another with John Waters and Kathleen Turner. Both are highly worth sitting through for the sheer amount of insight provided. We additionally are served up two featurettes, “Making Of” and “Surreal Moments”, topped off with the theatrical trailer, which truly make this the collector’s edition DVD it claims to be.
While the gore obsessed horror community at large may not be doing back flips over the release of this “Collector’s Edition” DVD, I guarantee you, there is indeed reason to rejoice. Serial Mom has easily been an overlooked horror gem that unfortunately has saw a limited release in 1999, and has since been out of print for the past few years. Not only has the film been cleaned up for a new DVD release, but this package comes loaded with extras and by all means should find its way into your collection.
Brutal As Hell Rating:
4 out of 5
