April 24th, 2017 by Brandon PetersSerial Mom is the John Waters film I’m most familiar with (Though admittedly he’s a director I just haven’t completely familiarized myself with that much). While not doing much at the box office, it became a video store staple in the 1990s and with that, a cult classic. At least, that for the teen/college generation of the 90s for the time. It also seemed to be a movie that was on Cinemax all the time during the 90s as well.
That’s how I first came to see the movie the first few times. Now, its getting lots of that cult classic love that only a distributor like Scream Factory can give with their coveted Collector’s Edition label. And, its coming just in time for Mother’s Day. So, pre-order to have yourself a copy when it releases on May 9th!FilmBeverly is the perfect happy homemaker. Along with her doting husband Eugene and two children, Misty and Chip, 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.John Waters has this black humored touch that only a few others like Tim Burton and Paul Reubens can hit with their take on the suburban lifestyle.
They all manage to create an aesthetic, style and characters that feel they could be of one universe or at different places in history of one. Serial Mom is no different as we have a humorous take on a murderous rampage from a mother killing anything that threatens to change or disrupt her lifestyle or anyone in her immediate family’s.Serial Mom also can double as a “holy 90s, Batman!” kind of movie when you look at the cast and some other things. What other movie has Ricki Lake, Matthew Lillard, Suzanne Somers, Joan Rivers, Traci Lords and Justin Whalin all in one place? That’s an abundance of notable 90s players that really were peaked out in that decade.
Also, Lillard’s character works at a VHS rental store.Swoon. I wanted to just pause and marvel at the posters (In his bedroom, too) and the movies that were on the shelf. I did notice that Shock ‘Em Dead was on the shelf, a movie that not only had Traci Lords in it (Who shows up in the movie), but she’s on the box.There is only one person who really should be talked with in total captivation with Serial Mom, and that’s mom herself; Kathleen Turner. Turner just chews up scenery and gives a performance that expertly balances both prestige and camp. Roger Ebert had complained that the movie was no fun because he thought her performance was too serious, but I must disagree. Just because she’s not going full on madness doesn’t mean she’s not hamming it up with some camp. In fact, her sense of restraint helps put a viewing in the spot of actually giving a crap about a character that you might have otherwise easily wanted to see her get what’s coming to her.Waters film is a nice, tight 90 minutes of dark comedy, fun death scenes and some nifty gore.
I don’t know how it would work with a modern generation of kids, but those who grew up in this era were most likely to eat this up. Nowadays I’m sure this film is an easy bit of nostalgia for an adult who missed out on it when it was released. Even so, if you’re into John Waters (His mom deemed this his best film), like black or horror comedy, then you should find enough charm and fun in this one.VideoEncoding: MPEG-4 AVCResolution: 1080pAspect Ratio: 1.85:1Layers: BD-50Clarity/Detail: Serial Mom debuts on Blu-ray with a solid transfer that gives it the best look its ever had. It has that image that falls into that sorta look that a lot of films from the 1990s have. It features some really good detail, like gristle and charring on chicken as well as other foods along with specifics on home decor items.
At times it looks really good, but there are spots and segments where the film looks kind of average. Overall, its crisp and sharp enough to make it satisfying, but its a wonder if this one’s elements would ever ledn to better.Depth: The depth in the image only lends itself to being just above average. It has enough spacing between foreground and background matching with natural movements and minimal blur/jitter when it comes to quick motion.Black Levels: Blacks fare quite well with a good, natural and deep look. No real unintentional loss of detail is present nor any crushing effect witnessed on this viewing.Color Reproduction: Colors overall look mostly dingy with a natural appearance. Sometimes blues look strong, especially a could of denim shirts. Greens are hit and miss.
A tank top here or paint on a building there pop, but grass looks rather toned down but keeping good variations on tints. Reds are the real highlight, bursting off the screen to go along with pink and others in the red family really making their presence known.Flesh Tones: Skin tones are natural and keep a consistent appearance throughout the feature runtime. Facial details like wrinkles, moles, dried blood, sweat gloss and blemishes show pretty good in close ups and somewhat okay in medium shots (though they contain some smoothness at times)Noise/Artifacts: Some grain.AudioAudio Format(s): English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English 2.0 DTS-HD MASubtitles: EnglishDynamics: Serial Mom comes with a solid 5.1 track, but with how this mix plays, it could have served very well just having a 2.0 track. The film features a good balance of scoring, vocal and sound effects, weaving them together so they are never stepping on the other’s toes or meshing together. Effects do sound pretty strong, with good depth and layering abundant throughout. This one sounds plenty satisfying, even if the 5.1 aspect of it isn’t brought in a full force kind of manner.Height: N/ALow Frequency Extension: Subwoofer contributions include some good bass and drumming in music, an air conditioner unit falling on someone’s head, glass smashing, impalements, doors slamming and car engines humming.Surround Sound Presentation: This is a more front-heavy track though the rear speakers do help in spots, but mostly apply ambiance.
I can't understand why those of you here that poo-poo 'Surf II' DO poo-poo 'Surf II'. I saw it on HBO in the mid '80's shortly after it came out. I've ALWAYS thought it was a BRILLIANT movie!
And more stars than you can shake a stick at. Most of the bad comments here tend to focus on all sorts of technical stuff and it detracts from the fun of the movie. Just sit back and watch the damn thing!
Xcpuscalar 2 85 Serial Moment
Stop nitpicking! It's not SUPPOSED to be 'Gone With The Wind'.
One of you said, 'turn off your brain and enjoy!' , (or something like that). I think you should turn ON your brain. There are so many 'hidden' references and jokes in this it makes it fun to watch every time you see it, because you catch on to things you missed the previous viewing.
The same thing happens to me everytime I watch The Monkees' film, 'Head', or Patrick McGoohan's t.v. Show, 'The Prisoner', or when I listen to a Firesign Theatre record. It makes the movie fresh everytime you watch it. There IS a plot line and the movie DOESN'T fizzle towards the end. For me, it's right up there with movies like, 'Back To The Beach', 'Hardware Wars', 'Airplane' and the other Zucker Brothers/Kentucky Fried Theatre movies. One of my fave scenes in 'Surf II' is the garbage eating contest between Johnny Bighead and one of the punk zombies. That, and Johnny taking a chainsaw to the roof of a pink Cadillac as his mother, Mrs.
Bighead, asks, 'Johnny, which car are you taking?' Johnny says, 'The convertible.' Bighead, still in her bathrobe and curlers, steps outside and says, 'What convertible??!!' , as Johnny and throws his brother, Little Bighead, into the back seat and drives off to the beach, 'Bau Bau!!'
Contrary to what one reviewer here said, there was only one or two shots of naked breasts. Neither shot lasted more than a few seconds. What got me interested in seeing the film in the first place was when Carol Wayne (who died shortly after the film was made) was a guest on the Tonight Show plugging the movie and said to Johnny Carson, 'Surf II' is the third part of a trilogy to which there is no first part'. A Lewis Carroll style advertisement! Twisted logic!
My favourite kind! (-; So, please, kids, go see this movie if you EVER have the chance, and would somebody PLEASE release it on video or DVD already???? I've been looking for a copy ever since I first saw it on HBO. So far, all I've been able to get is a video someone copied for me from HBO 18 years ago, but it has lots of t.v. Ghosts all through it (he was picking up signals from other channels at the same time), so it's almost unwatchable, especially during the night or dark scenes.
Oh, and Ron Palillo played the part of Inspector Underwear, not 'Lt.
Starring Kathleen Turner, Sam Waterson, Matthew Lillard, Ricki LakeDirected by John WatersDistributed by Scream FactoryJohn Waters’ style is generally understood among serious cinema aficionados, enough so that anyone going into one of his pictures would rightly expect two things: subversion and perversion. His early films were packed with both, usually earning an “X” rating when it came time for general release. He softened a bit in the late 80’s and began making pictures with a little more commercial viability, albeit still without major success. After delivering back-to-back retro musicals, Waters turned to a more serious subject: murder. Tackling serious subjects with gallows humor requires a delicate balance of both. Waters perfectly nails the balance between happy home and horror with Serial Mom (1994), a subversive serial killer satire that plays against expectations. Making his murderer a housewife whose chipper disposition belies the bloodthirsty monster within tackles many slasher stereotypes with tongue planted firmly in cheek.
I became a fan when the film hit VHS a few months after it bombed in theaters, and it’s a title I revisit yearly because even after dozens of viewings Waters’ film feels fresh and relevant as ever.The following is based on a “true story”. Beverly Sutphin (Kathleen Turner) is the perfect housewife, doting to her husband, Eugene (Sam Waterson), and firm parent to her two children, Misty (Ricki Lake) and Chip (Matthew Lillard). She cooks breakfast.
She sings to the birds. She absolutely detests chewing gum. Oh, and she is secretly a psychopath who torments her neighbors over the slightest of transgressions. Poor Dottie Hinkle (Mink Stole) has been receiving harassing calls for weeks from an anonymous person, with the caller (Beverly) spewing every vile epithet in the book. Dottie’s “crime”?
She inadvertently stole Beverly’s parking space one afternoon. It does not take much to get on her bad side.Beverly’s bloodlust begins to boil over and it isn’t long before she escalates her predatory game to include killing. First, a schoolteacher is run down; next, a former lover of Misty’s is impaled with a fire poker; more follow, none of whom did anything so terrible as to deserve death. But Beverly just can’t let anything go, and if she doesn’t give some comeuppance when she feels it’s due, well, again, you don’t want to get on her bad side. The woman is impressively relentless. Eventually it gets to the point where Beverly isn’t even trying to conceal her actions, running off on a killing spree with childish glee whenever the urge strikes. But as the police close in and her reign of terror on the streets seems over, the true nature of media takes over and suddenly Beverly finds herself in a surprisingly favorable position: America’s “Serial Mom”.Who would ever suspect the neighborhood super mom of being a killer?
Nobody, especially when she’s played by Kathleen Turner, who delivers a twistedly twee performance as the can-do mom with half her marbles missing. Beverly is a true psychopath with no consideration for the extremity of her actions. In her mind everything is justified. She relates to men who kill. The woman even keeps a correspondence with Ted Bundy! The film leaves it ambiguous as to whether or not Beverly has been killing all this time or if it is a new venture, but Waters provides a number of little character moments to show this is no fly-by-night “hobby”.
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Turner plays the character as someone who is always in control, or at least thinks she is, although she doesn’t seem to grasp there is something wrong with her mind. Her face and mood can turn on a dime, dropping the daytime housewife routine to show her true nature. But these moments are filled with constant levity because Waters always keeps it over the top.Beverly also gets the award for Most Inventive Weaponry because victims in this film are killed with a fire poker, air conditioning unit, public pay phone, and a leg of lamb. And since she always needs the last word, Beverly usually tosses in a sarcastic quip after doing the deed. Her hubris only intensifies after being arrested, and that’s when Waters turns his lens on the bizarre celebrity of serial killers. Beverly, acting as her own attorney, argues her case to a sympathetic jury and a crowd of fervent supporters; everyone just likes her so much, how can she lose?! Misty takes to selling branded “Serial Mom” t-shirts outside the courthouse, the crowd snapping them up as quickly as possible.
Even before the trial ends a film version is announced and Suzanne Somers, set to star, shows up in court. This is true of murder culture still, where the killers wind up with more press and notoriety than any victims. These infamous celebrities captivate the public and almost become mythic despite their vile actions. Waters, unable to resist every attempt at irony, ends the trial with a reminder that a tiger can’t change its stripes – and it doesn’t even want to.Serial Mom is Waters’ vision of June Cleaver by way of Herschell Gordon Lewis (whose pictures are referenced throughout). Absolutely madcap and reveling in cathartic fantasy, it is a rare dark comedy that is so absurd it can be easy to forget how deeply disturbing it is at its core. Turner leads the pack, but strong supporting turns from the likes of Waterson, as the clueless husband; Lillard, as the horror-obsessed son forced to accept his mother as a slasher icon; and every other cast member on the down the line has the film brimming with colorful personalities that resonate. Mary Jo Catlett as Rosemary Ackerman, the nosiest neighbor on the block, sticks in my mind so clearly; her wonky eye contorting as she decries to the police, “It was covered in gore!” Serial Mom has more than earned its place among cult horror comedies and Scream Factory deserves high praise for giving it the feature-rich edition fans have been craving.Serial Mom makes its stateside Blu-ray debut via Scream Factory, featuring a 1.85:1 1080p image This is a clear upgrade over both previous DVD releases, and it is on par with the U.K.
Blu-ray that has been available for some time. Scream doesn’t tout any new scan information, so I can only assume this is, in fact, that same master used for the foreign release. And it looks perfectly fine, although I can’t help but think a new 2K (or 4K) scan might have yielded a tighter image with more fine details. Colors appear natural and neutral; they are bold but never quite leap off the screen with any pop. Detail within the frame is frequently evident and often sharp, though there is slight softness to many shots that may be inherent due to the time period Waters is channeling. The print is clean and free from dirt & debris.
Black levels are rich and dark.I was a little shocked to be reminded the great Basil Poledouris composed the score, something that sounds very much outside his wheelhouse. The English DTS-HD MA track is available in both 2.0 stereo and 5.1 surround sound flavors. Dialogue is expertly balanced and constantly clear; the baritone delivery of “pussy willows” has never sounded fuller. Much of the audible action is relegated to the front assembly, though the rears do come into play for courtroom chatter, roaring car engines, and during the performance by Camel Lips (actually L7), which is ear shattering in its own right.
Serial MomDirector- John WatersCast- Kathleen Turner, Mink StoleCountry of Origin- U.S.Format— Blu-rayDiscs- 1Distributor - Scream FactoryReviewer - Scott MacDonaldDate - The Film (4/5)When I was making short films John Waters (along with Jim Jarmusch) was my biggest influence. During the commentary for his seminal 1972 film Pink Flamingos (needs a Blu-ray), he said that his films were (to paraphrase) a series of cinematic crimes. As his career went on his films become less explicit, and more campy, and mainstream, but they still maintained that atmosphere of trash that he started with. I believe no film blends his early trash aesthetic with his move into the Hollywood mainstream that 1994’s Serial Mom.Serial Mom stars Kathleen Turner as Beverly Sutphin, a suburban Baltimore housewife that along with her perfect husband Eugene (Sam Waterston) are working to raise their 2 children Chip (Matthew Lillard), and Misti (Ricki Lake). Beverly's obsession with the perfect nuclear family life has taken a dark turn recently with an obsession with serial killers, and as people fail to live up to her standards, or just annoy her, she kills them.Serial Mom feels visually feels like an extension of the Douglas Sirk-ian obsession (All That Heaven Allows) that Waters had been channeling since Polyester, but put into the world of the horror comedy. Even though the film is set in 1990's Baltimore the visual queues especially around the Sutphin's (especially Beverly) are very early 1960's. A lot of this comes from the set design of frequent Waters collaborator Vincent Peranio who helps to bring this world to life.The cast from Kathleen Turner down are pitch perfect in their roles.
Turner especially is superb as Beverly who carries a nice balance of very dark seriousness, while maintaining a nice air of high camp that works very well here. She is played against quite well by Sam Waterston as her husband who is just trying to deal with the sudden uptick in her antics. Lillard and Lake both are excellent, Lillard's high energy performance style is especially suited to Waters' filmmaking.
Of course, Waters' Dreamland collaborator Mink Stole is brilliant as Sutphin neighbor and target of Beverly's many frustrations Dottie Hinkle.At times watching the film I couldn't help, but think that Serial Mom was Waters' earlier Female Trouble made again for the 1990's generation. In the end I couldn't help, but think the pair would just make an excellent double feature. Regardless, Serial Mom is one of Waters' finest outings. This is just one horror comedy that actually works.Audio/Video (3.5/5)Scream Factory presents John Waters' Serial Mom in a quite decent 1:85:1 1080p AVC encoded transfer. The Blu-ray transfer looks and sounds quite decent with colors coming across nicely, detail being solid, and black levels are just fine. There are moments of softness throughout, especially in exteriors, grain is light to moderate, and never a distraction.Audio is presented in a DTS-HD MA 5.1 track in English.
Everything sounds decent here, dialogue comes through as does the film's score. I did not detect any issue.Extras (4/5)Any film directed by John Waters is bound to have great extras and Scream Factory's Serial Mom is no different. We get 2 commentary tracks one is archival and just features Waters, the new one is with both Kathleen Turner and Water'. We also get an interview with Waters, Mink Stole, and Kathleen Turner. There is an EPK making of the film, a 26 making of from a prior DVD release, and an piece on H.G. Lewis and David Friedman whose Blood Feast appears prominently in the film.
There is also a trailer.OverallSerial Mom is one of John Waters' finest films. It blends high camp and comedy with horror, and manages to balance them all. The Blu-ray looks and sounds quite nice and has a solid slate of extras HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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 and releases a pretty solid Blu.Note – One of those screenshots is from the German Blu-ray release. Which one is it? 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. Elm327 ver 1.2a usb driver. 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.
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