Mommie Dearest: Paramount Presents Edition - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Mommie Dearest: Paramount Presents Edition



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras: :
Final Score:


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Movie
I’ve been having a blast with Paramount and their Paramount Presents line of films. Paramount is one of the few studios actually release non previously released titles along with their hoard of remastered films that have already got a Blu-ray release. Sure, it’s not like the vast majority of the Paramount Presents line is brand new titles, but it’s enough that I really enjoy seeing what they pull out from their archives next.

This time it’s a cult film that is probably legendary for being the very first Razzie award nominations ever. It was an epic train wreck of a film about a very serious subject, that came across as one of the campiest messes of all times. At the time it was a VERY poorly received film for a reason, but over the last 40 years it has gained a cult following for being one of those “so bad it’s hilariously fun” films. And if you look at it, it’s also one of the most emotionally striking films as well. It hits you in the gut and truly makes you uncomfortable (seriously, the coat hanger is legendary for that reason alone), while making you wonder what prompted Faye Dunaway to actually take the project.

Mommie Dearest is taken from the memoirs of Christina Crawford, daughter of actress Joan Crawford, detailing the abusive and rather horrific childhood she had dealing with a mentally unbalanced mother. Joan was a legend in the Golden Age of Hollywood for being one of the most visceral and powerful actresses of all time, but it turns out her home life was a complete wreck. She was abusive, controlling, unhinged, and over time her inner secrets came out (especially in her later years). Mommie Dearest stars Faye Dunaway as the legendary actress, and chronicles Christina’s formative and young adult years with her mother.

Mommie Dearest was supposed to be the next Oscar winner. It had all the earmarks of an easy win. The troubled past of a legendary celebrity, the hidden truth that no one knew, an actress method acting their way into a fantastic performance….but that all came crashing down when it was hailed as the campiest, sleaziest, most insanely acted film of the year, which just so happens to have coincided with the first Razzie awards ceremony ever as well. A coincidence which has skyrocketed it into cult status due to it’s legendary “this is so awful!” rating (though nothing ever beats Bo Derek’s Bolero) as the filmmakers crank up the craziness to level 11.


Faye Dunaway is what makes this picture so much fun to watch (from a certain point of view as Obi Wan would say). She’s completely batnuts crazy throughout the production, and she sunk herself totally into the role to the point of becoming unrecognizable. Supposedly she’s on record for saying that this film totally changed her career, for better or worse, and it’s not hard to see why. Watching this you may not even recognize the famous actress, so far down the rabbit hole she doth goeth. Everything else is just hammy and campy, and makes this one of the best worst movies of all times.




Rating:

Rated PG: Parental Guidance Suggested




Video:

I haven’t seen the old DVD of Mommie Dearest for YYYYYYYEEEEARRS so comparing to it’s last home video iteration is just me relying on my memory in terms of color timing, encoding etc. That being said, the new 4K remaster is a rather impressive looking disc with a lot of things going for it. It’s bright, filmic with a great grain texture, and no issues with banding or crush that I could really see (at least outside of minor flickers that are inherent to most compressed 1080p Blu-rays). Skin tones are excellent, and outside of the typical 1980s ruddy push to facial tones, is an all around amazing looking disc. The one downside is that the film looks a bit soft to my eyes, and judging from past interviews was due to the source material as that is a common complaint even on the 35mm print that was reviewed a few years back. Either way, this is a solid looking disc that really shines with great color reproduction and clarity, while having that soft filmic look that late 70s and early 80s movies were known for.






Audio:

The flick comes to Blu-ray with the typical 5.1 DTS-HD MA upmix, but also the original 2.0 Mono track in lossy Dolby Digital. I kind of wish for purist sake that Paramount had released the mono track in lossless encoding, but then again, this sound track was never exactly THAT demanding. In fact the 5.1 track is almost overkill as the mix is still very much a talky production with the vast majority of the work done in the front of the room. There’s some minor bumps in the sub and the surrounds, but for the most part this is a 3.0 track. Dialog is well placed up front and I can’t hear any major abnormalities in the volume level. All around good track that does everything well without ever truly excelling at anything simply due to the simplistic sound design of the film.









Extras:

• BRAND NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM
• NEW Audio Commentary by American drag queen Hedda Lettuce
• NEW Filmmaker Focus: Biographer Justin Bozung on director Frank Perry
• Commentary by filmmaker John Waters
• The Revival of Joan
• Life with Joan
• Joan Lives On
• Photo Gallery
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Collectible packaging featuring a foldout image of the film's theatrical poster and an interior spread with key movie moments

Final Score: ​

I wouldn’t say that Mommie Dearest is a film that the general population is screaming for a release, but fans of this cult classic have been wishing that it come to Blu-ray for YEARS, so I guess it’s a great thing that this 40th anniversary collection gets a nice 4K remaster and a whole host of extras (several new ones as well). It looks and sounds absolutely fantastic for what it is, and the movie is hoot and a half to watch if you’ve never seen it before. Definitely a great release for fans, although I would hesitate recommending this as a “this is an awesome blind buy! You’ll love it!” type of rating.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: FAye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, Steve Forrest, Howard Da Silva, Rutanya Alda
Directed by: Frank Perry
Written by: Christina Crawford (Book), Frank Yablans, Frank Perry (screenplay)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, English, French, German DD 2.0
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, German
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG
Runtime: 129 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: June 1st 2021

Recommendation: Check It Out

 

[Epoxy1]

I had never seen this until I reviewed it a few weeks ago and I liked it better than you did. It is very bizarre though, that's for sure. Crawford was either a complete whack job or her kid who wrote the tell all book had an axe to grind. While I do believe there's an element of truth in the story about Crawford's OCD, the daughter's story was disputed pretty heavily by Crawford's two youngest adopted kids. Regardless, this movie does not give you a warm and fuzzy feeling. Disturbing doesn't begin to describe it.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Interesting... never heard of this film. I might check this one out.

 

[Michael Scott]

I had never seen this until I reviewed it a few weeks ago and I liked it better than you did. It is very bizarre though, that's for sure. Crawford was either a complete whack job or her kid who wrote the tell all book had an axe to grind. While I do believe there's an element of truth in the story about Crawford's OCD, the daughter's story was disputed pretty heavily by Crawford's two youngest adopted kids. Regardless, this movie does not give you a warm and fuzzy feeling. Disturbing doesn't begin to describe it.

I have no doubt that the truth is somewhere in between. It certainly made for a disturbing and insane film that's for sure

 

[Asere]

I saw this movie years ago and still remember how disturbing it was.

 

[Epoxy1]

I have no doubt that the truth is somewhere in between. It certainly made for a disturbing and insane film that's for sure

Exactly how I feel. I honestly think this is a promotional film for Prozac--you'll need to pop a couple of them when the credits start rolling