Home :: DVD :: Comedy :: Black Comedy  

African American Comedy
Animation
Black Comedy

British
Classic Comedies
Comic Criminals
Cult Classics
Documentaries, Real & Fake
Farce
Frighteningly Funny
Gay & Lesbian
General
Kids & Family
Military & War
Musicals
Parody & Spoof
Romantic Comedies
Satire
School Days
Screwball Comedy
Series & Sequels
Slapstick
Sports
Stand-Up
Teen
Television
Urban
Death Becomes Her

Death Becomes Her

List Price: $24.98
Your Price:
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 4 .. 8 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: DON'T WORRY,BE DEAD!
Review: In this comedy movie,enternal youth is better.Helen Sharp(Goldie Hawn)just lost her future husband,Dr.Ernest Menvile(Bruce Willis) by a big shot bimbo actress Madiline Ashton(Meryl Streep).14 years later.....Helen used to be a fat wacko but her age is 50,lok on the cover to see what's changed.(Woman with hole in body)Mad turns from a pretty woman to an old woman,UNTIL she meets a new friend Lisa who is 71 years old and has the body of a 20 year old.Lisa gives Mad a potion that stops the aging process dead in it's tracks and forces it into retreat.Lisa tells her to drink that potion and beauty returns and you will never DIE!Don't drink and you will rot away.To see maore watch the movie.Out of 10 I would give this film 9 stars.Rated PG-13 for violence,language,adult content,and a scene of nudity.I think 8 and up for this film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A wickedly funny film!
Review: Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn make a perfect comedic pair in this great comedy/fantasy from director Robert Zemeckis.

Streep plays Madeline Ashton, a has-been actress, who tries to re-invent herself as a musical star. The hilarious opening sees Streep in a musical version of "Sweet Bird Of Youth" that has been titled 'Songbird'. It is at the first (and last) performance of the show that Madeline's old friend (and enemy) Helen Sharp (Hawn) and her fiancee Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis) become re-acquaninted. Madeline then proceeds to seduce Ernest and marries him herself. Ernest is a plastic-surgeon and the idea of free face-work is irresistable to the shallow Madeline.

Ten years later, a new svelte Helen is having a book-signing party for the novel she has just published. By this time Madeline has turned into the 4th Gabor, and is completely paranoid about her complexion and her age. Madeline is completely unaware that the reason why Helen looks so God-damn fabulous is because she has a potion that will let her stay young forever.

A lovely 'young' enchantress Listl von Ruman (Isabella Rossellini) is the woman behind the potion, and Madeline will do anything to get it.......

This film is a delight, and features a great performance by Streep, who has mostly stuck to dramatic roles, and it is very refreshing to see her letting her hair down here.

Hawn is as wonderful as always, although the restrained performance of Willis is at times very annoying.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A very dark, and hilarious comedy
Review: Meryl Streep plays Madeline Ashton, an actress who is obsessed with keeping herself looking young and beautiful. Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn), is a plain looking author with a brilliant surgeon, Dr. Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis), for a fiance. Madeline and Helen have hated each other for years, but things become even worse when Madeline steals Ernest from Helen and they get married. Years later, Madeline is even more obsessed with keeping her youth, willing to do ANYTHING to keep from aging physically. On the other hand, Helen is obsessed to get revenge on Madeline for stealing her fiance. But it seems that there is one thing in common between the two rivals, in that both seem to know the same woman, Lisle Von Rhoman (Isabella Rossellini). Lisle, who has the power to give the two woman something the world has been searching for centuries... the secret of youth. But Madeline and Helen will learn that the 'secret of youth' has a high price, and that their 'lives' will never be the same again.

As the title of my review says, "Death Becomes Her" is a very dark yet hilariously funny movie. Directed by genius Robert Zemeckis (director of the Back to the Future trilogy, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", "Contact", and "Forrest Gump"), he gives the movie such an underlying sense of psychological suspense that it's really hard what category to put this movie under.

Is it a comedy?: Yes, "Death Becomes Her" could be called a comedy. But it has a very twisted sort of humor, you'll have to be someone who enjoys all forms of comedy to really enjoy and understand the humor. There is both laugh-out-loud slapstick humor, then there's the dry type of humor which takes a few seconds to really getting you chuckling. But more than anything, the satire and irony of the story is so well imbedded into the plot that there's really no specific part you can pinpoint as the funniest part of the movie. When the movie finished, my parents and I stopped the movie, there was a brief pause, THEN we started howling with laughter! It's the truth, really! No, it wasn't because it was so awful or stupid (some parts were) but because it's not until AFTER the movie that the satire of the film really hits you.

Is it horror?: Yes, there are some parts which you could describe the movie as being under the horror genre. There's the whole 'haunted, creepy, gothic mansion' scene, and one of the themes of the movie is about 'death'.

Is it a drama?: Strangely enough, there is a sense of drama in the story. The story touches upon the topics of death and the dream of wanting to 'live forever and retain your youth'. This is very well expressed through the main actresses and actor of the movie. I mean, what will your choice been when given a chance to be able to live forever? The suspense towards the end when one of the characters must decide is well executed.

But more than anything, it's not just the story of the movie that really gets you, it's the fact that the actors do such an outstanding job with their characters. Meryl Streep is simply fantastic and she handles the dark side of her character very well. Goldie Hawn is also fantastic, can you imagine her as a fat, depressed, and ugly woman? Well, watch this movie to see her handle the role with ease. And Bruce Willis, you would never imagine seeing him in this kind of movie, but he is just GREAT! He plays the character plagued by two very 'obsessed' woman very well, and he's 'kind of' the 'hero' of the film.

As others have also mentioned, the effects of the movie are brilliantly put to the screen. I can't give away much of the story, but check out how they accomplish getting Meryl Streep's character to 'get up and about' after being pushed a flight of stairs and having her neck broken. Weird...

Anyway, though a brilliant film, I strongly suggest that people would borrow before getting this movie to add to their collection. Some people might not be able to appreciate or understand the movie enough to enjoy it's twisted look at 'life after death'.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Death Becomes Her
Review: Is there anything director Robert Zemeckis can't do? He has made a ton of films that are worth a view, and Death Becomes Her is absolutely no exception. With an extremely talented cast, stunning visual effects, and hilarious moments, Death Becomes Her is worth a viewing. Bruce Willis comes out of his action movie front to play a hilarious nerdy plastic surgeon. But it's Meryl Streep and especially Goldie Hawn who steal show. The best lines in the whole film are Goldie: "There's A Hole In My Stomach!!!!!" Bruce: "It's another miracle!" Another great line is Meryl: "Forever Young. Ha! And eternally fat." Death Becomes Her has a little something for everybody.

Helen (Goldie Hawn) has just lost her fiance Ernest (Bruce Willis) to Broadway bimbo Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep). 7 years later, Helen is fat, and has been evicted from her apartment. Another 7 years later, Madeline & Ernest have been invited to Helen's booksigning party. Helen is MUCH thinner, and Madeline gets suspicious. She goes to see a woman (Isabella Rosellini) who gives Madeline a potion that guarentees eternal youth & beauty. But, Madeline winds up dead, and has a very head turning experience. Helen & Ernest meanwhile have been plotting a way to kill Madeline. When Helen comes by to make sure that Ernest has buried Madeline, she winds up getting shot in the stomach by Madeline. Now both dead, they must get Ernest to drink the potion, so he can keep on repairing their dead bodies. Or they may have to spend eternity together.

Overall Grade A+ (10+++)

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Deserves a Much, Much Better DVD Treatment Than This
Review: Where is the Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer? This very funny black comedy with great special effects was even nominamted for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects back in 1992 (I'm not sure, but I could almost swear that it also won). This DVD is an absolute embarrassment and in no way reflects on what a great film this is.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An Entertaing Black Fantasy Comedy.
Review: When a glamorous but awful actress (Oscar-Winner:Meryl Streep)-Madeline Ashton always stole boyfriends from her friend-Helen Sharp (Oscar-Winner:Goldie Hawn). When Helen loses her fiance Ernest Manville (Bruce Willis) is a brillant Plastic surgeon. Then Helen goes to a depression and subsequently doubles her weight. Years later... When Madeline become a Out of Work actress and her husband-Ernest is now Touching Up and Putting Make-Up on Dead People. Madeline and Ernest, who haven't seen Helen in years and complete surprise, she changed in her looks and seemingly didn't aged at all. When Madeline is tired about her looks, because she getting older. Then she meets a mysterious very attractive enchantress (Isabella Rossellini), who changed thier lives and deaths forever by turning Greed, Vanity, Sex, Immortality and Life into one Unusual difficult crazy buoyancy.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future trilogy, Cast Away, Contact) made a unique, unusual, different kind of Black Comedy mixed with Fantasy. There's great comic performances by the three leads. Rossellini is quite a beauty in this one. This film has stunning Visual Effects done by Industrial, Light & Magic (ILM), which they win an Oscar. Written by Martin Donovan (Apartment Zero) and David Koepp (Spider Man). Great music score by Alan Silvestri (Cat's Eye) and lush cinematography by Dean Cundey (The Fog, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Jurassic Park) highlight this one. Film Director:Sydney Pollack (Out of Arfica) has an funny cameo in a Unbilled Bit. Not for all tastes. Grade:A-.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Devilish, Wicked Black Comedy
Review: Directed by the amazing Robert Zemeckis, "Death Becomes Her" features a clever script, an awesome cast, and mind-blowing special effects that most Hollywood films lack nowadays. The film centers on the eternal quest for beauty and youth by an aging Hollywood starlet, Madeline Ashton, (played by the brillant Meryl Streep). Her high school rival, Helen, (Goldie Hawn), brings her latest beau to meet Ashton after a campy performance in a musical based on "Sweet Bird of Youth" (get the theme already?).

When Madeline runs off with Helen's fiance (Bruce Willis) Helen falls into a demented state and becomes obese and determined to get even with Madeline. After discovering a secret potion sold by a Hollywood witch (Isabella Rosellini) both Helen, and later Madeline regain their youth, vitality, and beauty. However, all this comes with strings involving immortality.

The wonderful script pokes fun at many stereotypes, rumors, and realities Hollywood is well-known for. From plastic surgery to the fact that no one has never met a neighbor in Los Angeles, the script is intelligent scriptwriting at its' best. The special effects by Industrial Light and Magic which has Helen walking with a hole through her midsection, and Madeline walking with a twisted neck are incredible to watch. One thing I adored about this film was the wicked, dark, and diabolical score by Alan Silvestri that incorporates harps and vengeful theme throughout the film.

The film's ending featuring a legion of Hollywood's undead (including Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, and James Dean)is hysterical and even the names of the two main characters, Madeline ("Mad" as in crazy) and Helen ("Hell" as in hellish) is genius. Personally along with "She-Devil," "Heathers," and "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills," this film ranks as one of the best black comedies to come out in recent years. A must-see for everyone!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Dark, Clever, FUN
Review: I saw this movie when I was about 10 and I have enjoyed it ever since! I enjoyed it because it was the first time I had seen a movie like that, and it wasn't my last! The way it looked and the mood of it made it quite funny, as if it were a guilty pleasure! The story unfolds interestingly, by people coming out of a play and saying that the lead sucked! Then we come to know that everyone hates her! Except for a plastic surgen. And we also find out that Madilon wants to stay youthful for the rest of her life! ANd so the stroy unflds and Madilon and Bruice Willis get married and Goldie Hawn holds a grudge and becomes over weight. And she has a dinner party for her new book, and invites Madilon and Bruice and she is beautiful and all that rot. SO Madiolon is all mystified and it is just a really good movie but the unique twist is that no matter what happens to them after they drink this potion, they can never get hurt! Very unique! I enjoyed it then and I enjoy it now. It still makes me laugh and I love that a movie I liked when I was 10 can still be funny! That shows signs of a good comedy!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Goofy But Funny
Review: This movie is pretty goofy and far-fetched. But it's very funny. It's about a woman who goes insane after she loses another man to the same hot-shot broadway star woman. About 14 years later she gets an amazing makeover from a mystical potion and tracks down the woman. But she has taken the potion too. The potion restores youth and beauty and makes their bodies invincable to death. Causing them to live forever. Their violent and deadly cat-fights do no good to enflict pain in each other. This movie contains lots of dark humor, drama, and suspense. It reminds me of "She-Devil", "Fatal Attraction", and "The War Of The Roses". All in one.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "I can see right through you!"
Review: Rivalry between two women over a doctor/undertaker leads to extreme measures. They take an elixir that maintains beauty with some minor side effects (and a belated warning). One woman becomes very twisted, the other holier than thou. Who will he choose? I will not go into details as they are the movie. However the great acting and good special effects will hold your attention. One must be prepared to suspend reality.


<< 1 2 3 4 .. 8 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates