Die Mommy Die!

As a sympathetic gesture recently, Lis allowed me to pick out the movie of the night.

Hmmm. I just lost my job . . . what'll hit the spot? Howsabout a movie that recreates the big screen soap operas of the '60's? Only this time, let's have the the main character, a retired movie actress, be played by a man in drag for no particular reason. And, you know what, let's have him, er her, kill her husband with a poisoned suppository the size of a bratwurst. Toss in a promiscuous gay son ("They found me atop the lazy susan in the mathematics department!") and a virgin daughter sexually obsessed with her oblivious father, a movie producer in debt to the mob.

And let's not forget Jason Priestly, playing the resident gigolo who enjoys 'entertaining' the whole family.

Lisa hated it.

I thought it was swell.

I'll admit Aaron Spelling would roll over in his grave if he saw Brendan Walsh frenching a drag queen, but if you can put that aside - and yes, it's hard to forget but try I did - the movie's a hoot.

It's firmly tongue in cheek, and the performance of Charles Busch as Angela Arden was just delightful. His vocal performance alone was worth the rental, with his Joan Crawford by way of Mommie Dearest diction.

And you know the odd thing about this Sundance film festival movie - well, ok, the only thing *not* odd about it? If you take away the drag queen and the LSD trip and scale back the kitsch 80%, then underneath it all you're still left with a pretty decent plot.

If you have a sense of humour and a taste for unconventional films, check it out.

3.0 out of 4, 72 out of 100