Death Becomes Her [Blu-ray]

Director: Robert Zemeckis Robert Zemeckis

Overview

High-concept director Robert Zemeckis applies his usual polish -- helped by an equally adept cast -- for this surprisingly gruesome and extremely funny black comedy. The film begins with narcissistic actress Madeline (Meryl Streep) stealing the latest in a series of potential fiancées, wimpy plastic surgeon Ernest (Bruce Willis), from her ex-best friend Helen (Goldie Hawn). Depressed and infuriated, Helen suffers a breakdown that lands her in a mental hospital -- in addition to a junk-food bender that seems to triple her weight. When Madeline crosses paths with Helen again many years later, she is horrified to discover her once-chunky rival looking younger, slimmer and more glamorous than ever before. Fearing that Helen will try to steal Ernest back -- and dreading the thought of not having a plastic surgeon at her beck and call -- Madeline solicits the supernatural services of an exotic New Age mystic (Isabella Rossellini), who sells her a potent youth elixir with the stipulation that she follow the dosage instructions to the letter... yeah, right. It appears that Helen owes her sexy comeback to the same magic formula, and the inevitable violent clash between the two well-dressed banshees leads to the realization that both women have become nearly impervious zombies, clawing at each other's throats long after the blood has run cold in their veins. Best remembered for Dick Smith's Oscar-winning makeup effects, which allow the rapidly-rotting undead femmes to toss off witty one-liners with ragged holes blasted through their bodies or spin their heads Exorcist-style. Not all the sight gags work, and Zemeckis' lighthearted treatment of such grotesque material tends to dull the satirical edge, but there are some truly inspired moments of dementia -- particularly a hilarious cameo from Sydney Pollack as a doctor who comes unglued while examining Streep (who has yet to realize she's dead).

Product Details

Release Date:	04/26/2016
UPC:	0826663163100
Original Release:	1992
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Shout Factory
Region Code:	A
Language:	English
Time:	1:43:00
Sales rank:	2,664

Special Features

New The Making of Death Becomes Her featuring Interviews with Director Robert Zemeckis, Writer David Koepp, Director of Photography Dean Cundey, Production Designer Rick Carter and Special Effects Artists Lance Anderson and David Anderson; Vintage "Making-Of" Featurette; Photo Gallery; Theatrical Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Meryl Streep	Madeline Ashton
Goldie Hawn	Helen Sharp
Bruce Willis	Dr. Ernest Menville
Isabella Rossellini	Lisle von Rhuman
Ian Ogilvy	Chagall
Adam Storke	Dakota
Nancy Fish	Rose
Sydney Pollack	Doctor
Alaina Reed Hall	Psychologist
Mary Ellen Trainor	Vivian Adams
William Frankfather	Mr. Franklin
John Ingle	Eulogist
Clement Von Franckenstein	Opening Man
Dan Lee Clark	Lisle's Body Guard
Petrea Burchard	Opening Woman
Edward Forsyth	Dancer,Dancer
Jim Jansen	Second Man
Mimi Kennedy	Second Woman
Karen Rea	Actor
Paula Tocha	Landlord,Landlord
Mark Davenport	Eviction Cop
Bob Swaim	Andy Warhol
Thomas Murphy	Eviction Cop
Michael Mills	Police Officer
Sonia Jackson	Psychiatric Patient
Jill C. Klein	Psychiatric Patient
Jean Pflieger	Psychiatric Patient
Debra Jo Rupp	Psychiatric Patient
Carol Ann Susi	Psychiatric Patient
Kay Yamamoto	Psychiatric Patient
Jacquelyn K. Koch	Messenger Girl
Anya Longwell	Chagall Receptionist
Stuart Mabray	Chagall Security
Louise Rapport	Older Woman at Party
Colleen Morris	Starlet
Jonathan Silverman	Jay Norman
Meg Wittner	Woman at Book Party
Carrie Yazel	Girl at Dakota's
Michael A. Nickles	Lisle's Body Guard
John Enos	Lisle's Body Guard
Dan Clark	Lisle's Body Guard,James Dean
Fabio	Lisle's Body Guard
Joel Beeson	Lisle's Body Guard
Ron Stein	Elvis
Bonnie Cahoon	Greta Garbo
Stephanie Anderson	Marilyn Monroe
Bob Swain	Andy Warhol
Dave Brock	Jim Morrison
Lydia Peterkoch	Blonde with Jim Morrison
Phillip Cooper	Coroner
Ernest Harada	Coroner
Phillip Irwin Cooper	Coroner
Susan Kellermann	Second Doctor
Kevin Caldwell	Medical Technician
Alex P. Hernandez	Medical Technician
Donna Ekholdt	Sobbing Nun
Tammy Gantz	Sobbing Nun
Melissa Martin	Sobbing Nun
Jeff Adkins	Dancer
Cheryl Baxter	Dancer
Cameron English	Dancer
Bob Gaynor	Dancer
Don Hesser	Dancer
Michael Higgins	Dancer
Kenneth Hughes	Dancer
Kenneth Knaff	Dancer
Glean Lewis	Dancer
Keith McDaniel	Dancer
Charles McGowan	Dancer
Regan Patno	Dancer
Lacy Darryl Phillips	Dancer
Matt Sergott	Dancer
Paul Thorpe	Dancer
Sergio Trujillo	Dancer
Randy Crenshaw	Singer
Jon Joyce	Singer
Jerry Whitman	Singer
Michelle Johnson	Actor
Alan Silvestri	Composer

Technical Credits

David Koepp

Greg Kinnear

Robert Zemeckis	Director,Producer
Doug Chiang	Special Effects
Ken Ralston	Special Effects
Doug Smythe	Special Effects
Steve Starkey	Producer
Tom Woodruff	Special Effects
Michael Lantieri	Special Effects Supervisor
Alec Gillis	Special Effects
David Koepp	Screenwriter
Greg Kinnear	Screenwriter
Joan Bradshaw	Producer
Jon Alexander	Special Effects,Sound Effects
Kevin Bartnof	Sound Effects
James Bolt	Sound Effects
Mike Boudry	Sound Effects
Charles L. Campbell	Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

Robert Zemeckis' morbid comedy offers some good laughs with a satirical bent. Borrowing a page from the pitch-black comedic style of Tim Burton, Zemeckis uses a variety of prosthetic special effects and sight gags as the comedic impetus for the film, poking fun at image-conscious Hollywood in the process. Although Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Bruce Willis, and Isabella Rosselini turn in good performances and most of their bits tend to be funny, the film relies almost exclusively on make-up and special effects for its laughs. Also, the attempts at satirizing a culture obsessed with youth and beauty are half-hearted at best, considering the willingness of the high-profile cast. When Death Becomes Her veers towards horror in its last act, there's some surprisingly spine-tingling creepiness to it as well. When not overextending itself with its alternately scathing and harmless satirical moments, this non-enduring low-comedy film works well.

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