Rating: 
Summary: Ok, the DVD is skimpy but just look at it shine!
Review: If you're on this page, you already know what a camp classic this movie is. Yeah, we know all the lines and it gives us a perverse happy feeling each time we see it. Let's talk about the DVD. I do agree that a commentary track or a featurette would make this a 5-star DVD AND justify it's price. Unfortunately, not all studios are producing Criterion Collection quality discs. That said, the DVD quality we are presented with is not that bad. Compared to the VHS version, the DVD picture jumps out of the screen. Colors are crisp and there are few blurs throughout. Sound-wise, nothing comes close to the thrill of hearing those wire-hanger whollops in Dolby 5.1 surround. If you'd like you can also experience the added bonus of hearing "Christina, bring me the ax!" in French. I am THRILLED that this is on DVD. If you prefer all the bells and whistles of full-motion menus and a 20-minute mini-documentary (often studio hype that tells you little) then by all means skip this treasure and stick with the inferior VHS. I'm happy with it and I'm still waiting for the sequel.
Rating: 
Summary: The Ultimate Camp Flick
Review: In viewing this film, I suggest lots of champagne and gourmet popcorn. From the opening "grooming" scene to the "funeral" scene the stuff inbetween is an absolute comedy. Look for the bottle of Fantastik on the bar when little Christina is fixing a drink. It is a blooper because the cleaning product didn't exists until the 70s!
Rating:
Summary: Mommie on DVD? 'Maybe I did it for a little extra publicity'
Review: I suppose we should be grateful to Paramount for releasing this astounding cultural artifact on DVD. Its lunatic brilliance has certainly never been equalled in any movie I'm aware of. To those who wonder why there are no interviews with the cast or filmmakers, I ask: have you really taken a good look at the movie? Who would have the nerve to step forward and admit willing participation in film history's purest unintentional laff-riot? Can you imagine some representative from Paramount phoning Faye Dunaway to ask if she'll reminisce for a few hours on how the studio did its best to humiliate her? I think the original theatrical trailer for this movie tells the whole story; it's even more lurid and crazed than the trailers for 'The Exorcist' or 'The Omen' and you can see right away that the marketing people at Paramount knew the only way they were going to put the film over was to sell it as unchecked exploitation, mainly at the expense of Dunaway, who is made to look monstrously inhuman throughout the trailer's two or three minutes. It's certainly ironic, because the astounding Dunaway is the only reason to see this movie. I've watched this a lot and there are parts where her audacity floors me. I mean, how did she DARE?For myself, I'd love to have asked director Frank Perry if it was the studio's decision to recycle the kitchen set from "Happy Days" in the televised soap opera scene near the movie's end. Did cheapo Paramount really think no one would notice? Another question for Perry: how much of the film was recut by the studio? From the botched and inane editing job on view, I'd say a lot of it. Obviously, a chronicle of this film's production made on the studio's dime could never include anyone saying anything bad about Paramount and without that, I can't imagine the actors or filmmakers would have very much to say. Some enterprising film historian should step forward and write a book. What's Camille Paglia up to these days? Camille would probably note that the actress Alice Nunn, who plays the maid Helga in an introductory scene (she's the first to experience Crawford's cleanliness mania: "You HAVE to MOVE the TREE!"), is none other than infamous deceased truck driver Large Marge from "Pee Wee's Big Adventure".
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate [...] Flick!
Review: No [...] men's movie collection is complete without Faye Dunaway's campy film, "Mommie Dearest". She is even more Joan Crawford than Joan Crawford. I strongly reccomend this film for an evening of entertaining a group of the guys and atleast one resident [...] hag. Gourmet popcorn and champagne anyone?
Rating: 
Summary: Ya f**ked with me fellas!
Review: Granted the widescreen transfer of MOMMIE DEAREST, in all it's glory, is wonderful to see but no extras? I think it's time someone gets the ax. Judging from the photos that were used in the presentation of the DVD, the folks over at Paramount knew they were catering to the cultist of MOMMIE so why not take the extra step and go the distance? They don't even put music under the title cards! Low grade all the way. Very disappointing. And overpriced to boot! A definate wire hanger of a DVD. MOVIE:5 stars DVD:1 star
Rating:
Summary: Guilty Pleasure!
Review: I have to say, I always feel bad for poor Joan Crawford, to have spent her entire life creating an illusion of stardom, and to have it to thouroughly trashed by her own daughter. It is a shame. Watching Faye Dunaway chew up the scenery is very entertaining. Diana Scarwid is terrific as the older Christina and Mara Hobel more than holds her own against La Dunanway. For pure camp, you can't beat (no pun intended) this film. I still do not think that Jaon really beat those kids, I think it was pure spite on Christina's part. If Joan had had Prozac in her day, she probably would have thought twice about adopting those kids in the first place! With that said, I have to admit, I do LOVE the scene in the bathroom, when Joan beats the daylights out of Tina with the Bon Ami can!!!!
Rating:
Summary: I don't ask much from you, girl
Review: No...wire...hangers! What's wire hangers doing in this closet when I told you: no wire hangers EVER?!!! I work and work til I'm half-dead, and I hear people say "she's getting old." And what do I get? A daughter, who cares as much about the beautiful dresses I give her, as she cares about me! What's wire hangers doing in this closet?! Answer me! I buy you beautiful dresses, and you treat them like some dishrag. You do! Three hundred dollar dress on a wire hanger! We'll see how many you've got if they're hidden somewhere. We'll see...we'll see, get out of that bed! All of this is coming out! Out! Out! Out! You've got any more? We're gonna see how many wire hangers you've got in your closet. Wire hangers, why? Why...Christina get out of that bed! Get out of that bed! You live in the most beautiful house in Brentwood, and you don't care if your clothes are stretched out from wire hangers. And your room looks like some two-dollar refurnished room in some two-bit backstreet town in Oaklahoma! Stand up! Get up! Clean up this mess! Did you scrub the bathroom floor today? Did you??
Rating:
Summary: " 120% proof ! "
Review: Miss Dunaway does not officially recognize this performance. Lord knows why - it's another bravura performance by one of the underrated immortals left in town AND at least she did have some script control back then, let's face it folks - Crawford wasn't a complete monster. Miss Dunaway added necessary touches of humanity this Monsterous "I Remember Mama distribe" penned as post-mortem revenge by this much abused adoptee [granted this is Tina Crawford's p.o.v. and there were whipsers - naturally, nothing was done]. The editing / directing is slightly uneven - also due to reported "clashes", but we ARE TREATED to that special and spectacular opening sequence - that alone could be titled "A Phoenix rising - Again?" Love her or hate her, Crawford left us an unforgettable legacy, and is known to have admired Miss Dunaway's work. Pity we did not see any of the legendary fireworks between Davis and Crawford when they worked together on "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" and almost on "Hush, Hush sweet Charlotte" - THAT IS ANOTHER MOVIE! [As Davis allegedly said - "If she were on fire, I wouldn't ----- on her!" Where are those divas today?] Production values are excellent especially IRENE SHARIF's costume designs for Faye Dunaway. A sure treasure for the nostalgic buff. Anne Bankcroft was also considered for this part.
Rating:
Summary: A CAMP CLASSIC WITH NO FEATURES??? BOOOOOH!!!
Review: Leave it to Paramount video to take a camp classic like "Mommie Dearest" and turn this event into a bummer! If you can believe it: they have given it absolutely NO ADDED FEATURES. That's right: no insights from Faye Dunaway, no background chit chat from little Tina, not a word from Diana Scarwid. That's right, nothing! The scan and picture quality are all top notch but it's like being served a great big lucious bowl of Haagen Dazs WITHOUT A SPOON!
Rating:
Summary: Mommie Dearest - an underrated film
Review: I've always believed that this film has been misunderstood. Admittedly I can understand why people would laugh at scenes like the one where Faye Dunaway shouts to her daughter, "Tina bring me the ax!" But is child abuse really funny? I don't think so. I must admit that the scenes of child abuse, perhaps exploitative, are chilling and realistic. Thanks to the vivid performances by Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid and the actress who played young Christina, you really feel like you are in that house with these characters. You just want Joan to stop. Faye Dunaway's career has never been the same since this film since it is now regarded as a camp classic, yet I think this is one of her best performances. She makes Joan a complicated woman: cruel, irrational, beautiful, pathetic, perhaps mentally ill and yet also sympathetic. I don't know how accurate the film is and unfortunately Joan Crawford was never able to defend herself, but the film is based on the book, and it is true to the spirit of Christina Crawford's memoir: it is relentless, frightening, sad and unforgettable.
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