Lately I have gotten a severe overload of comedy. I've never liked comedy all that much, but my husband loves it and watches little else. However, there is one type of comedy I generally enjoy even when all others have grown repetitive and annoying...dark comedy. Yes, the art of taking some of the most morbid subjects known to human kind and making fun of them, I love it. For a little star-studded slice of a slightly different flavor of comedy, read on...

Mona Dearly (Bette Midler) is dead. This news spreads around the small town like wildfire as stunned residents wander from one acquaintance to the next to spread the news with long faces...until someone finally cracks and exclaims "Well, we should celebrate!".

Chief Wyatt Rash (Danny DeVito) has the unenviable job of investigating Mona's death after a cursory investigation reveals that the brakes on her car were definitely tampered with...that is, all the brake lines were cut and vital parts...and not-so-vital parts...of the car had been punctured. Obviously, someone really wanted this woman dead.

Rash speaks with Mona's son, Jeff (Marcus Thomas) about his thoughts on who could have killed her and is immediately pointed to Bobby (Casey Affleck), who just happens to be Chief Rash's daughter's fiance.

Every person Chief Rash encounters during his investigation leaves him thinking "This has GOT to be the murderer!"...well, for the first half a dozen people or so. Truth be told every person in town is eager to discover who murdered Mona Dearly...mainly so that person can be properly congratulated.

Rash speaks with a battered husband (William Fichtner), a ridiculed and mistreated acquaintance, the woman who had been having an affair with Mona's husband...and son (Jamie Lee Curtis), and many other townsfolk who'd had less-than-savory experiences with this woman.

By this point if you haven't seen at least one or two names you recognize you certainly haven't been watching many movies in the last thirty years. Obviously we have a star-studded cast here, rounded out by a host of veteran actors in supporting roles and lesser characters including Neve Campbell, Will Ferrell, Mark Pellegrino, Tracey Walter, and many more.

Ok, so obviously the premise for this movie is pretty simple. Lady gets killed, everyone wanted to do it, there you go. At one point in the movie the murderer actually confesses, and though that part came as a surprise to me there was still plenty of movie left to roll.

Frankly, I got a lot of laughs out of this one. I love dark humor, I was raised in a family where we go to funerals for the beer and everything in life, no matter how morbid or inappropriate, is subject to picking over for its entertainment value. That said, this kind of comedy is not for everyone. My husband adores slapstick comedy, I'm quite certain he'd despise this particular movie.

I think as far as acting goes they could have done a lot more with the cast they had, but it was still outstanding as far as your everyday movie goes. I'd especially like to point out Bette Midler's performance, her character dies first thing at the beginning of the movie but we see plenty of her in flashbacks. Midler does an awesome job of playing up her role and really turning Mona into the sort of unlikable b**** you just love to hate. William Fichtner is also an actor I've admired and made a convincing "trailer trash" husband who doesn't want to admit he's scared spitless by his diminutive wife. Just about everyone else did a fantastic job with their parts...Casey Affleck and Marcus Thomas didn't really convince me but considering they were both fledgling actors cast with some of the biggest names in the industry I suppose they can be forgiven.

There are some slow spots, and I think the end was a little overblown, but considering what came before that ending didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the film.

All-in-all, if you like dark and inappropriate comedy here you go. Yes, they make fun of death. Yes, the funeral director at the wake was making out with his date in the back room while the deceased's husband and son agitatedly checked their watches and discussed the appropriate time to head to the diner for drinks and celebration. Yes, there are a few cheap laughs that not everyone will appreciate. And finally yes, I feel this movie is well worth your time if you enjoy this offbeat style of comedy...just settle in for a relaxing evening at home with a bowl of chex mix and your favorite flannel pajamas and fantasize about what "accidents" you could cause in your ex's life. Enjoy!

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Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older