Die, Mommie, Die!
Ever get a kick out of those deliciously campy horror movies with stars like Bette Davis and Joan Crawford or Ruth Gordon and Geraldine Page? No, I wasn't insulting you or insinuating anything about your sexuality. (Jeez, some people are so touchy!) I was just suggesting that you check out one of those movies that is kinda gay... I mean, where else are you gonna see a pre-nose-job Jason Priestly as a bisexual gigolo?
Written by, starring and based on the stage play by Charles Busch, DIE, MOMMIE, DIE! is a loving homage to those wacky "horror" movies from the '60s that seemed to feature little horror, and always starred over the hill actresses. Set sometime in the late '60s, the story revolves around Angela Arden, a washed up movie/singing star with a tyrannical husband, a cold, bitter daughter, an adoring son and a gigolo lover. The plot thickens when Angela decides to kill her husband, but there's plenty of twists and shocking revelations on the way -- including the secret of what really happened to Angela's twin sister, Barbara.
Yes, Busch plays Angela Arden, and he is a man -- but he's no run of the mill drag queen. Charles Busch is a female impersonator... and he's so good that one can easily forget that this role is being filled by a man. In that respect, the film's not played for laughs at all... well, maybe just once. There are plenty of other laughs to be had elsewhere in the film, since every cast member was hellbent on devouring the scenery. The film cleverly walks the tightrope between parody and homage, and it stands out as a great little indie genre film unto itself.
Not surprisingly, the movie's built up a cult audience and there seems to be a small demand for the music. Unfortunately, the score and "The Salt and Pepper Polka" haven't been released in their entirety anywhere, but "Why Not Me" appears several time on the DVD. There's also an album of remixes circulating online. I presume these mixes were legitimately released somewhere, but have never found any further information about it.
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Fun Fact: Ruth Williamson (probably best known as the annoying Mrs. Grubman on "Nip/Tuck") sang Angela's songs as a favor to friend Charles Busch. They'd worked together on stage before, and she had a small role in Busch's previous film, PSYCHO BEACH PARTY.