Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.0

Cry-Baby 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 23, 2024

John Waters' "Cry-Baby" (1990) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new program with John Waters, casting director Pat Moran, cinematographer David Insley, and actress Mink Stole; new program with Tracy Lords; deleted scenes; archival audio commentary; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

It is a safe bet that John Waters has seen Laslo Benedek’s The Wild One (1953) and Robert Altman’s The Delinquents (1957), Jack’s Hill’s Switchblade Sisters (1975), Philip Kauffman’s The Wanderers (1979) and Francis Ford Coppola’s Rumble Fish (1983). It is probably a safe bet that he has seen half a dozen other films like them, too. All of these films provide something to Waters’ Cry-Baby, which is a giant throwback to the glory days when audiences rushed to see them at the theater.

But Cry-Baby is not done right. While mimicking the stylistic appearance and attitude of the films highlighted above, Cry-Baby instantly evolves into a vicious mockery and begins unleashing messages about a twisted version of America whose suffocating hypocrisy has split it in half. On this side are the Haves and on the other side are the Have Nots. Both sides are so disgusted with each other that they have traded proper communication for mockery, which Waters adores because what emerges from it are all the truths he has been preaching for years. In Cry-Baby they are just repackaged for mass consumption.

Ironically, or perhaps not all, Cry-Baby gets crushed by its mockery, too. It happens because of two crucial flaws. The first is the intolerably odd version of America that emerges in it. This place looks like a giant Luna Park whose main switchboard is constantly abused by Waters to produce supposedly illuminating contrasts pointing toward his truths. The Haves are religious zealots, spoiled brats, and dimwitted loons, some of whom have never used or heard of that most popular four-letter word that begins with F and ends with K. (Is this a Baltimore-only thing?) The Have Nots are a motley crew of troublemakers whose supposed intellectual superiority is the very definition of annoying. The second crucial flaw is the insistence on selling Cry-Baby as an attractive musical. It is an impossible gig, or at least for Waters, because the vicious mockery and the music acts do not blend at all. If Grease was an inspiration for Cry-Baby too, it is best that this relationship is never acknowledged.

On top of this, the star-studded cast is completely wasted. A young Johnny Depp is a handsome outcast who falls in love with the wrong girl played by Amy Locane, causing his best friends Traci Lords, Ricky Lake, Iggy Pop, Darren E. Burrows, and Kim McGuire to begin questioning his sanity. Kim Webb wants Depp to be her boyfriend, while Polly Bergen just wants him out of her granddaughter’s life. As Depp and Locane struggle to preserve their relationship, all hell breaks loose and everyone begins improvising in often breathtakingly awful ways.

Approximately two-thirds of Cry-Baby produce material making it exceptionally easy to speculate that Waters is not in control there. This material is not just unjustifiably chaotic, it routinely looks random or salvaged in the best way possible by a struggling editor. Even the music acts, which are the brightest spots in Cry-Baby, routinely look mismanaged.

When it ends, Cry-Baby leaves a sour taste because it is a mockery gone terribly wrong and as oblivious of its failures and incompatibilities as are its targets in their manufactured reality. It can be amusing for a short period of time, but after that, it becomes unbearably annoying. This probably is not too surprising because Waters is the King of Bad, but some of its films are so bad that occasionally they become oddly entertaining. Cry-Baby is a just a classic endurance test that is instantly forgettable.

Kino Lorber's release introduces new 4K restorations of two versions of Cry-Baby: Theatrical Version, which is approximately 86 minutes long, and Director's Cut, which is approximately 92 minutes long. Both are newly restored in 4K. The Theatrical Version can be viewed in native 4K on the 4K Blu-ray. The Director's Cut features inserts from a standard definition source that have been upscaled. It can be viewed in 1080p on the Blu-ray.

Cry-Baby 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Cry-Baby is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

Kino Lorber's release introduces new 4K restorations of two versions of Cry-Baby: Theatrical Version, which is approximately 86 minutes long, and Director's Cut, which is approximately 92 minutes long. Both are newly restored in 4K. The Theatrical Version can be viewed in native 4K on the 4K Blu-ray. The Director's Cut features inserts from a standard definition source that have been upscaled. It can be viewed in 1080p on the Blu-ray.

The Theatrical Version can ve viewed in native 4K with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with HDR. I sampled various areas of the Director's Cut, including the ones where the inserts are introduced.

Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-33 are from Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #38-40 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

Cry-Baby made its high-definition debut with this release from Universal Pictures in 2014. The new 4K makeover offers such a dramatic upgrade in quality that it essentially allows for the film to be experienced in an entirely new way. In native 4K and 1080p, the visuals have a completely different organic appearance that is defined by solid improvements in all major areas we address in our reviews. Delineation, clarity, depth, and fluidity are excellent. However, some of the most impressive improvements are in the area of color reproduction. Now, all primaries and supporting nuances are very lush, very healthy, and impressively balanced, so the outdoor and darker indoor and nighttime footage are much, much more attractive. How do the inserts look in 1080p on the Blu-ray? You will be able to recognize the shift in quality, but I think that the transitions are very nicely done. You can see an example from an upscaled insert here. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks immaculate. I think that in a few areas additional minor encoding improvements could have been introduced, but there is nothing that will affect negatively your viewing experience.

Cry-Baby 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I began viewing the film with the 5.1 track, but then switched to the 2.0 track. Later, I continued moving between the two. To be honest, I prefer how the 2.0 track sounds in a many areas. I think that it works better with the film's faux period appearance, but like me, you should experiment to see which of the two tracks you prefer. The dialog is always clear, sharp, and easy to follow. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review.

Cry-Baby 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC - THEATRICAL CUT

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, John Waters explains what inspired him to shoot Cry-Baby, and discusses the various casting choices that were made (including his decision to cast Tracy Lords after her career in the adult industry ended), Johnny Depp's contribution to the film, the use of music, the lensing of various sequences and particular editing choices that were made, etc. Waters also mentions his "first fear", which materialized during his childhood years and was the sensation of being killed by an atomic bomb.

BLU-RAY DISC - DIRECTOR'S CUT

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by John Waters and is moderated by Heather Buckley.

• Bringing Up Baby - in this new program, John Waters, casting director Pat Moran, cinematographer David Insley, and actress Mink Stole recall their collaboration on Cry-Baby. In English, not subtitled. (39 min).

• Pop Icons - in this new program, Amy Locane recalls how she was cast to play her character in Cry-Baby and explains why John Waters did not want her to see his previous films before its completion, and discusses the production process and what it was like being around Johnny Depp. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Part of a Collection - in this new program, Tracy Lords recalls the day when John Waters phoned her in Los Angeles and offered her the part of Wanda Woodward in Cry-Baby. Lords also discusses the creative environment during the production of Cry-Baby and how her involvement with it reset her entire life. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• A Few Yucks - in this new program, Iggy Pop discusses his acting career and his experiences during the production of Cry-Baby. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• All These Misfits - in this new program, Ricki Lake explains why contributing to Cry-Baby was "next level" for her and recalls her interactions with John Waters and other cast members during the production of the film. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• So Tired of Being Good - in this new program, Patricia Hearst recalls the party atmosphere during the production of Cry-Baby and comments on its sense of humor and Johnny Depp's popularity at the time. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• In the Sandbox - in this new program, Darren E. Burrows explains why he had a great time working with John Waters on Cry-Baby. Burrows also comments on the unique use of words throughout the film and the importance of various period details. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Hip to be Square - in this new program, Stephen Mailer discusses John Waters' directing methods during the shooting of Cry-Baby and his interactions with other cast members. Also, there are some interesting comments about the music acts he was incolved with. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Talking Hair - in this new program, barber Howard "Hep" Preston recalls his first encounter with John Waters and contribution to Cry-Baby. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• It Came From... Baltimore!! - this archival program takes a closer look at the production of Cry-Baby. Included in it are clips from interviews with John Waters and various cast and crew members. The program was produced in 2005. In English, not subtitled. (48 min).

• Deleted Scenes - presented here are five deleted scenes. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. theatrical trailer for Cry-Baby. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

Cry-Baby 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A few of John Waters' films are so bad and out there that they can be surprisingly entertaining. Cry-Baby is supposed to be a good film that does a great deal of witty mocking while paying tribute to its distant relatives from the 1950s and 1960s. Sadly, it is just another bad film uniting several famous actors that self-destructs while pretending to be original. Kino Lorber's combo pack introduces new 4K restorations of two versions of Cry-Baby that look great on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray, with an excellent selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features.