Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

Drop Dead Gorgeous Blu-ray Movie Review

Model citizens.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 5, 2020

One of the better mockumentaries not written by Christopher Guest, Michael Patrick Jann's Drop Dead Gorgeous is a solid pitch-black comedy with a great premise, killer cast, and way too many razor-sharp one-liners for its own good. Released in 1999, it follows the fictional 1995 American Teen Princess Pageant held in the equally fictional small town of Mount Rose, Minnesota, introducing viewers to each of its eight main contestants, three judges, and their respective families. Organized and hosted by wealthy pageant mom Gladys Leeman (Kirstie Alley) whose beautiful daughter Becky (Denise Richards) is the runaway favorite, the ATPP regionals are only weeks away. As the competition quickly heats up, we soon find out that certain participants will do just about anything to take home the tiara.

The back-and-forth squabbles and petty behavior of certain contestants quickly gives way to more sinister happenings, including the injury and death of a few young hopefuls as well as fallout that extends to innocent bystanders and family members. And though it's obvious from the first few scenes who our culprit is, Drop Dead Gorgeous is equally content with serving up rapid-fire, episodic mini-narratives that showcase its parade of small-town oddballs whether we like it or not. A starry-eyed mortician's make-up artist. The "serious actor". An equally abusive father-son duo. The curiously attentive judge with a leering gaze. A gruff, chain-smoking pageant choreographer. Last year's winner, now a near-death anorexic. And of course a few vicarious "pageant moms", be they former winners or jaded runners-up.

Almost every main and supporting character in Drop Dead Gorgeous is instantly memorable and played capably by a deep ensemble cast that also includes Kirstin Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Denise Richards, the late Brittany Murphy, Amy Adams (her first big-screen role), Nora Dunn, Adam West, and an embarrassing number of great character actors -- you'll likely pause the film at regular intervals to figure out which movie you recognize "that guy" (or girl) from. Yet each one admirably disappears into their respective role, allowing the film's razor-sharp dialogue enough room to carry most of the narrative weight. As mentioned earlier, Drop Dead Gorgeous is not exclusively plot-driven: it rarely depends on the "murder mystery" that descends upon its eight contestants and their families, shrugging off expectations while continuing to skewer its subject matter. The film almost immediately establishes a dark tone and doubles down as it progresses... so if you find it distasteful within the first ten minutes, this one's clearly not for you.

While Drop Dead Gorgeous really hit the sweet spot for my sick sense of humor much more often than not, it has one obvious handicap: the film noticeably runs out of steam during its final stretch, right after the initial pageant is over and its (somewhat reluctant) winner moves on to the next competition. Unlike the genre they gleefully lampoon, mockumentaries have the luxury of dreaming up a perfect ending -- they aren't saddled with the burden of luck, which makes it all the more disappointing when Drop Dead Gorgeous fizzles out instead of ends with a bang. Luckily, its deep black tone is maintained until the closing credits and, although the film has slightly overstayed its welcome at this point, it's still a well-crafted production that plays even better than expected more than two decades after its original theatrical release. Warner Archive Collection, who remains one of the absolute best studios around for dependably good catalog releases, serves up another top-notch 1080p transfer that runs circles around the 21 year-old DVD.

Drop Dead Gorgeous Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As usual, Warner Archive serves up a knockout 1080p transfer that easily beats all previous home video releases; not surprising, since its last appearance was on DVD in December 1999. The film's 35mm roots are preserved flawlessly with a grain-rich picture that's loaded with fine detail, strong textures, and excellent shadow detail. Rich primaries, including reds and blues prominently displayed on background props and sequined outfits, are vivid with no bleeding. Of course, it's a mockumentary-style production so many scenes aren't perfectly framed or lit, with lots of hand-held footage and quick pans to capture sudden "unexpected" moments... but within those boundaries, this is an outstanding effort that will absolutely thrill die-hard fans. The Blu-ray is authored perfectly with no glaring compression artifacts or banding, and the film runs at a very high bit rate with plenty of room to breathe on this dual-layered disc.

Drop Dead Gorgeous Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio is no slouch either, as Drop Dead Gorgeous features a diverse collection of traditional and diegetic songs by Ethel Merman, Hot Sauce Johnson, Primitive Radio Gods, Johann Strauss, Woody Guthrie, The Miami Sound Machine, David Bowie, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Elton John, Melissa Manchester, and others, with some performed "live" by the pageant contestants. Dialogue is very cleanly recorded -- again, within the limited boundaries of mockumentary-style filmmaking -- with no glaring drop-outs, hissing, sync issues, or other defects, and it primarily stays right up front while the music occasionally extends into the rear channels. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature; these are formatted perfectly and likewise show no sync issues.

Drop Dead Gorgeous Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with very ugly (but at least authentic) poster-themed cover artwork. No inserts are included and, as usual, the bonus features are extremely limited.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:55) - This vintage promotional piece is also available here.

Drop Dead Gorgeous Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Michael Patrick Jann's Drop Dead Gorgeous is an overlooked pitch-black comedy with plenty of fantastic characters and razor-sharp dialogue. Although it struggles to keep momentum going in the third leg, there's way more than enough here to draw in those who missed it the first time around. Warner Archive's Blu-ray will go a long way to extend the film's shelf life, serving up another outstanding A/V presentation that perfectly preserves its 35mm film roots. A cast reunion would have been fantastic but fans will still be very happy with this one. Firmly recommended!