Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Mom Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 12, 2020

The idea behind 1991’s “Mom” is a good one, with writer/director Patrick Rand (credited as an editor on “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure”) attempting to make a monster movie with a sympathetic creature, turning a loving matriarch into an unwilling, but bloodthirsty menace. It’s one thing to feel bad for Frankenstein’s Monster, who was born into a world of pain and confusion, but here the villain is dear old mama, with the screenplay exploring how such a tender force of good is transformed into a big problem for her profoundly disturbed son.

On a tour of California, Nestor (Brion James) is a monster with an appetite for pregnant women, feeding on their blood. In search of a room for rent, Nestor comes into contact with Emily (Jeanne Bates), a kindly woman and loving mother to her son, Clay (Mark Thomas Miller). When Nestor attacks Emily, he turns her into his kind, giving her the hunger for fresh meat. When Clay checks in during a visit, he spots Emily’s dark secret, setting out to help his desperate parent, who can’t control her urge to kill. “Mom” has a little more patience than the average creature feature, and while it begins with a bang, detailing Nestor’s attack on a friendly woman (Claudia Christian) at a bus stop, it takes its time studying Emily’s decline. Beginning as an average senior citizen living to please her kids, Emily is turned into a monster, but Rand doesn’t unleash the beast, instead examining how such a development impacts the infected and her kid, who is understandably baffled by the whole situation. “Mom” is slow, and it also feels padded, with Rand struggling to come up with scenes that extend the suspense of the effort, including time with Alice (Mary McDonough), Clay’s pregnant wife. It’s a throttled endeavor, but it never comes to a complete stop, with Bates greatly enjoyable as the titular problem, managing sweetness and deadliness, and James has lots of fun in the first act playing the raspy predator.

Mom Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation provides "Mom" with a softer view of detail, and while the feature's visual power isn't much, textures are flatter on costuming and facial surfaces, highlighting the age of a few characters, while make-up achievements are showcased. Sets and location are adequately dimensional. Colors are acceptable, with stranger yellows and reds for monster encounters, while primaries are acceptable, found on interior decoration and period outfits. Skintones are natural. Delineation is passable, preserving evening attacks.

Mom Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix offers a comfortable listening experience. Dialogue exchanges are clear and direct, with proper emphasis and balance, working with moments of peaceful conversation and monstrous encounters. Scoring supports as necessary, and while the music is inherently thin, various moods are set. Atmospherics are passable, dealing with room tones and city tours.

Mom Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features writer/director Patrick Rand.

• Interview (10:16, HD) with Maray Ayres examines her unusual audition process for "Mom," where she wasn't initially cast, instead asked to make use of her animal training skills and prepare a bulldog for a part in the movie. Without access to a dog, Ayers found one, offering the owner free behavior training, becoming fast friends with Leroy, the canine co-star of "Mom," also winning a role in the feature. Myers discusses her concept of the character, playing up snobbishness, and she shares fond memories of her co-stars, including Brion James, who was a gentle soul playing a monster. Brief recollections from the premiere are offered, along with an assessment of the picture's highlights.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included on this disc.

Mom Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Mom" has its highlights, including the introduction of a semi-tragic tone as Clay realizes the severity of his parent's evolution. Rand doesn't supply big thrills, quite the opposite at times, but he has a germ of an idea that's developed successfully, going to an intriguingly universal place of worry to generate a different kind of screen threat.