Baby Jane?

BRILLIANT!!!! Campy. Funny. Touching. Gothic. Beautiful.
Brilliant!!! Brilliant!!! Brilliant!!!

I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this DVD. I can hardly believe I have a copy after all this time waiting for it to come out.

Let's start with the film itself. Matthew Martin is amazing (as always). Can we please digitally replace Julia Roberts in every film with him playing Baby Jane? It would be so much better. I might be able to sit through "Pretty Woman", after all. The acting is top-notch camp, played completely seriously. The supporting cast are all good. The script, although very close to the original, is changed enough to be a wonderful homage.

Although I LOVE the original, the cinematography of this version far exceeds the original. The house is more beautiful, more gothic, more disturbing. The imagery looks very similar to "Swoon", except with men in dresses. The direction is also excellent. Obviously a labor of love. It shows.

Now the "extras": Fascinating...

A Fun Parody of a Classic
I had seen the movie at a friend's house and had enjoyed it greatly. Just as one can watch "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" several times a year, one can continue to discover facets in this parody such as the address of the Hudson sisters' house is given in the parody, but not in the original. Fans of "that nosey Mrs. Bates" will not be disappointed. My only regret was that an electric bell was used instead of that annoying buzzer. Famous lines are often paraphrased, probably to avoid copyright infringements, but you will still get the joke. Hello, Johnson's? I want to order some entertainment.

Whatever happened to Charles Pierce?
If you haven't guessed already, this is a parody of WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE in which most of the characters are played by drag queens. It was expensive, but I bought one anyway because I figured I might not see another copy and I had to see this film just once.

It's ambitious, to be sure. Obviously made on a shoe string or (ankle strap) budget, this film tries to duplicate the look of the original with locations, set pieces, camera angles and lighting that mimic the original. The best attempt is made by the costume designer who successfully recreates the Academy Award nominated originals worn by Bette and Joan from 50 years ago.

Leaving Jane and Blanche for a moment, we get to the supporting cast who either make no attempt to look or sound like the originals or else fail in their attempts. Take your pick. The Ladylike next door neighbor Mrs. Bates, played in the original by pretty Anna Lee, is played here by an ugly drag queen in a vinyl birdsnest of a...

Click to Editorial Reviews