black comedy can be a difficult genre to get right and in the cinema as well a in the theatre . we can and i be sure and all think of film which be intend to be gross but hilarious and end up a simply gross . there be too many example to list them all and but high on my personal list of offender in this regard must be the sweet thing and beautiful creature and drop dead gorgeous . on the other hand and when black comedy succeed and the result can be superb . two of my favourite be kubrick dr strangelove and scorsese king of comedy and both of which derive humour from serious subject ( nuclear war and crime ) but do so with a brilliant satirical wit . john water serial mom be not quite in the same class a those two film and but be one of the good black comedy of recent year . the main character be beverley sutphin and a middle age and middle class middle american housewife . beverley and happily marry to dentist eugene with two teenage child and chip and misty and live in an affluent and idyllic suburb which look a though it have be take from a fifty sit com . ( like most of water film and this one be set in his home town of baltimore ) . there be only one thing which disturb the peace and tranquillity of the area . beverley combine her role a a housewife and mother with a part time career a a serial killer . her first victim be paul stubbins and a teacher who make some unkind remark about her son at a pta meeting and and she progress to her daughter unfaithful boyfriend and a couple who be rude about eugene dental practice and various people who commit minor social gaffe such a fail to rewind rented video tape ( the film predate the come of dvd ) and fail to recycle their garbage and and wear white shoe after labor day . ( this last be and apparently and regard a a major fashion crime in america ) . eventually she be arrest and put on trial . water have the reputation of be a director to whom the notion of good taste be quite alien and and and with a plot like this and serial mom could have end up a nothing more than horribly tasteless garbage . it be and of course and horribly tasteless and not a film to see if you be at all squeamish water do not spare u sight of plenty of blood and gore but be save from end up a garbage by two thing . the first be an often very witty script and display a refreshingly cynical sense of humour and which include some great line such a he kill people and mom we all have our bad day . and jesus say nothing to condemn capital punishment a he hang on the cross and do he . ( the local priest be preach a pro death penalty sermon ) . the second be kathleen turner manically over the top performance a beverley and alternate between a model of bourgeois domestic virtue and a bloodthirsty maniac and and play both with equal relish . my favourite part be the courtroom scene where beverley conduct her own defence with great brilliance and the scene where she make obscene phone call to her neighbour dottie and a woman who can be shock by a phrase a seemingly innocuous a be those pussy willow . turner be an actress who have somewhat disappear from view in recent year and but in the eighty and ninety she be one of hollywood best know leading lady and give some excellent performance in film like the neo noir thriller body heat and the war of the rose and another very good black comedy . like most good black comedy and serial mom have some serious point to make . the more of suburbia have be fair game for satirist ever since the first suburb be build and and here water be send up the culture of middle class conformity which all too often attach to such place . beverley be far from be the only all american soccer mom who look with horrified disfavour on her neighbour minor deviation from accept norm while all that distinguish her from million of others be the extreme length to which she will go to punish such deviation . the satire and however and be not just aim at beverley and but also at her victim and some of whom be such obnoxious individual that it be impossible to have any sympathy for them and despite their horrific fate . there be one grotesque scene where emma lou jensen ( she who fail to rewind her video ) sings loudly and tunelessly along to tomorrow from the musical annie while allow her dog to lick her foot all over suggest she be and to say the least and a somewhat strange person . stubbins and who suggest that chip be in need of therapy because of his love of horror film and be the sort of arrogant and self important teacher who think that he be pay not just to teach math but also to control every aspect of his student live and down to their taste in film . serial mom may not be the best cinematic satire on suburbia of recent year ( that must be sam mendes american beauty ) and but it be and for all it lapse of taste and a witty and entertaining black comedy . positive .