The Movie: Drowning Mona is a pretty funny movie that utilizes flashbacks throughout to tell the story of Mona Dearly (Bette Midler), the most hated person in this small, Jerry Springer-like white-trash town. The case gets a bit confusing once Police Chief Wyatt Rash (Danny DeVito - say his name a few times fast for the comedy inherent in this movie). The prime suspects outnumber the innocent in this town and it seems as if everyone not only hated Mona, but also wanted her dead. The comedy throughout this film is very low-brow, but the jokes just keep on coming and I was entertained for the whole movie - why else does anyone watch Springer? While Chief Rash triest to figure out who to blame, the rest of the town just wants to know who to thank.

The Picture: The anamorphic transfer features rich colors and great blacks during the dark scenes. I didn't notice any problems with the picture and enjoyed the anamorphic transfer. Also included is a full screen version of the film on the flip side of the disc.

The Sound: While most of the film is dialogue-driven, there are some times where the surround sound is utilized. The dialogue is clear to understand, except for one part of the movie where a character whispers (I had to rewind twice to make out what he says). The music lingers in the background and doesn't override the dialogue.

The Extras: The only extras worth mentioning are the director's commentary and the deleted scenes. The commentary gives some insight into the film and the filming process. It's pretty much the standard commentary describing how easy it was to work with the actors, the whole process of trying to make Southern California look like New York, etc. It's an enjoyable commentary, but nothing really special. The deleted scenes are a welcome addition to any disc and along with the deleted scenes, we get the director's commentary on why they were deleted or why they should have been left in. A nice feature, but nothing exceptional.

Conclusion: This small comedy received a lot of attention from the stars who all took a huge pay cut to be part of this script they thought was great. I did enjoy the movie - the laughs continue throughout - especially the inclusion of Neve Campbell (one of my favorite actresses). If you haven't seen the movie, I'd suggest a rental before buying this movie outright. If you enjoyed the movie in theaters, the extras included on this disc make it worth the price and a nice addition to your collection. There's nothing exceptionally great about the disc - so it just comes down to if you want to own this movie or not.

DVD Review by Blake Kunisch of Movielocity.com