Created by Jeff Lieberman
Featuring John Waters
I love John Waters. I want to watch anything he is involved in, whether he is directing a film or giving a talk where he just tells stories about his youth or directing films, he is a hoot. I always wished he was my Uncle and we would have the best time telling disgusting stories or secretly verbally destroying family members while we laughed in a corner of the room during Thanksgiving or Christmas. Doesn’t that sound great? Anyway, John Waters hosts ‘Til Death Do Us Part: The Complete First Season and it was recently released on DVD by BCI Home Video.
The Series
This series originally aired on CourtTV, now known as TruTV. In this series, John Waters hosts and nar-rates true stories about love and marriage gone wrong. John Waters is wittily called “The Groom Reaper”. These stories are reenacted and John Waters can be counted on to insert some great catty remarks throughout.
Each episode starts about the same. The audience is introduced to the couple and we know that the love and happiness won’t last. We then see the relationship erode into one of the spouses entertaining the thought of more than just a divorce, murder has now become part of the equation. The audience then learns if someone is going to get killed and then a reveal or twist in the story and Waters is there to wrap up the whole sordid affair with a snarky comment that he delivers in his one of a kind way.
Some of the stories are what you would expect. Young brides taking old men for their money planning quickly to become a widow or a gambling addict that never amounted to much suddenly coming into money after getting married and just has to rid himself of his bride so he can wallow in his money alone.
I think one of my favorite stories was that of a young funeral director who decides he wants to be a bachelor. And, who better to deal with murder and the subsequent body than an undertaker, right? Does he get away with it? Watch the series to find out.
I found all thirteen episodes included on this release enjoyable. There is a real wry and snarky sense of humor in the presentation of this stories that I quite liked. It really reminds me of Tales from the Crypt in some ways, fun and dark stories presented by a charismatic host. The creator and producers of this show are aware of this. Why else call Waters “The Groom Reaper”?
My only complaint is that the episodes are so short. They originally aired at 30 minutes, so each episode is 22 minutes. But, regardless of the short length, it still is a lot of fun.
7.5/10
The Video
‘Til Death Do Us Part: The Complete First Season is presented in anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is very nice and the colors are crisp. I did not notice any instances of grain or artifacts.
7.5/10
The Audio
‘Til Death Do Us Part: The Complete First Season is presented in standard Dolby Stereo The dialogue is crystal clear and easily understood.
6.5/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features
‘Til Death Do Us Part: The Complete First Season is presented in a 3 disc amaray case encased in a cardboard slipcase. There is also a very nice 16 page glossy booklet with a summary of each episode and information about Waters and the producers of the series.
There are interviews with John Waters and the show’s creators. Also offered are new introductions for each episode from Waters himself.
While the bonus features are not plentiful, the ones that are offered compliment this unusual series nicely.
6.5/10
Overall ( Not an Average) 7/10
The Series 7.5/10
The Video 7.5/10
The Audio 6.5/10
The Packaging and Bonus Features 6.5/10
Overall (Not an Average) 7/10
