Flipping awesome. I'm really enjoying this mockumentary style of filmmaking, especially when it's a dark comedy like "Drop Dead Gorgeous."

DDG is about the Mount Rose Miss Teen Princess pageant held in the small town of Mount Rose, MN. The picture is shot like a documentary, interviewing contestants and being present for several administrative and creative events, like rehearsals and judges' interviews.

The picture pokes fun at small town life, but develops a storyline as contestants with a good chance of winning the pageant being to drop dead in freakish accidents. The viewer is led to think it is top contender Rebecca Ann Leeman doing the killing out of jealousy, but eventually, the culprit is fingered after a violent and hilarious accident in act three.

Kristen Dunst (Wimbledon) plays Amber Atkins, the other top contender of the pageant, and subsequent protagonist of the storyline. Denise Richards (Undercover Brother) plays Becky Leeman. Both are excellent.

Other fun performances, from those playing teens, come from Brittany Murphy (Uptown Girls) and native Minnesotan Amy Adams (Catch Me If You Can) as a sterotypical sex romping cheerleader.

The best performances come from the adult characters, however. Kristie Alley (TV's Cheers) plays the overbearing Gladys Leeman, mother to Becky. While, TV's "Tracey Ullman Show" alumni Sam McMurray (Sunshine State) plays her racist father.

My favorite performance comes from Ellen Barkin (This Boy's Life) as Anette Atkins, mother to Amber, whose wit and mouth is perfect for the small town trailer mom without going too far over the top. I don't think there's a single scene with Barkin in it where I'm NOT completely laughing through it. Every little nuance she gives builds that role to perfection.

My other favorite performance comes from "MAD Tv" comedian Will Sasso (Best in Show) as Hank Vilmes, the mentally challenged son of a contest judge. Sasso rips my sides open in ANYTHING he does. I feel he is one of my generation's most genius comedic and character actors.

The cast makes the picture fly. The dark humor of the script is so witty and hilarious, but the cast delivers it into superpicture status. I can't say enough great things about this picture.

"Drop Dead Gorgeous" was directed by Michael Patrick Jann, who has very little directing credits, mostly on television. Screenwriter Lona Williams, whose writing career circles around TV's "The Drew Carey Show," was once first runner up at a national junior miss competition. So, you can imagine she's drawing from her experiences for this script.

If you haven't seen "Drop Dead Gorgeous," check it out. However, if you're one of those people who thinks some things shouldn't be laughed at, like mentally challenged persons, those with anorexia and a mother who is caught in an explosion while drinking a beer to where the can is permanently fused to her hand, than steer clear. You have to have a healthy sense of humor for this pic.

Benn - Where's the Humanity?