“Chip! Our mother is Charles Manson!”

What does it mean to be a good mother? Is it the ability to cook the perfect meatloaf or a talent for bird calls? Is it an impeccably turned out family each Sunday morning and an organized recycling setup? These may be important to a picture-perfect suburban life, but when it comes to being an effective mother, they’re merely window dressing. What truly makes a mother succeed is a dedication to the wellbeing of her children. But should that extend to murder? John Waters explores these questions in the 1994 film Serial Mom featuring a murderous mom who will do anything to give her kids a happy life.

Beverly Sutphin (Kathleen Turner) is the picture of maternal perfection. Her charming children and dreamy husband gather around the breakfast table each morning to discuss their lives and the hot button issues of the day. But once Beverly sees them out the door, she indulges in her real passion – tormenting those she deems unworthy of her high standards. Her antics escalate from prank calls and anonymous letters to vehicular homicide and premeditated murder. Beverly claims to kill for family honor, but does her violence hide a crippling need for conformity and perfection? And can she contain the madness or will her bloodlust destroy everything she holds dear?

The Lady Killers kick off a month-long exploration of killer mothers with the John Waters camp classic Serial Mom. Co-hosts Jenn Adams, Sammie Kuykendall, Rocco T. Thompson, and special guest Rachel Reeves will put on their seatbelts (it’s the law!) and drink with the garbage collectors in a hilarious conversation about pussy willows, swap meets, courtroom hijinx, and white shoes after labor day. What are the ethics of True Crime fandom? Would we want a killer for a mom? Would we survive a run in with Beverly and which one of us would Suzanne Somers play in a TV movie? Join the Lady Killers at the dinner table for a weaponized leg of lamb and a wide-ranging conversation on this quirky film.

But please be careful. You know how we hate the brown word.