Summary:
A married couple makes tries to prove they are filthier than Divine, who claims to be the filthiest person alive.
My Thoughts:
This movie is… a lot.
I’ve seen quite a few John Waters movies now, and I thought I was prepared for what I would see in this movie; I wasn’t. There’s no beating around the bush: this movie is gross; it’s one of the grossest movies I’ve ever seen… And it’s also pretty funny, in a way that only John Waters could make the things that happen in this film seem funny.
On occasion, I’ve abstained from actually recommending films that I review, despite the fact that I do sometimes enjoy them; I’m not sure if I can say I enjoyed this film, but I didn’t hate my experience. At the same time, this is not a movie that I would recommend to anyone, ever. If you want to see this movie, that’s your prerogative, but I urge caution. I’ve seen some pretty gross movies, but this one easily takes the cake in terms of grossest.
I suppose Divine (“Multiple Maniacs”) and John Waters should be proud.
“Kill everyone now! Condone first degree murder! Advocate cannibalism! Eat sh*t! Filth is my politics! Filth is my life!”
Divine lives with her son Crackers (Danny Mills) and mother Edie (Edith Massey, “Desperate Living”) in a trailer outside of Baltimore. She claims she is the filthiest person alive. When married couple Connie (Mink Stole, “Serial Mom”) and Raymond (David Lochary, “Multiple Maniacs”) hear about Divine’s claim, they set out to sabotage her and take the title of ‘world’s filthiest people’ for themselves.
I suppose to really understand why anyone would want to watch a movie like this, you sort of have to know who John Waters is and what he stands for. Waters has been described as “the Pope of Trash.” He’s a filmmaker whose films are often needlessly graphic for the sole point of offending the audience, but he’s also a filmmaker who knows how to touch on relevant topics in a way that makes them absurd. Usually his films have to do with the degradation and persecution of certain groups of outcasts- homosexuals, criminals, drug addicts- pretty much any kind of outcast. Often times the way that his films play out forces the viewers to reexamine their own preconceived notions about the groups of people the subjects of his films belong to and realize that many of the popular notions about those types of groups are pretty ridiculous. I really like some of John Waters’ films, because I think he’s a man who knows how to bring a message to even the most ridiculous of situations. That being said, I didn’t really think this particular film had too much of a message, especially when compared to “Desperate Living”, “Female Trouble” or “Multiple Maniacs”.
If you’ve watched some of Waters’ other films, you’ll probably have somewhat of an idea of what you’re getting into, but I honestly wasn’t prepared for some of the things we see here. Spoilers, I guess, but without context, this is just a list of a bunch of perverted acts. Dozens of scenes of full nudity from both genders (and a transgender person before completing their surgery); one un-simulated blowjob scene (with implied incest); a scene where a chicken is used in a sex act (it honestly looked as if the chicken and the woman involved could’ve been harmed during the filming of that scene); a lengthy close up on a flexing butthole; Divine legit eats dog poop right after the dog relieves itself. This movie is just trying to be gross, and it succeeds in almost every aspect.
While this movie is really gross, there are a lot of things about it that are funny too, which is why I’ve given it a 3/5 rating. I don’t think this film or it’s bizarre brand of humor will appeal to a wide range of audiences, but there is something hysterical about watching Edith Massey talk about her undying love of eggs or watching Divine tell tabloids she endorses cannibalism. This is a movie that loves the filth that it wallows in, and if you can stomach it, it will provide you some incredibly memorable moments. There is no one else like John Waters, and this is the crowning jewel in his garbage-constructed crown.
Verdict:
While I can’t recommend this movie, I sort of enjoyed my experience. I think this is the kind of film that’s best watched in a group, where you can all react at the same time. If I hadn’t have watched this with fellow TMM reviewer Michael and our buddy Chad, I can’t say that I would’ve made it through to the end on my own. The best thing I can say about this is that for better or worse “Pink Flamingos” is an experience I won’t easily forget any time soon.
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