Customer Reviews

A Dirty Shame : Widescreen Edition

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(21)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

Don't bother with the R-rated dvd you'll find at most movie store chains. It's awful, with most of the best scenes cut out for whatever reason. Try to find the theatrical release, or just buy it online, well worth the effort if you have a strange sense of humor.

Being an extra on this hysterical film was a true barrel of monkeys. Receiving direction from one of the most notorious cult directors of all-time was quite an experience. A Dirty Shame is yet another twisted Waters' installment from his brilliant and unbelievably retarded mind. Sex addicts run rampant in Hamilton,

a NE Baltimore neighborhood and Johnny Knoxville is the ringleader. This film addresses such sexual fetishes never before spoke of in any previous film. Of course John's most recent films lack the angst of his 70's films, but the fact is

that was nearly 30 years ago and him and his entourage are way past the age of youth rebellion. This is clearly the most outrageous film Mr. Waters' has made since Desperate Living in 1977. Anyone who has been wise to his 70's films will absolutely

enjoy this picture. Folks who are ignorant to Waters' pictures

or those who have never seen one should not see this film without first viewing at least Pink Flamingos(1972) or Female Trouble(1974). A Waters' film you view because OF HIS name. NOT the stars. He is the puppeteer, and they are his marionettes. His recent tango with mainstream cinema and theatre is all well and good but this film proves once again what John Waters' is and will always be.

A Renegade...

Like many John Waters fans, I enjoy his 1970s movies the most. But this one is a lot of fun, and not to be missed. Some say that the last part is overdone, but that's one of his trademarks. Others say that his brand of humor is 30 years out-of-date, but if you like it anyway then see this one.

Before I begn this review, let me say that I love John Waters' films. Especially, the early ones. I feel his best film is "Female Trouble," but all of his films from "Pink Flamingos" up to and including "Hairspray" are great (his pre-"Flamingos" titles, "Mondo Trasho" and "Multiple Maniacs" are rough but have their moments). Then, he made "Cry-Baby" - still very entertaining but a step down from "Hairspray." "Serial Mom" was a step down from "Cry-Baby," for me, but, again, there were great bits. Unfortunately, even though I'm always rooting for Waters, "Pecker" and "Cecil B. Demented" were pretty rotten. So, now he brings us, "A Dirty Shame." The good news is, it's a vast improvment over "Demented" and "Pecker." This is largely due to his strongest cast in years. As much of a novelty as it was to see Kathleen Turner slicing and dicing in "Mom" and Melanie Griffith bitching and cursing in "Demented," those actresses (and others, like Christina Ricci in "Pecker," for example) never quite grasped the way Waters dialogue needed to be played (meaning, really over-the-top and hysterical). However, Tracy Ullmann nails it, milking every scene she's in for maximum comedic value. The rest of the cast is up to par, as well, with Suzanne Shepherd especially standing out in her role as the typical, suburban, outraged prude that Waters frequently writes into his films. The bad news is, it's still a few notches below his greatest work. It's very, very funny for about 35-45 minutes, then it slowly runs out of steam. There is barely a third act to speak of and the payoff is quite weak (the film kinda just stops rather than ending properly). The set-up is great but then it has nowhere to go. However, there a laughs throughout and, even when it begins getting redundant, it manages to coast along on goodwill and energy, so that it is always watchable if not hilarious. So, all in all, I rank this offering as a pretty good return to form. Compared to "Demented," it's genius. Compared to "Female Trouble," it's good to mediocre. For anyone who's never seen a Waters flick, gosh, I don't know how they'll react. Half will love it, half will loathe it, I suspect.

John Waters's films have always been excessive, over-the-top and juvenile. That's most of the fun. However, "A Dirty Shame" suffers from satirical excess and an unrelenting pace that seems forced and overdone. It's laborious instead of fun. The dialogue and script reads like a bemusing encyclopedia of twisted erotic dysfunctions. Tracey Ullman was a good choice, but she's so manic, I wondered if she has a `meth' problem. There were a few moments of inspiration, like the `bears' orgies and the guy who craps in the wrong part of the toilet, but they were few. I suspect this was just a quick mistake for John Waters. The featurette is almost more amusing than the film! I still look forward to his next movie!

If you want to see the TRUE John Waters VISION you NEED to see the NC-17 version!

The R-rated version was a hatchet job by the MPAA and the studio.

Why is it OK to show people being totured and mutilated in something like Saw but it isnt OK to just have fun?

Please before you pan this movie see the TRUE version, BUY OR RENT THE NC-17 version.

Okay, if you don't know what John Waters' films are like, you'll probably hate this and think it's repulsive filth. If you're familar with his movies, and like them, then you'll enjoy this one as well. In my opinion, Tracey Ullman steals the show. There is one scene in particular where I was laughing so hard I was crying. It's at the old folks home...that's the extent of what I'll say about it. You just have to see it for yourself!

I'm a John Waters fan. I was unaware that the R rated version is called the "neuter" version because it has been censored. (Cut scenes and some foul words replaced with more "acceptable" ones.) Now I have to purchase the NC-17 Version to get the true John Waters experience. LOOK CLOSELY AT THE PICTURE, THE R RATED VERSION SAYS "NEUTER VERSION" ON IT!
To add insult to injury, IT WAS MORE EXPENSIVE!

Let me start by saying that if you are one of those uptight moviegoers who has been brainwashed into thinking that such snooze-inducing fare as Shrek, Harry Potter or anything starring Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise is the be-all-end-all, this movie is definitely not your speed. For the small percentage of you who actually "get it" and can watch Desperate Living, Serial Mom or Polyester multiple times and never get bored, you will find lots to love here.

That trademark Waters' vibe starts buzzing as soon as the dialogue begins. The soundtrack, peppered with obscure novelty ditties, and raunchy instrumental oldies is bullseye-perfect.

Just like Melanie Griffith in Cecil B. Demented, Ullmann sinks her teeth into the role and her rubbery face and sketch comedy background allow her to immediately adjust her style to Waters' material. Johnny Knoxville is wickedly charismatic, and Selma Blair is hilarious yet surprisingly vulnerable as the ridiculously over-endowed "Ursula Udders". (You just wanna put a raincoat over that poor girl at times). Mink Stole returns in a meatier role than she's had in years (plus a purposely-unflattering hairstyle to say the least).

The story was well paced and let it not be said this film dragged in certain spots. Waters' knows how to keep the action going and purposely keeps all his movies within a 90-minute running time. The finale featuring the head-butting was sort of lost on me during my initial viewing and some may be put off by its somewhat repetitive nature, but it wasn't until I realized that this was the "new sex act", that I accepted it for what it was. (See, even a Waters' junkie like me needs multiple viewings to catch everything!)

Those well schooled in all things Waters (including having read Trash Trio), will find plenty of amusing in-jokes here that will be wasted on the casual viewer or even not-so-diehard fan. The nude orderly that Tracy sees in the Hokey Pokey scene is reminiscent of the nude hitchhiker that Divine imagines in Mondo Trasho.

Furthermore, true aficionados know that Waters had originally included a scene of the entire Divine clan (Crackers, Edie, Cotton et al) doing the Hokey Pokey in the unfilmed Pink Flamingos sequel Flamingos Forever. The dance was basically a throwaway bit in the unfinished work and had it been used in a prior film we never would have had the pleasure of seeing Ullmann grab the scene by its collective b*lls and run completely wild with it as she does here, making it one of the unqualified highlights of the film.

Rats have always been a prominent fixture in John Waters' films such as Desperate Living, Hairspray and Pecker and here, fittingly, we have not one by two appearances by their suburban counterparts-squirrels (rats with bushy tails).

The montages of old film clips used during the critical scenes when the characters swing back and forth between their neuter and sex-addict personas are perhaps a nod to the 1970 cult classic Myra Breckinridge, which used the technique to similar effect.

It was nice to see Ricki Lake appear (even if only in clip form), and David Hasselhoff's appearance continues the tradition of using well-known native Baltimorean TV personalities (think Bess Armstrong in Serial Mom and Pecker) in cameo roles. For those fans that enjoy picking out the original Dreamlanders who are usually found lately in crowd scenes etc, Mary Vivian Pearce, and Channing Wilroy are easily spotted. George Figgs is harder to pick out (if you look closely during the "Town Hall" meeting scene at the Park `n Pay, he's there). Sadly, so many of the legendary originals have passed on to another place, hopefully a wild-and-crazy Dreamland in the sky-or perhaps, an even bigger party....um...elsewhere!

As for the DVD itself, the bonus features are great, as to be expected. You get not one but TWO commentaries, one by John Waters, and a second by Pat Moran, Van Smith, Vince Peranio and Brooke Yeaton. It is nit picking to say this, but the latter commentary was not recorded while the participants screened the film, but rather as they were being interviewed about it. For this reason, it is not as enjoyable as Waters' commentary, but it is enjoyable and required viewing all the same. A small portion of their commentary can also be found on the featurette "All the Dirt on `A Dirty Shame'". The featurette itself runs approximately one hour in length (whereas similar ones on other DVD's clock in at a mere 6 or minutes most of the time).

Lastly, there is no shortage of memorable quotes to add to the Waters' library. Among the best:

"I seen you Sylvia Stickles...showin' your pubic patch to the bus driver. Why don't ya move downtown where ya belong-ya whore!"

"Mutilating your mammaries and gyrating down at some biker bar is an act all right-an act of defiance!"

"Let's go down to the Holiday House and f*** the whole bar!"

Pure disappoointment. I do not know how John Waters has allowed this "Neuter Version" to be made available to the viewing public.

This is a "Clean Version", almost to the point of many scenes being completely overdubbed with "Neuter" dialogue, and some scenes even deleted. This defeats the purpose of John Waters movies. If you don't like crude and obscene, DON'T watch a John Waters movie. This is a joke, and is nothing compared to the brilliant uncut theatrical version. Avoid this "Neuter Version" at ALL costs.