Customer Reviews

Pecker

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

If you're not a John Waters fan already, you probably won't even be reading this. I won't even comment on the film Pecker, since the critics and other viewers have done a pretty thorough job of that, but I will comment on John Water's running commentary, which is almost as good as the film itself. Even if you have already seen Pecker in a theatre, buy the DVD to hear John's commentary. He is so smart and funny and simply lovable, and he accepts everything and everyone with a wide-open heart. I watch every commentary that is included on DVDs, and without doubt, John Water's is one of the best. After hearing this wonderful commentary, you will love the movie even more!

From Charm City comes another Waters charmer - another minor masterpiece!

From start to finish Pecker is a delight and Waters infuses his script with enough loveable oddball characters to populate an entire city. Whether it's Christina Ricci's obsessive compulsive wreck of a laundress, the sugar addict Little Chrissy, eternally hopeful Mom, sleaze loving Tina or best of all Memama, who's room contains a shrine to the Virgin Mary - and a statute of the Virgin that shrieks "Full of grace! Full of Grace!" there is always someone to watch and enjoy.

Edward Furlong is all wide-eyed innocence - even when he's secretly photographing bottomless lesbian lap dancers at the and male strippers at a gay bar with the unfortunately hilarious name of "The Fudge Palace." Big sister, Tina offers a rip-roaring good time from Martha Plimpton, and Brendan Sexton III is a delight as Pecker's betrayed best friend. Throw in Mary Kay Place (!), Patty Hearst, Mink Stole, Lili Taylor, Bess Armstrong - and others - and you've got an ensemble that's having one helluva good time on screen!

The jumping off point for Waters here is the snobbism and cultural elitism of Manhattan versus the purity and earnestness of Baltimore "Trade Capital of the World." The New York art scene is an easy target and often lampooned but Waters brings his own unique sick twists and takes us along for a ride full of belly laughs, uncomfortable truths in perhaps his sweetest tribute to Baltimore yet.

There's just enough objectionable material to make the "typical American" uncomfortable - and I wouldn't want it any other way!

John Waters films are about one thing: his outrageous,over the top characters. I liked the performances of Lili Taylor and Martha Plimpton who brings such personality to her role as the endearing fag hag Tina. And of course you gotta love Memama! only in a Waters film will you see a character listed as "Guy Humping the Washing Machine" and probably want to know who played him. Though not his best film, most fans will probably be amused with this one.

Waters has mellowed in his maturity, as this film proves. He does not approach the raunchiness of his early work, and "Pecker" seems more than a little autobiographical. Like his leading character, Waters was a truly original artist at the beginning of his career, working outside the mainstream and making films which pleased himself. With commercial success, his films gradually became less original and more generic, just as Pecker finds that, after his success, his photos are no longer creative. In the end, Pecker takes action, turning his back on his new-found popularity and returning to his roots. Waters has given his title character more courage than he himself has, for he has yet to return to his own roots with a truly original work. Even with help from Mary Kay Place and Martha Plimpton, "Pecker" is sunk by the performances of its two leads. Christina Ricci seems incapable of portraying any emotion other than boredom, and her perpetual smirk and monotonous delivery wears thin. Edward Furlong is even worse; he wanders aimlessly through this movie with no clue how to portray his character or even how to deliver dialogue which sounds natural. Still, "Pecker" has many moments reminiscent of the best of Waters, including the hilarious fashion shoot, where a scene-stealer named R. Scott Williams utters the next catch-phrase to sweep the country: "EVERYBODY wants to be in Vogue!"

John Waters' Pecker is now available as part of the double DVD set with Hairspray so I recommend making it part of your collection. Why this set is called John Waters: Collection #1 is a little odd since these two are his later "mainstream" films and not the trashy no budget stuff starring Divine that put Waters on the map. Still, Pink Flamingos and others are available in other collections on DVD so who cares what number they are! Anyway, Eddie Furlong plays Pecker, a young man who loves taking pictures of everything including all of his unique friends and family as well as the scenery of Baltimore. After holding a small exhibit of his photos in the sandwich shop he works in an art promoter from NY sees his photo of a stripper's pubic hair and wants to put on an exhibit of Pecker's work in NY. Pecker becomes the hottest art photographer in NY, but at the expence of his family and friends. He decides to turn it all around and give the NY art crowd a taste of their own medicine. The film, like most of Waters' work is filled with colorful and strange characters. First, there's Pecker's family: His Dad runs a local pub right across the street from a lesbian strip club, his sister is the bartender/MC of a gay nightclub featuring male dancers, his Mom runs the local thrift shop and helps the homeless with new outfits ("Don't be afraid of fashion"), his other sister, Little Chrissy, is addicted to sugar, and his Grandma or Mi Mama runs a pit beef stand and has a doll of Mary, Mother of God, who she speaks through (Full of Grace!). Then there is Shelly (Christina Ricci), Pecker's girlfriend who runs the local laundromat and is so obsessed with cleanliness and laundromat policies that she is nicknamed the "stain goddess". Pecker also has a best friend, Matt, who is the best thief in town. One of the funniest scenes is where Pecker and Matt run through a grocery store and Pecker photographs Matt placing particular items into the carts of unsuspecting shoppers. I love the weight lifter who got the Preparation H - "There is nothing wrong with my butt!". Pecker is a lot of fun and even though its rated R, in a strange way its a family film with a good message: You don't have to be an a-hole to be talented and you also don't have to go to NY...you can stay right in Baltimore! The soundtrack is another plus...lots of hilarious and catchy songs. Pecker is a winner! Hey, thats sounds dirty!

There's a deeper understanding for this movie from photographers, especially pro-level amateurs who keep a day job to support themselves. Almost anyone familiar with the so-called "art scene" will also find many poignant moments. There's a lot of visual and verbal innuendos, so it's great viewing the second and third time around. John Waters fans will love it.

John Waters is pure genius. Pecker is my favorite movie ever-does a fiunnier movie even exist?!? I think not. The story seems so simple at first, but the characters are incredibly complex and give the film a depth and hilarity which is absent in most "Hollywood blockbusters." I bought this video for my husband for Christmas, and we watch it almost every day. And though this confession might reveal our true dorkiness, I must admit we're in the process of memorizing every line along (with my three younger brothers and other friends) so we all can go out and not say anything the whole night except for lines from Pecker, from start to finish. FULL OF GRACE! FULL OF GRACE!

If you like movies whose humor would offend the puritanical (e.g. Clerks or Austin Powers) then consider this one. It definately does not suit all tastes but worked fine for me. Some of the acting was a bit amateurish, but that added a bit of charm. Weird.

"I work in a gay bar in baltimore, we call everyone Mary". This is one of the most simple lines but it is made hilarious by the fearless performance of the underrated Martha Plimpton. This John Waters film may not have the outrageousness of past films but if you judge by that then you are proabably too old or just an arnold loving geek whose speed might be Phantom Menace!!! Other great performances come from Ms. Ricci (is she capable of being bad?) and Lili Taylor. A truly funny comedy.

Whatever preconceptions I brought to this John Waters film simply disappeared in a "flash" (forgive the pun) because this movie is just FILLED with lots of fun for everyone. It's a lot gentler than HAIRSPRAY, for example, and the overall look of the movie was more like naivete, with a generous "wink" to the audience. I especially liked the snappy, peppy theme song and found myself replaying the credits (both beginning and end) just to hear it again. And Edward Furlong was the perfect Pecker. What a refreshing treat of a film!!!