Mondo Trasho

One can safely expect to sit still for a couple of hours, block-out the world around them, and pay attention to what's happening upon the screen for the duration of a film, right? Well, for most films, yes.

This isn't like most films, lol.

"Mondo Trasho" is one of my favorite John Waters flicks. I first rented this film back in 1998 after seeing "Pink Flamingos" the previous year. I've definitely seen "Mondo Trasho" over a hundred times by now. It's a real treat for us John Waters fans but it definitely is NOT for your common movie-goer.

You must already be familiar with and appreciate John Waters' film-making in order to get anything out of this film. It's also advisable to do something while watching this film. Yes, you read that correctly - do something while watching this. It's a great film to have on while working on your computer or while organizing and cleaning-up the place. As long as you've got a view of the screen at all times, you'll be OK. I don't think I've ever watched this film sitting down and doing nothing. Pay attention too closely and you will either grow impatient or fall asleep.

This is a very turbulent film. It's like a weird dream. It's grainy, gritty, and garish. The soundtrack jumps around erratically and can sufficiently mystify the viewer upon hearing what at first seems like odd choices in music. That impression quickly gives way to irony that is often times invoked by the soundtrack playing against its accompanying visuals. The effect is often times striking, sometimes silly, other times charming, and many times just plain bizarre. Though, there never is a bad musical-visual sequence, as all of Water's choices blend together beautifully to create an audio/motion-picture collage that feels more like a tweaker's nightmare than an Academy Award-generating production. But that's what makes it so great!

Putting this soundtrack together was obviously a monumental task for Waters and his efforts are probably what makes this film what it is. As I've already mentioned before, this film is definitely not one to sit through. It's like those videos that play upon multiple T.V. screens at dance clubs - nobody really pays too much attention to them but they provide an orgy of visuals, teamed-up with music and designed to stir the senses far beyond what most people are ready for.

It's amazing that one of John Waters best films would be his first feature length film. After making three short films, cult film director directed 'Mondo Trasho', a silent movie filled with a rock and roll soundtrack. It certainly shows some of the surreal brilliance that was to come in his movies and has a very dream like feeling. The plot, if you can call it that, is of a modern day Cinderella (Mary Vivian Pearce) who is run over by the sexy driver Divine (Divine). For the rest of the day, Divine and the corpse wander about all of Baltimore trying to find ways to get out of this nightmare and meet up with reporters, mental patients, a topless dancer (Mink Stole), saints, pigs and an insane doctor called Dr. Coathanger (David Lochary in arguably his best performance). It's a strange piece of fiction with the occasional unsynchronised dialogue. It hints at the brilliance that John Waters would achieve with the likes of 'Female Trouble', 'Hairspray' and 'Serial Mom'. It's actually quite good even though Waters always jokes about how bad it is and how over long it is. I found it be very fast paced and funny and satiric proving that John Waters is the best satirist in modern day America and always puts a new view on things. The acting in this film is also endearing. Although none of these people knew how to act, that's the beauty of many of John's earlier films. Divine's performance consists of looking sexy and doing exaggerated movements all the time. Lochary is good in this film, if only he hadn't died so young, I'm convinced he would have won an oscar. It's also an interesting note for Waters fans to watch this because everyone looks so young. Truthfully, the living members of Waters crew like Pearce and Stole don't really look old today but it's amazing to see them pre-cult fame. Although, it's a very hard film to get hold of and even if you do, it will probably be in bad quality, it's a must for Waters fans and people interested in him as well since it's one of his more accesible films.

Seeing any film by John Waters is an "at-your-own-risk" movie experience -- the story of CINDERELLA is one of several fantasy sequences within the film with "foot" or "shoe" themes. The WILD SOUND takes some adjustment for persons used to lip-synched dialogues. The movie could have been edited down to 77 enjoyable minutes, but I think Mr. Waters was preoccupied with including as much shock/schlock into his footage that he possiby could. IT'S WORTH SEEING AT LEAST ONCE. It is curious that Mr. Waters never made a twisted 'JEAN HARLOW' bio story, considering that Mary Vivian Pearce was a startling look-a-like during her teen years. The film is in black & white, and the opening scenes are astonishing!

John Waters' first offering doesn't intend to have any purpose, unlike his third effort Pink Flamingos, which sublimated the effect of shock and disgust to laughter. Multiple Maniacs, his dismal second film only offended with its objectionable religious references, but at least it incited some response from the viewers. Mondo Trasho seems like an empty void that generates absolutely no definite response. How should we, as the audiences react? Should we laugh at the characters' situation or turn away our faces in disgust? How the hell should we feel?

The plot is obsessed with Mary Vivian Pierce's feet, and begins rather interestingly with her character Bombshell getting her feet licked by a foot fetishist. Not to forget the opening sequence that highlights John Waters' thrill for animal cruelty. As Bombshell begins moaning and panting, she visualizes herself as Cinderella being rescued by her Prince Charming (played by the foot fetishist). The explicit Cinderella sequence is a nice allusion and Waters' could've progresses with an erotic romance angle which revolved around Bombshell's search for the foot fetishist. Rather, John Waters brings in his trademark lady Divine, who surprisingly looks feminine unlike her androgynous appearance in the later films. The bad chick is ogling at a nude hitchhiker when her car hits a lost Bombshell who is gravely injured. Divine helps her by visiting a discount house, stealing a gown from there, and then by entering a laundry, where she changes Bombshell's bloody clothes. Bombshell miraculously is still unconscious like those Shakespearean characters in Midsummer Night's Dream who manage to fall asleep in a jiffy, and the blood on her face disappears. There are sporadic appearances by Mother Mary and her what-can-I-say 'apprentice' who purge Divine of her sins. Also, a rather bizarre visit to the asylum where we find that foot fetishist again, but this time he murders a fellow inmate, and to a sadistic hospital which operates on patients with knives and saws.

The only surprising aspect of the film is Divine's good-hearted nature, since we have never seen Divine help someone at the risk of her own life. But everything else is inexplicable, even the Wizard of Oz inspired resolution. The camera is less shaky than in Multiple Maniacs and the sex is less raunchy. The choice of music, an assortment of rock and roll and classical, managed to hold my attention to the otherwise pointless sequences. Had the film worked on having a plot, it would've gained a better reputation today.

My Rating: I won't be rating this work since it doesn't even know what kind of a response it aims at from its audiences.

All of John Water's films have their quirks and their staying power and each one is truly a beautiful piece of art but nothing comes close to "Mondo Trasho", John's earlier trash epic. Not only does it have a faster pace than some of his other films but the "story" keeps on coming with more and mnore drug induced imagery. Divine, John Water's regular performer, delivers an hilarious over the top performance as a gum chewing trashy splendor, driving about looking for men until she is distracted by a nude hitcher and runs over an un-named fashion fanatic played by Mary Vivian Pearce. In the course of the next 24 hours, they go through a variety of different adventues, each one unique. This film boasts some great performances by the likes of Mink Stole, David Lochary, Divine and Mary Vivian Pearce. The film also features a great soundtrack, comprised of hundreds of John Water's favorite tunes. No good tune is left untouched in this trash epic. The film is definitely a more mild one than, say, "Pink Flamingos", meaning that this film doesn't have a lot of gross acts although it does have chickens being killed for real and toe sucking. This John Waters film is definitely one of his most unkown and one of his best.