Polvo de oro

Paul Bartel's western-musical-sex farce may not be quite on par with his earlier black comedies, but it still has the good taste not to have any good taste. Plus, it's one of the few places where you can see a Divine performance outside of John Waters' oeuvre -- and boy, does he give a performance.

If you get the DVD, be sure to check out the bombastic trailer. It is quite a hoot.

This is NOT the sort of film for everyone. Apparently gay men love it (according to Lainie Kazan) and people who love Divine (like me) will get a kick out of seeing this character play a somewhat normal role--at least compared to all the freaks he/she played for John Waters!! But for the rest of the folks out there, it's very possible you won't like the film...and it's quite possible you'll enjoy it on its own very simple merits. The way to determine this is to ask yourself "am I normal?"--if so, don't watch the film! But for all the quirky folks out there (and I know there are a lotta you), it's worth seeing.

The film stars a whole lot of familiar faces, though the only big star (at least once upon a time) in the film is Tab Hunter. In addition, Divine, Lainie Kazan, Caesar Romero, Henry Silva, Woody Strode and Geoffrey Lewis (whose face you are bound to recognize) are there for excellent support. The film was directed by Paul Bartel--a man who is probably most associated with the ultra-strange "Eating Raoul".

"Lust in the Dust" is a gentle parody of westerns. Nothing in it is super remarkable except for its strong sexual overtones as well as having Divine play a part that is really pretty normal. There are a reasonable amount of decent laughs, some that fall flat and a few surprises--but it never is dull.

My attitude is that lovers of weird films should see this at least once. And, if it doesn't scare you too much, try another one of Divine's films, such as "Hairspray" (the original) or perhaps "Polyester". Save "Pink Flamingos", "Female Trouble", "Mondo Trasho" and the other early John Waters films for AFTER--as they can be too shocking and too weird for the uninitiated!! I warned you!

Rosie, a cantina singer of questionable virtue (Divine) and a gun fighter (Tab Hunter) head for the squalid desert town of Chili Verde in search of a fortune in gold. Neither title, star, nor director (Paul Bartel) would lead discerning viewers to suspect that this is 'one of Shaw's' but it is pretty funny in a silly, ribald way. Devine has excellent comic timing and a great, expressive face and the rest of the cast are fine. The story and characters are scattershot parodies of spaghetti westerns but the plot is reasonably clever (for what it is) and hinges on Rosie's back story, so pay attention. Any movie featuring Divine is interesting (albeit not necessarily watchable by most people) and, relatively speaking, this one is pretty tame (and the music is fun). Better than I expected.

A delirious comedy about a treasure hunt in the wild west. With a cast led by the infamous Divine, it has several interesting actors, with emphasis on the interpretations of Lainie Kazan, magnificent in the role of Marguerita and also of Geoffrey Lewis, as the bandit Hardcase, nemesis of the hero Abel Wood, clearly inspired by the lonesone Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's movies.

Divine, in her flashy and suburban style, might seem out of place from the western universe, but the contrast is happy, even constituting a rival to the height of the exuberant Marguerita, manager of the local brothel.

An original and entertaining film that has aged well and could have been directed by John Waters.

The is the best 'bad' movie ever. Great cast (who never play for the laughs). Divine and Lainie Kazan are so great together as rivals for Tab Hunter. Geoffrey Lewis is hysterical in all his scenes...especially the bedroom. Ceasar Romero, Woody Stode, Neddra Voltz (as the west's oldest hooker), Henry Silva, Courtney Gains...everyone is perfect. Want to have a great party? Have a Lust in the Dust night with some chili verde, cornbread and 'red-eye' for the buffet then watch Lust in the Dust. Don't invite any squares.