Desperate Living

I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I have always been a big John Waters fan, and I think that this is definitely his early masterpiece. Polyester is without a doubt his later masterpiece, although Serial Mom contains some of the funniest stuff ever. But back to Desperate Living, I just can't get over this awesome awesome movie, which I saw for the first time last night. Although Pink Flamingos may be Waters most well known work, it seems almost as though Waters was practicing in comparison to this film, which is equally funny and shocking and sick to no end. The plot is better and more structured than Pink Flamingos, and as a whole the color scheme throughout is fantastic, especially Jean Hill in a sea green tutu with bright green makeup and bleach blonde hair. Queen Carlotta definitely has some amazing lines, and her stripping sessions with her henchmen are hysterical, but the best line in the movie has to go to magnificent Mink Stole, who in her sexual encounter with Grizelda moans, "If it was good enough for Gertrude Stein...!" Of special note is Waters homage to his personal childhood hero, the Wicked Queen from Snow White, as Mink Stole becomes the spitting image of the Queen as she prepares her rabies potion. Ahhh, Bliss!

"Desperate Living" and "Female Trouble" are Waters' best films, fully realized trash epics with great characters, gorgeous production design and an unapologetic affection for trailer trash values.

The story is simple. Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole), a neurotic suburban snob, flees to Mortville, the town where criminals live scot-free, after her obese maid, Grizelda Brown (Jean Hill), sits on and squashes her sermonizing husband, Bosley Gravel (the great George Stover). The women share a bed in Mortville under the roof of a disgusting hovel run by Mole McHenry (Susan Lowe), a snot-dispensing, pre-op transsexual with impeccable table manners and a luscious lesbian lover Muffy St. Jacques (Liz Renay). But the living arrangements prove less than harmonious and the entire place is trashed when the women offer refuge to Princess Coo-Coo (Mary Vivian Pearce), the downtrodden offspring of the domineering, boy-crazy Queen of Mortville (Edith Massey), who objects to her daughter's hippy-fied lifestyle. Complications ensue once the sycophantic Peggy worms her way into the Queen's chamber (and confidence) and a groundswell of support for a revolution intensifies.

The set-up of "Desperate Living" is pure magic. The idea of there being a town where miscreants can live scot-free is brilliant, as is Waters' enthusiastic take on the entire thing. The tone is that of a fairytale painted with snot and mucus and every detail is consistent in its intention to make you want to puke. The sight of Mary Vivean Pearce doing the town with rabies is a green, grotesque delight, as is the scene in which Mole's new penis is severed, then roughly sewn back on.

This is an unforgettable freak show from the puke-loving pope of popular culture.

You'd be a misfit to miss it.

DESPERATE LIVING is something of a transitional film for director Waters. It is a departure from his earlier works because it was the first of his films not to be produced by his Dreamland company, but by a limited partnership called Charm City Productions. It was also the first feature he made without his usual star, Divine, and therefore represents a departure from his usual story lines (which had previously served as vehicles for Divine). In this sense, it is a film that is more Waters' vision. The story and the execution of the film is far too grim, however. Waters' films work because the characters seem to enjoy themselves very much. But DESPERATE LIVING presents us with characters that simply seem miserable, and nothing else. The opening scenes are quite funny, though. Jean Hill's performance is particularly funny. From a moviegoers' standpoint, I prefer FEMALE TROUBLE highly over this film. I am somewhat baffled at the statement that DESPERATE LIVING is Waters' best film. I can see that it is his most technically advanced up to the time it was made, but surely FEMALE TROUBLE contains the funniest dialogue and performances. All in all, DESPERATE LIVING represents a pre-mainstream John Waters which is always an interesting experience. However, I would not reccomend it as highly as I would some of his other works.

I can definitely say this is one of my favorite movies. The characters and the script shine through as utterly hilarious and shockingly original. Mink Stole and her outrageous, shrieking portrayal of Peggy Gravel is one of the best performances in any of John Waters' movies. Seriously, when she accuses her (9 year old) children of having sex and then informs her husband that their daughter is now pregnant.. let me just say that clip was on my answering machine for at least a month. When Grizelda the alcoholic maid and Peggy make off after murdering Peggy's husband, they are pulled over in the woods by another great Waters character, Turkey Joe, the motorcycle cop who wears womens panties. You have not lived until you hear him moan in a thick Baltimore accent about fitting his "Big business" into Peggy's panties . The real fun begins in Mortville, however, where all the trash of Baltimore run to escape the law. Queen Carlotta, portrayed by the unbelievable Edith Massey, runs rampant over some seriously depraved subjects, and still finds time to have (unconvincingly simulated) disgusting sex with slimy leatherboys whom she instructs to bathe more regularly because there is a "most unpleasant odor about your BODY". I have read other posts that comment on the wonderful colors in this movie and I could not agree more. The sets and costumes are also excellent. Even though Divine is not in this one, some of the other Dreamlanders (Waters crack troop of actors from the early days) get a chance to shine. Mink Stole and Edie in particular give great performances. If you have to choose between this one and "Pink Flamingos", see this one first. It is truly a choice slice of vintage Waters from opening credits to the end. I want to go watch it right now!

A lot of the world knows about John Waters who made the historic "Pink Flamingos". Probably most famous for it's dog-s*** eating scene, a scene where a man has sex with a chicken plus cannibilism, artificial insemination and mother-son blowjob. But this film is probably his most shocking film. Its "plot" is about Peggy Gravel(The hilarious Mink Stole), an ultra-neurotic woman who has just been released from the asylum. When she comes back home, she is under the impression that the neighborhood children are trying to kill her just because they accidently smash a footbal through a window. She is also under the impression that her five year old son raped his equally young sister just because they were playing doctor. Her husband tries to help her with no success after the 500 pound maid crushes him(The maid played by Jean Hill, but this role was NOT written for the absent Divine). Peggy and the maid, Grizelda then go on the run to Mortville, a small Baltimore town where criminals of Baltimore come out to hide. When there, Peggy and Grizelda meat up with Mole(Susan Lowe) and Muffy(Liz Renay, in a role originally intended for Divine) and ake refuge at a motel. The rest of the film is a blur of male and female nudity, vaginal gun shot wounds, ass-kissing and a DIY sex change. This truly is one of Waters most shocking films and something that even tops the likes of the blowjob scene in Pink Flamingos. It starts off with a rat getting served on a plate and in the middle we see a penis get cut off and at the end we see Edith Massey kissing Liz Renay's ugly pornographic ass. This is Waters last real gross out movie. After this movie, no more blowjobs or s*** eating. He went strictly mainstream. See this film as soon as you can.

Seven out of Ten