Desperate Living (1977)

Everyone in Desperate Living's Mortville has some horrible secret to hide. The mentally unstable Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole, in a superb display of overacting) and her 300-pound-plus maid Grizelda must take it on the lam after Grizelda smothers Peggy's husband under her elephantine buttocks. They find themselves in Mortville, a shanty fiefdom ruled by the grotesque Queen Carlotta (the incomparable Edith Massey). The evil queen delights in tormenting her subjects, but Peggy and Grizelda soon team up with a pair of lesbian outcasts, and a rebellion is in the air. John Waters's Desperate Living takes on the air of a seedy, trash fairy tale as the humiliated residents of Mortville rise up against the queen and the cursed princess finds herself in a power struggle against her mother. Notable for the absence of Waters regular Divine, this movie pushes the rest of the cast to their over-the-top best. Fifties sex bomb Liz Renay has a great time as Muffy St. Jacques, half of the lesbian couple, and was still looking great by the '70s. The tumbledown sets of Mortville add a surreal touch to the movie, but Edith Massey steals every scene she's in as the hateful, repulsive Queen Carlotta. Note that the actors' breath is clearly visible in many scenes; it was filmed outdoors in a bitter Baltimore winter. Nasty, shabby, gross, and hilarious, this is John Waters at his best. --Jerry Renshaw Amazon.com

Best JW Film Ever

The first time I saw "Pink Flamingos," something seemed oddly familiar. I later realized it was the "acting." The actors delivered their lines with the conviction and subtlety of a Jr. High School play. This element coupled with the cruelly insightful, almost profound nature of what is being said is a trademark of John Waters. It softens the blow somewhat.

"Desperate Living" still delivers an abundance of Waters' trademark irony in action, but, there's a catch. Two catch's, really. Firstly, there is somewhat convincing acting from several key roles. It might sound like a letdown, but it actually enhances the story. The second aberration is the absence of Waters' workhorse Divine. Proving that he could succeed on his own wit alone, Waters made his funniest film ever.

Fans of "Flamingos" might be disappointed by the lack of "real" shock material. (Most of it comes via "special effects") Those who enjoy the softer approach of Polyester and later may find it a bit much. But for those who tune in for the strength of concepts and quotable one-liners, this is by far the deepest Waters experience out there.

Hard to believe, but the lesbian community at the time attacked the film for it's 'male-sponsored' perspective. It has since been embraced with open arms as a classically hilarious piece that highlights Waters iconic status in the gay and underground community. July 22, 2008

it's a terrible play--but it makes a wonderful rehearsal

Desperate Living was made by John Waters before he truly entered the world of mainstream cinema--and it looks it. With sets that look like garbage pulled from the city dump so that they wouldn't have to pay for it, this movie really takes a strong stomach to enjoy--if you enjoy this sort of thing at all. Its real redemption is in the acting of the cast; their script ain't too hot but the actors sure do a fine job acting!

The action starts in the Gravel household. Peggy Gravel has just returned from a psychiatric hospital and her naive husband seems to think it's going to be all right even though she's still crazy like a fox! Bosley Gravel (George Stover), Peggy's husband, wants to give her a medication injection. However, when Peggy fantasizes that Bosley is trying to kill her, their very obese maid Grizelda Brown (Jean Hill) accidentally kills Bosley by sitting on him.

Of course, they know they're in hot water for having murdered Bosley--ands Peggy and Grizelda flee in Peggy's car. After an unusual (ahem) scene in which a cop lets them get away, they know that they can only go to Mortville where murderesses are tolerated without being punished under the law.

And what a dump Mortville is! Full of trash, poor people and ugly shanties, Peggy and Grizelda don't like it. They stay, however, to avoid the law. They soon rent a room from Mole McHenry (Susan Lowe) and her female lover Muffy St. Jacques (Liz Renay). They also discover that Mortville suffers under the reign of wicked Queen Carlotta (Edith Massey), who delights in torturing people, having her citizens killed and making them walk backwards one day or be murdered on the spot.

So where does the plot go from here? Does Mortville work out for Peggy and Grizelda? What if Muffy and Mole want money--lots of money--to give them room and board? Will Muffy or Mole make a pass at either Peggy or Grizelda? Will Queen Carlotta remain unchallenged? Watch the movie and find out!

The DVD has a commentary by John Waters; but that's really it for the DVD extras.

All in all, Desperate Living is a film you're either going to like or dislike. It has tons of filthy lines and scenes that could make a grown man choke with disgust. That's exactly what director John Waters wanted for this movie; so he accomplished his goal. As for me, I didn't think it was worth two bits--except for the acting. That alone redeems the movie to some degree; so I will take off two and one-half stars and give this movie a two and one-half star review.

Hope you enjoy it more than I did!
October 8, 2007

"Desperate" to see this after the remake of HAIRSPRAY:THE MUSICAL!

After seeing the newest reincarnation of HAIRSPRAY:THE MUSICAL I needed "desperately" to return to original roots! Face it....there really is only one John Waters.(As a small child,John and his "cast of cohorts" were regulars at our home as they were all friends of my older sister!)

DESPERATE LIVING is supposed to be shocking,ridiculous,gross and in bad taste, and Waters has always had the right stable of stars (grade B and lower!) to pull off his warped visions .What we call "great actors" usually cannot play the demented and depraved characters that Waters writes; but Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Liz Renay and Susan Lowe are soooooo good at spoof films, just as the Christopher Guest clan is for SPINAL TAP et al.

The story is too ridiculous and absurd for me to even recount.Others have already reviewed the "plot" to perfection.I laughed...I was grossed out....I winced....and then I remembered what makes John Waters' films so much fun; they are cheesy at best and loads of fun and require no thought.John's earliest films need to be watched with someone that is "safe" and will get his sense of humor.Anyone else will run for the door!

John's earliest works all contain the edgy and perverse.Once you reach HIS HAIRSPRAY, the gross is gone and a different,yet still wild-and-wonderful oddness is still there.

Why 5 stars? It is perfection for the kind of genre film that it is. I compare it with only other films like it.AMADEUS it's not!

My old vhs copy states "this film is not rated".....now there is a kick in the 'nads! Waters would be offended! September 1, 2007

DESPERATE LIVING

WE LOVE THIS MOVIE.. JOHN WATERS IS BRILLIANT!! WE HAD THE ORIGINAL ON VHS BUT NO LONGER WORKS. WE WERE SO HAPPY TO FIND IT ON DVD.. NOT EVEN DVD PLANET HAD THIS ONE.. May 9, 2007

"I don't know i'm trippin'...Hey, got any downers."

John Waters is BRILLIANT! The man wrote THE best lines EVER! Who wants to be normal? NORMAL is boring! This is one of the best of his movies besides Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble and Polyester. Mink Stole and Edith Massey...the Greatest...after Divine ofcourse. Susan Lowe and Liz Renay(RIP), are flawless. April 30, 2007

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