A Dirty Shame (2004)

When prissy, prickly Sylvia Stickles (Tracey Ullman) suffers a head injury during a traffic altercation, she's, er, revived by self-appointed sexual missionary Ray-Ray Perkins (Johnny Knoxville) and is transformed into an insatiable, take-no-prisoners sex maniac. Yes, it's a John Waters film. Yes, it's filthy. No, it's not as hilarious and sustained as you'd like it to be. It works for a while, though: Ullman, never a stingy comedienne, does everything Waters dares her to do without hesitation; words cannot describe the perversely sporting delight with which she mounts a water bottle during a round of "The Hokey Pokey" at an old folks' home. And there's some fun to be had when Sylvia's emancipation leads her Baltimore 'burb to new heights of ecstasy, freeing her large-breasted daughter Caprice (Selma Blair) while horrifying husband Vaughn (Chris Isaak) and her hardline mother Big Ethel (Suzanne Shepherd, hysterical) in the process. It's also packed with the standard cameos, the most satisfying of which is good old Patty Hearst at a Sex Addicts Anonymous encounter. But, for all the nasty, necessary glee, the movie feels inescapably been-there-done-that, and you can't help but wish this was 1972 and Divine was on hand to prowl for dog droppings. The most shocking thing about A Dirty Shame is how desperate and tiresome its anarchy becomes.--Steve Wiecking Amazon.com

Not Nearly as Shocking or Funny as the Film thinks it is

Waters seems to have crawled out of a thirty plus year fall out shelter. Hello! Nothing is shocking anymore. Sexual libertine types such as Waters won the cultural war. Someone answering the door naked? That's the best he could come up with? Wake up, in a Britney Spear world, the "neuters" are the new rebels.

Waters never quite mastered satire and his films only worked as camp. Clearly this embarrassment shows he has outlived his useful life as a film maker. At least admit you are mainstream horn dogs now, Waters types, or rebel for the sake of rebeling and join the neuters, or just get a life and stop trying to P.O. the bourgeoisie. October 3, 2008

John Waters-Master Of Trasho

After 30+ years in the movie making buisness, John Waters still has his finger on the pulse(or other areas of the body) of sexual boundries. "Pink Flamingos" defined trasho. "A Dirty Shame" helps to continue its legacy. And just in case you thought Mr. Waters had tackled every taboo there is, just ponder this thought: he has a Christmas movie coming out in late 2008. Run for your lives(with glee)! August 30, 2008

John Waters gets back to his roots

"A Dirty Shame" finds exploitation's favorite iconoclast in rare form. John Waters has made a lot of films since the days of "Pink Flamingos" and "Hair Spray", but "A Dirty Shame" takes him back to his roots - exceedingly perverse humor that is simultaneously revolting and hilarious. The main difference is his use of major actors, as opposed to his classic band of weirdos (although the remaining members still alive make colorful cameos). But you shouldn't let the presence of professional actors deter you because they inhabit their roles with a gleeful, reckless abandon. Say what you will about Johnny Knoxville - he's just likable on screen and this is a great roll for him.

I haven't enjoyed a lot of Waters' recent work like "Pecker" or "Serial Mom", but I like his early work and I liked "A Dirty Shame." I don't think he does his best work when working within the system, making more-or-less 'normal' pictures. Anytime he develops his own ideas and decides to just go for it, he shows his inimical talent for the bizarre.

The film's MPAA rating needs to be addressed because it shows the wildly hypocritical nature of the film rating business, and yes, it IS a business with kickbacks, favors, and all that. The NC-17 rating is unwarranted. "A Dirty Shame" doesn't begin to match "Pink Flamingos" in its nastiness. There's nothing in the film that I haven't seen in the latest "American Pie" movie. In fact, there's far less than the obligatory "Unrated" DVD of most teen sex comedies. Too bad Waters didn't have big studio backing to convince the MPAA to look the other way. The majority of objectionable content comes from graphic descriptions of sex acts, the sort that is the common topic of locker room discussions at your local junior high. When you consider that many people still believe the NC-17 is tantamount of hardcore pornography, the rating is completely unfair.

Fans of Waters' classic style will most likely enjoy this. While it has some mainstream elements including excellent production values, big-name actors, and and the like, the free-spirited essence resurfaces here. This isn't a great film or anything, but it's fun and intelligent, for a goofy sex comedy anyway. Most importantly, it's entertaining and unique. July 30, 2008

fun when watched in the correct context

Cult director John Waters gets back to his anarchic roots in this outrageous sexploitation comedy.

Tracey Ullman plays bored Baltimore housewife Sylvia Stickles, whose sexual urges are re-awakened in a big way after she suffers a concussion and is revived by "sex healer" Ray-Ray ("Jackass" star Johnny Knoxville). Sylvia then leads the whole population of Baltimore forward to find the "ultimate" in sexual pleasures. Suzanne Shepherd is Sylvia's mother Big Ethel, who counter-attacks her daughter's new-found liberation with her own protest group, The Neuters!

This comedy is definitely an acquired taste; it's meant to shock (after all, John Waters is the director), but it's also vastly entertaining and a whole heap of fun when you approach it from the right angle. Selma Blair and Chris Isaak co-star, with Waters favourites Mink Stole, Patty Hearst and Jean Hill. June 14, 2008

Hilarious (don't believe the others!!!)

OK, it ain't Gone with the Wind, but I got a lot of laughs out of this. Tracey Ullman is really funny, but I give a lot of credit to all the unknown supporting characters who I thought had some funny lines. It's just a really silly fun film that only John Waters could make. What else do people expect? To enjoy this film, please remove rod from backside before viewing and you should be just fine. I gave it an extra star simply because so many cranks were dumping on it. May 15, 2008

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