Desperate Living
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Platonic_Caveman — 4 years ago(May 23, 2021 08:10 AM)
Great movie, even if an ugly movie. And it was interesting to see an early John Waters film which Divine didn't carry by herself. I can't believe I'm saying that Divine made a film lighter and more bearable.
A great point is made about the "monotone shouting". It comes across more as bad acting to me. Of course that's forgiven in a Waters flick. Even the regular monotone dialog betrays the cynicism of the film's makers.
I hated Mink Stole in this movie. I loved her as Connie Marble in Pink Flamingos. Marble was an outre character. I hated seeing Stole as a whiny middle class bitch.
I never thought about the homophobia in Waters' films. Though the narrator tries to excuse it. Waters seemed to hate lesbians and always portrayed them as the worst dyke stereotypes. Sorry, he doesn't get a pass from me.
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geewizzz — 4 years ago(May 23, 2021 08:29 AM)
I think it was Water's answer to Morrissey's feminist satire,
Women In Revolt
It's too over the top to be taken seriously in any way. I think it's one of his funniest films.
Divine was supposed to be in it, but he was pissed at Waters at the time for making him do a dangerous stunt in the previous film,
Female Trouble
He went a few years without speaking to him, then came back for the Oderama film,
Polyester
Divine was doing night club acts around that time with Grace Jones while Al Jourgensen, of Ministry, performed musically for Divine's shows.
The late Jean Hill was great in this…she used to pose for funny and raunchy novelty cards.
Waters got off on offending people.
Are you okay? -
Platonic_Caveman — 4 years ago(May 23, 2021 05:20 PM)
The narrator said Divine was supposed to play the lesbian Mole McHenry character? Divine would have been a terrifying lesbian. But I just don't see it. I've never seen a drag queen convincingly play a lesbian.
Of course Babs in
Pink Flamingos
was supposedly a lesbian. But it wasn't a stereotypical dyke like in
Desperate Living
.
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"filmboards is a bold experiment in free speech and anarchy"
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Joc Spader — 4 years ago(May 23, 2021 06:09 PM)
Great movie, even if an ugly movie. And it was interesting to see an early John Waters film which Divine didn't carry by herself. I can't believe I'm saying that Divine made a film lighter and more bearable.
A great point is made about the "monotone shouting". It comes across more as bad acting to me. Of course that's forgiven in a Waters flick. Even the regular monotone dialog betrays the cynicism of the film's makers.
Did you know Divine was going to star in a movie called Little Corey Gorey but died before shooting? It was shot over a 3 year period from 89-91. When it was released on DVD circa 2003 the box said it was made in 2001. I sure believed they pulled off the look at that time. It took a long time for info to be shared on the details of this hidden gem.
Tell you what…When I send my ex-wife her money…you can lick the stamps. -
Platonic_Caveman — 4 years ago(May 23, 2021 06:29 PM)
I had never heard of it. Divine was to play the fat stepmother I guess. It's also a horror/comedy. But it looks dastardly from the trailer.
from the director
bill-morroni8 July 2008
I thought it was funny that one of the reviewers suggested that the Actress that played the stepmother looked like Devine. I had financing setup and Devine in town to do the movie when he/she died. The financing evaporated, but the cast loved the script so we did it anyway. We shot one weekend a month for a year on a 16mm bolex, which is why all the sound is dubbed and ADR'd, also why Corey's hair style changes. We had a great time and I think we made a funny movie. I like that the reviewers either love it or hate it, I guess people either get it or don't get it. Unfortunately, Little Corye Gory is often labeled a "Horror" movie and when one of the blood and gut loving horror fans review the movie they hate it because it isn't really a slasher film like Saw. I wrote and directed "Corey" as a Horror Spoof/comedy, the fans that get that, get the movie.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329306/reviews
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Joc Spader — 4 years ago(May 23, 2021 11:56 PM)
Oh it was over a one year time period of shooting. You are correct. If you love bad movies like I do then this one is tops. I love to watch this and Skinned Alive (another on 16mm) during October but Corey can be watched anytime of the year.
Tell you what…When I send my ex-wife her money…you can lick the stamps. -
Joc Spader — 4 years ago(May 24, 2021 02:31 PM)
Hey it has Scott Spiegel!! Director JR Bookwater used a song from 1995 over the scene of the fat guy driving his Mazda along a corn field in October 1989. It sounds 80s and but isn't as cheesy as you think; the singer goes into serious sleaze mode. "I'm gonna loose my mind.. TONIGHT! I'm on teh sex patrol TONIGHT!"
Tell you what…When I send my ex-wife her money…you can lick the stamps. -
I love hutch — 4 years ago(June 29, 2021 07:33 AM)
I think there is an ugliness to all of JW's early movies. And I do think there was something sweet and kind of "cuddly" about Divine, and Susan Lowe as "Mole" does not do a whole lot for me. And as with most of Waters' movies, the movie somewhat peters out in the final act. And as I hold Jean Hill's lovable and very, very funny presence in high esteem, her death felt like a cheat. I adore Grizelda Brown! And I also think this is Edith Massey's funniest performance, and I love her, too, so…
And then he made "Polyester", which has warmth and sweetness. For me, it is Waters' most charming production. I love that movie.
I read somewhere (maybe in JW's "Shock Value") that Waters was not interested in shocking or upsetting conservatives because it was just so easy to do. He took delight in shocking liberals, which I think is kind of hilarious. I am wondering if Waters holds any political beliefs at all.
"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash!" -
Platonic_Caveman — 4 years ago(June 29, 2021 07:47 AM)
Good point about shocking leftists. I was a promiscuous queer neo-nazi stoned anti-moralist when I saw my first Waters film, and even I was shocked. Lol.
I think Polyester was Waters' attempt to tone down the excess and make a film which might crossover to mainstream audiences yet still maintain his outlaw style.
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I love hutch — 4 years ago(June 29, 2021 07:41 AM)
I thought Liz Renay really rocked it at 52 years old!
She wrote two autobiographies, "My First 2,000 Men" and "My Face For the World To See" and they were both enormously entertaining. That girl knew how to live!
"My life is over. I might as well dance with Johnny Slash!"