Pink Flamingos Movie Review

Back in 1972, the world had no idea what it was in for. John Waters' Pink Flamingos is a film that defies description, even by today's lowly standards. Sure, a chicken gets killed as part of a sex scene, but that's not even the tip of the iceberg. There's a kidnapping plot wherein the victims are forced into pregnancy, their babies sold and the mothers disposed of. There's a flasher who ties sausage to his willy. There's a kangaroo court and a dual execution. And of course, there's Divine eating a pile of dog shit -- for real.

What kind of plot could hold all this nastiness together? Well, naturally it's a story about a rivalry between Divine (played, strangely enough, by Divine) and Mink Stole's fellow degenerate as they spar over bragging rights for Filthiest Person Alive. This results in arsons and murders a-plenty, and you can rest assured that Stole's got nothing on Divine, particularly in the gastronomic department.

When the film isn't disgusting (and that's rare, believe me), it's just plain bizarre. Edith Massey is, as always, absolutely unwatchable, this time confined to a crib where she screams constantly to be fed eggs. Well, of course.

For this 25th anniversary DVD release (bundled with the director's cut of Female Trouble), Waters tacks on some deleted scenes to the end, providing commentary not only about them, but suggesting that his state of mind might not have been the most stable back in the 70s. His commentary track makes that all the clearer.