Female Trouble Movie Review

John Waters' most bizarre work is also his worst, a nonsensical palette of disgusting characters, bad acting, a baffling plot, and just plain bad taste.

Not that anyone has ever accused Waters of having taste... Female Trouble features little more than a bunch of scenes of Divine, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, and other Waters regulars screaming at one another at the top of their lungs (when they aren't busy maiming one another). The "plot" is a throwaway, featuring Divine as a high-schooler who leaves home when she doesn't get the "cha-cha heels" she wanted for Christmas -- only to turn to a life of crime with the illegitimate daughter (Stole) she squeezes out on a couch. And there's a bit about the fascist "Lipstick Beauty Salon" which seeks to document their crimes.

Not that any of this makes sense. Waters is just trying to shock us, and sure, the male nudity and blood-gushing are gross. But it's the sight of a topless Edith Massey that is about as scary as it gets... that is, until you see Massey squeezed into a vinyl, lace-up number, fat squeezing out of every opening. That's an apt analogy for the rest of the film. Even Waters' DVD commentary track (the film is packaged with Pink Flamingos) is uninspired on this one.

Yech.