Rating: 
Summary: No adlibbing!!
Review: Here is yet another film about filmmaking, that remains generally in the median of its own critiques. The film follows cinematic terrorists as they construct a community around renegade realist film, celibacy, rebellion, and satan. The troupe kidnaps a Hollywood princess and turns her to the other side, to true guerilla filmmaking, and together they quest to ruin family flims and cinematic stupidity.
This interesting plot that critiques indulgent Hollywood as well as pretentious independents is told with a somewhat grainy look, wipes, great editing, and lots of tributes to past filmmakers and the conventions they pioneered.
Its John Waters at what he does best; delicious and purposefully induced tackiness paired with legitimate social commentary. Plus, its a perfect movie for cinephiles; a movie about filmmaking laden with references to other films that a casual filmgoer isn't going to get. It fosters cinematic elitism and promotes decadent absurdity. Its excessive, silly, off-kilter, and very obviously quoteable. Hilarity is rich here, and no line is spared classic status.
Rating: 
Summary: Movies a little demented
Review: This movie just was not as much fun as hairspray, cry baby, or serial mom. I am glad I rented it though it wasn't a total bomb. Its entertaining but its missing something i just can't quite figure out what that is. I wouldn't watch it twice but its good to watch once. Do not buy it only rent it like I did!
Rating: 
Summary: Crabcakes and Honey
Review: This time, Water takes aim at the drivel that comes out of Hollywood (Patch Adams, Flintstones, Forrest Gump, etc.) by following a bunch of radical filmakers around Baltimore (a favorite cinematic haunt for Waters)terrorizing filmgoers in neighborhood theaters, while preaching the gospel of Guerilla theater, and warning of the Evils of Hollywood. Their film, of course, is no better, but at least it is real.
Griffith is an aging Hollywood film star who is kidnapped and forced to star in Cecil's movie. Later, in Patty Hearst fashion (Hearst I'm sure not coincidentlly, has a small part in the picture) Griffith willingly joins the outlaw filmakers. There is a porn queen (Cherish), a hair dresser who hates himself because he is NOT gay, a Goth makeup artist, and a whole bunch of wacky characters that keep the movie funny and fun to watch.
This is a well-deserved antidote to made-to-order, formulaic Hollywood films (which is, after all, what the main character is rebelling against). It is up there with the best of Waters' work, and some scenes are quite unforgettable.
Rating: 
Summary: What a disappointment
Review: I am a huge John Waters fan, but this movie does not come close to living up to his usual standards. It seems Waters is trying to balance between mainstream filmmaking for the larger audience appeal, and keep his previous biting cutting-edge. Serial Mom was able to do this -- this movie absolutely failed. It is poorly written, poorly acted (Melanie Griffith a bad actor? Yeah, that's a stretch), and poorly editted. The movie is suppose to be making a statment against Hollywood turning out so much mediocore garbage. This movie is a prime example of the type of garbage that shouldn't be turned out. John Waters' movies are by all means still worth buying and watching, just avoid this one.
Rating:
Summary: Typical Waters Garbage
Review: There's a reason why the vast majority of Waters' film get a turkey in ALL the review books: his movies suck. Period. I kept picking this one up at the local library, but not taking it home. This week I finally relented and gave it a spin. What a waste of 90 minutes! I should sue Waters' for the time I lost! First, this movie isn't funny. Not one single smile cracked my face. Now, before you call me a prude, or a retard, I love wacky cinema. Some of my favorite movies are off-the-wall films that most of my friends see as stupid and immature. This one, though, never got so much as a smirk out of me. The writing is dreadful, the directing and editing turn much of the overall plot into a sycophantic mess. Some of the acting is fairly good, but so much profanity comes out of their mouths. You know, just because someone says f#%k 1,000 times doesn't make them funny. In fact, I find the use of profanity a sign that the comic has run out of ideas and is trying solely to shock. And watching Waters crow over his work in the special features was painful. He's such a no-talent freak, and you could tell his cast was imbarassed to be seen in the same shot is him. (He reminded me of someone the Coen Brothers would make up in one of their paradoys - but I kept pinching myself, saying, "this guy is REAL!" Pathetic.) Take your filmmaking back in the closet, John. How you get any funding is beyond anyone's comprehension....
Rating: 
Summary: Taste Tester
Review: John Waters' "Cecil B. Demented" pushes the envelope of good taste, which I like. Unfortunately, it didn't work well for me. I was all set to laugh uproariously at an irreverent look at H-wood, but it started going downhill when Cecil asks Honey to take her clothes off, and the cast and crew drop everything to run to this screen and start masturbating. Stephen Dorff who did a nice job in "Backbeat" does his best with this paper-thin role. Alicia Witt who was on TV's Cybil and in "Mr. Holland's Opus" does a valiant attempt as Cherish the porn star. But while these rebellious cinematic mavericks are pursing their goals, they are also killing people. For me, it was a bit like trying to develop a sit-com about the Manson Family; it just didn't work. The end where the shoot's been concluded and everyone starts copulating is cut by the fact that many like Cherish take a bullet to the brain. Self-mutilation & the starry eyed girl running around extolling the virtues of Satan weren't even poor taste; it wasn't funny and didn't work. Melanie Griffith who I do like is the reason I rented; although I've enjoyed Waters' "Pecker" before. She does a fairly good job with the role, but there isn't much depth required nor brought to the change from victim to willing participant. So while bad taste may have it's audience, superficiality may have its entertainment value, and there were lots of clever lines thrown about, this taste tester is not one I savored. Taxi!
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