Rating: 
Summary: These Movies are a Riot!
Review: You have NO idea how happy I am that Female Trouble is finally being released on DVD. It has to be my all time favorite cult movie ever. John Waters brings so much of his trade-mark trash to the movie that it stands-out as one of his most signature early pieces, even though he had already made movies such as Pink Flamingos, Mondo Trasho and Eat Your Make-Up. Divine definately shines in the staring role as Dawn Davenport. Tired of her common social life at home, Dawn decides that she will make her own mark on the world and does so as no other woman can! Dawn goes from a high school misfit, to a go-go dancer, a cafe waitress, a theif, a high-fashion crime model, and a serial killer, all while trying to be a loving mother to her obnoxious retarded daughter Taffy, played by another John Waters star regular Mink Stole. And let's not forget about the third star of the movie who you won't be able to forget no matter how hard you try: Edith Massey! Edith, the grotesque diva that also stars in a number of John's films, plays Aunt Ida, the aunt to Divine's worthless hairdresser husband. John gives her more of a 'glamorous' role compared to her earlier character in Pink Flamingos. In Female Trouble, just give Edith a glass of Sherry and she becomes a black spandex wearing diva who can put Olivia Newton-John to shame! While this is definately NOT a movie for everyone, it is very high on humor and camp. So, if you're a big cult classic fan, and not prudish or weak-of-stomach, this is one DVD you should NOT miss out on!
Rating: 
Summary: Say it! Say "Liquid Eyeliner!"
Review: Pink Flamingos and Female Trouble are among the best films by director John Waters, and to have them TOGETHER and on DVD is a thrill. Since I bought the disks, my life has been like a vacation!There are one or two things, however, which probably need to be said about the DVD. Because Pink Flamingos and Female Trouble were originated on 16mm. film, the current wide-screen transfer is somewhat of a violation. Most of the time it isn't really a problem -- especially in Pink Flamingos. But there are scenes in Female Trouble when the reframing necessary to approximate a wide-screen image has almost eliminated important visual information at the top and bottom of the frame. In the Christmas Tree scene, for example, one can now only barely glimpse Dawn's slippers as she goes on her elephantesque rampage. The scene is still funny, but not as much so. There are several other examples, but I leave them for you to discover. I wish that NewLine had the courage to "Window Box" these films, or at least used standard TV screen ratio instead of cropping them into a widescreen ratio they were never meant to have. I am puzzled, too, by some of the soundtrack from Pink Flamingos. My ancient VHS copy (and all the film copies I have seen) use music cues from "The Planets" for those shots where the Marbles spy on Divine's birthday party. Though the party music itself remains the same on the DVD (and on the previous Laser-Disk), the intercut shots now have a different musical accompanyment. What happened? I am very pleased that the end credit sequence in Female Trouble has been _restored_ so to speak (actually, it was re-created rather than truly restored. But it's nice all the same). Now that I have that out of my system, let me go on to say that I am looking forward to the day when ALL of the works of John's are on DVD. Wouldn't a disk set of Multiple Maniacs and Mondo Trasho be especially nice? Maybe they could throw in The Diane Linkletter Story as an extra feature. Or how about a reissue of Polyester, complete with the Scratch and Sniff cards? I could personally really go for a disk combining Water's VERY EARLY films - such as Roman Candles, Hag in a Black Leather Jacket and Eat Your Makeup. Watch with: Each other, of course! What else could you possibly need? But if you wanted to make a marathon of it, why not: "Faster Pussycat, Kill Kill", "Blood Feast", "2,000 Maniacs", Querelle, or anything starring Jayne Mansfield.
Rating:
Summary: John Waters at His Shocking Best
Review: As an opening disclaimer, if you are a big fan of "Hairspray" (in either ints movie or musical form), these films are not necessarily for you. Even after the films of the Farrelly Brothers, MTV's "Jackass," and countless other bits of media that suggest the fall of Western Civilization, "Pink Flamingos" and "Female Trouble" remain the crowning gems of shock cinema. These films have not only crossed the line of good taste; they've taken a paid vacation to a tropical island that sits 3,000 miles past the line. "Pink Flamingos" is the generally recognized classic. The film features infamous scenes of feces eating, meat smuggling, and singing rectums among its accomplishments of sleeze. Amazing, there is still a plot that involves two families vying to earn the title of "the filthiest people alive." What makes the movie work amidst its vile setpieces is the sense of fun behind it all, and the strangest delivery of some of the stranges lines ever. "Female Trouble" is even better. The convoluted but followable story revolves around Dawn Davenport and her lifelong attempts to become notorious, culminating in her completely insane presentation of murder as art. All of Waters' regulars appear once again, and the film trumps the disgustingness of "Pink Flamingos" (even if it has nothing quite as vomit inducing as eating dog poo). The commentaries on these discs are as great as the movie. I'm not a big fan of commentaries, but I always take the extra effort to give John Waters' rants a listen. Much of the info for these films may also be found in Waters' book "Shock Value" (which is also wonderful), but his speaking style is really infectious and captivating.
Rating:
Summary: NICE GIRLS Don't Wear CHA-CHA Heals!!!!
Review: To have this double DVD appear on store shelves just made my year! Two of Waters classics (he is a generous fellow) that can be watched over and over again, while one can repeat line after line with the cast and never have to worry about your medication. If you haven't seen these movies, you've messed up badly and need to see them immediately. If you have, you know exactly how important they are to the American culture. Divine, Edie, Chicklet, Consetta, Gator...oh the list of mega-stars goes on! "Pink Flamingos" will always be treasured for it's final "doggy poo" scene. The behind the scenes truth is, Divine called the local hospital after filming that notorious scene, worried that she may become ill. She blamed it on her 'slightly retarded son who ate dog poo'. It's true, Pig-port and you KNOW it! With "Female Trouble", which was released in digitally remastered sound and cleaned up visually, you can finally, finally hear Mrs. Davenport say to Dawn on Christmas morning, "Those are your new shoes Dawn!". You know what happens next. Poor Mrs. Davenport crushed under that tree! They were the wrong SHOES!!! Sure, most of the cast is dead, but so what!? These movies live on forever! They are stunning! "Beauty beauty, look at you! I wish to God I had it too!" Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Double Dose of Depravity
Review: "Pink Flamingos" pits Babs Johnson (Divine) against Connie and Raymond Marble (Mink Stole and David Lochary) for the title of filthiest person alive. The Marbles earn a living by kidnapping young girls, having their butler impregnate them, and then selling their babies to lesbian couples. In addition, they are heavily into foot fetishism, commit arson and, when time permits, Raymond likes to expose himself to young girls. Babs, her mother Miss Edie (Edith Massey), her son Crackers (Danny Mills) and their traveling companion Cotton (Mary Vivian Pearce) are itinerant thieves. They engage in illegal drug taking, bestiality, murder, cannibalism, and incest. The Marbles don't stand a chance against them. For good measure, Babs ends the film by actually eating dog poop, proving that Divine was willing to do anything to achieve stardom and John Waters would go to any extreme to achieve notoriety. "Pink Flamingos" always delivers disgusting delights. "Female Trouble" isn't quite as revolting as its predecessor, but boasts a more coherent plot and strong performances from its lead characters. As Dawn Davenport, Divine goes from a teenage runaway and rape victim to a murdering diva who proves the theory that "crime is beauty." Mink Stole steals the movie as Dawn's bratty and demented daughter, Taffy. In addition, Edith Massey shines as sexy Aunt Ida, whose acting style goes far beyond over-the-top. "Pink Flamingos" and "Female Trouble" reach the pinnacle of perversion, from which John Waters has descended into the valley of more mainstream movies.
Rating: 
Summary: Wax your upper lip freak.
Review: I got more out of watching a hemroid operation than this John Waters double feature. John I'm sorry but I feel you're not needed within the movie industry. You have nothing to offer. Maybe you can be one of those people that clean porn theaters after...
Rating: 
Summary: you MUST have an open mind....and I mean really open...
Review: I have yet to understand why Pink Flamingos is probably one of the most popular films of Mr. Waters. Personally, I do not like Pink Flamingos, but I do like Female Trouble (minus the ending-that was just stupid). I would definitely buy the Hairspray/Pecker combo over this one. It's much more enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: "Oh my God Almighty--someone has sent me a bowel movement!"
Review: ...and that's just one of several dozen memorable lines to be found on these two remastered DVD's from New Line Cinema, who boast on the cover that "we are proud to recycle our trash". And believe me, trash doesn't get any better than this. Though these films are not pristine due to the source material, they have never looked better. The only complaint I can offer is that in several places the subtitles are incorrect on "Female Trouble". Just before we see Aunt Ida and Gator, Dawn says "I wonder if he's a chubby chaser" and the on screen title reads "I wonder if he's a shelley chaser (Huh?). Then, right before Dawn hacks off Aunt Ida's hand, she says "Ida Nelson, I'm gonna chop off your scrawny little paw!" and the subtitle reads "I've had enough, I'm gonna chop off your scrawny little paw". But that's nitpicking--I only had the subtitles on during the time that I was watching the director's commentary on both movies, which were almost as enjoyable as the films themselves. For the poor deprived person who has never had the pleasure of viewing these before, my opinion would be that although "Trouble" starts off a much funnier film, it loses momentum once the "crime is beauty" theory is introduced, which is too bad since the first half hour is brilliantly sick and perverse. "Flamingos" is more consistent, with Mink Stole's "interview" scene at the beginning being a definite highlight. She is very underrated as an actress. If you are looking for camp humor and some harmless sleaze, this double DVD set will perfectly fit the bill and once you have this in your DVD collection you no need longer be a "jealous pervert".
Rating:
Summary: Cult it is NOT!!
Review: So, it a nutshell...don't bother wasting your time like I did. To make a movie about bad taste and think that it will eventually become a cult is about as dumb as voting for G W Bush and thinking that he will usher in the second coming of Christ. Yeh, right! Left or Right....there are better things to do with your time.
Rating:
Summary: two works of art
Review: female troubles is waters' masterpiece. this film (with desperate living) ranks as one of the great art films of all time right alongside dreyer's passion of joan of arc, bunuel's belle de jour, welles' citizen kane, and cocteau's orphee. waters here produced somethin akin to nothing before it and that should be said of all great art.
|
