Female Trouble

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

A riotously funny bad-taste epic from director John Waters, Baltimore's "Prince of Puke," this sick classic tells the depraved life story of obese criminal Dawn Davenport (Divine), from her bad-girl youth as a go-go dancer on Baltimore's infamous Block to her death in the electric chair. Mink Stole is terrific as Dawn's bratty daughter Taffy, conceived following a romp on a junkyard mattress with a fat derelict in soiled underpants (also played by Divine). Mary Vivian Pearce and David Lochary co-star as crazed owners of a beauty-parlor who are convinced that "crime equals beauty," and they take Dawn under their wings, forcing her to mainline liquid eyeliner to enhance her appeal. Edith Massey steals the film as Dawn's obsessive neighbor, Ida, who wants her nephew to be gay (because heterosexuals lead "sick and boring lives") and throws acid in Dawn's face when she marries him. A hilariously appalling film, Female Trouble is just as disgusting and far funnier than Waters' previous Pink Flamingos, if not as notorious. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Features:
  • cc
  • Original uncut full-length version
  • Commentary by John Waters

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Divine - Dawn Davenport
       David Lochary - Donald Dasher
       Mary Vivian Pearce - Donna Dasher
       Mink Stole - Taffy Davenport
       Edith Massey - Ida Nelson
       Cookie Mueller - Concetta
       Susan Walsh - Chiclett
       Michael Potter - Gater
       Ed Peranio - Wink
       Paul Swift - Butterfly
       George Figgs - Dribbles
       Susan Lowe - Vikki
       George Hulse - Teacher
       Roland Hertz - Dawn's Father
       Betty Woods - Dawn's Mother
       Hilary Taylor - Taffy as Child
       Channing Wilroy - Prosecutor
       Seymour Avigdor - Defense Lawyer
       Elizabeth Coffey - Earnestine
       Danny Mills

• Director:

  John Waters

• Producer:

  John Waters

• Screenwriter:

  John Waters

• Cinematographer:

  John Waters

• Editor:

  Charles Roggero

• Costume Designer:

  Van Smith

REVIEW:

• John Waters' follow-up to the notorious Pink Flamingos is slicker and believe it or not, even more twisted. Despite its low-budget nature, Female Trouble's script and direction are much more ambitious: The surprisingly complex story packs a novel's worth of plot into 98 minutes without ever feeling overwritten, and Waters fills each frame of the film with outrageously gaudy sets, costumes, makeup, and hairdos that create a convincingly surreal atmosphere of bad taste (special kudos must also be directed to production designer Vincent Peranio and costume/makeup whiz Van Smith, who each played a crucial role in creating this world). However, Female Trouble is so consistently over-the-top and hysterically shrill in its pursuit of sick humor that it might frighten off even the hardiest cult film addicts. The characters are written in a way that makes them all unsympathetic, the film's theme of "crime equals beauty" is likely to make even the most liberal-minded viewers squirm, and the story plays sordid themes like child abuse, incest, and mutilation for laughs of the darkest variety. Just the same, those brave enough to stick with Female Trouble will find the film has its rewards: Waters works in some clever visual references to Russ Meyer and Herschell Gordon Lewis and the supporting cast is full of memorable turns, especially Edith Massey's jaw-dropping work as Gator's anti-heterosexual mother. Best of all, Female Trouble is graced with Divine's most impressive performance. He goes about his transformation from spoiled teen to crazed murderess with the kind of fearless bravado that few actors ever attempt and puts on a display of go-for-broke histrionics that would put Joan Crawford to shame: Highlights include a sex scene where Divine plays both participants and the hilarious "nightclub act" that climaxes with Divine attempting to execute the audience. In short, Female Trouble is required viewing for anyone with a serious interest in John Waters or Divine but casual moviegoers should approach the film with extreme caution. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi