So here we have the only John Waters movie you'll ever find in the horror section. It's also probably his most offensive movie. Primitive, amateurish, bold, and sharp, Multiple Maniacs proves to be a very acquired taste.
The plot actually reminds me a lot of Wizard of Gore. Divine is the head of a freak show whose mission is to murder members of its audience (yet people still come and see them--I don't get it). There is a lot of highly offensive humor. In fact, if you are even slightly Christian, you'd be doing yourself good to stay away from this film. Unless, you have a fondness for rosary jobs. Though I try to keep my reviews as clean as possible, I know many of you people are asking right now "What the hell is a rosary job?" Well, basically, it's getting fucked by a rosary. Hey, you asked.
Multiple Maniacs, while enjoyable to many fans of Waters' early work, has multiple flaws for the seasoned film fan. It is incredibly slow moving in parts, however there is enough action in the film to almost see past this. It's almost too niche, only being enjoyed by a very, very small demographical population. Also, the bad acting and the amateurish camera work is enough to make any person who knows anything about film-making cringe. However, even at their worst, these flaws can be overlooked.
In many ways this film is even more shocking than Pink Flamingos because it doesn't really have that "nauseating fun" aspect behind it. While Pink Flamingos has more shocks-per-minute, the satire drowns it out slightly. There is no question that Pink Flamingos is a comedy, so the shock value is often toned down because of the humorous undertones. The comedy in Multiple Maniacs is not nearly as prevalent. A lot of times you don't know if you're supposed to be laughing or appalled. This is why it is much more successful as a shock film. It's these serious undertones which can cause me to guarantee that this movie has a much higher "squirming in your seat" factor than any of John Waters' previous work. And I mean that in a good way.
I lump this in the same category as Mondo Trasho because it is more surreal than anything. Also, like Mondo Trasho, I think this film will cater more toward the artsy/experimental film crowd (like David Lynch's fans). This film is filled with imagery (whether Waters intended it or not) and this makes it a worthwhile theatrical appearance. However, this film has more fans than Mondo Trasho because the "bottom line" is much easier to get. That, and *Divine gets raped by a giant lobster (I kid you not).
Not for the faint of heart, Multiple Maniacs was made for the film fan that thinks he/she has seen everything. This movie is the next step from Pink Flamingos; a step that should only be made by the most masochistic of movie goers. Only recommended if you enjoy being shocked into incoherence (anyone who claims he/she didn't flinch during the coathanger scene is a liar), Multiple Maniacs shows no mercy. If you're daring, pop in this flick. Say your prayers first.
*I gotta see this flick... -Chris-
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