A Dirty Shame
Dir: John Waters
2004
*
A Dirty Shame is exactly that, a dirty shame. John Waters is an iconic director, the king of trash and bad taste but with a real talent and a warmth that is often overlooked in his films. The youth may see this a revolutionary film but it really isn't, it's a shadow of Water's earlier work. I didn't much like Pink Flamingos, indeed I'm not sure anyone was supposed to but I recognise its importance in the history of cinema. A Dirty Shame has none of what made Water's old films what they are, it's not that shocking, it's not much fun and it isn't remotely funny. I think the fact that he hasn't made a film since and doesn't have anything in the pipeline is pretty telling (although he must have made loads in royalties for Hairspray). I wonder too if this film didn't damage a few careers as some popular actors disappeared off the radar afterwards, most of them really being better and deserving more. Middle-America might still be shocked but the rest of the world couldn't really give a doodle i'm afraid.