A Dirty Shame (2004)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

John Waters

Writer (WGA):

John Waters (written by)

Release Date:

24 September 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Threatening the very limits of common decency.

Plot:

An uptight, middle-aged, repressed woman turns into a sex addict after getting hit on the head, and she then falls into an underground subculture of sex addicts in suburban Baltimore.

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Sex Addict | Lust | Breasts | Exhibitionist

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Tracey Ullman	...	Sylvia Stickles
Johnny Knoxville	...	Ray Ray Perkins
Selma Blair	...	Caprice Stickles
Chris Isaak	...	Vaughn Stickles
Suzanne Shepherd	...	Big Ethel
Mink Stole	...	Marge the Neuter
Patricia Hearst	...	Paige
Jackie Hoffman	...	Dora
Nicholas E.I. Noble	...	Weird Paperboy
Lucy Newman-Williams	...	Neuter Yuppie Woman
Scott Morgan	...	Neuter Yuppie Man
Wes Johnson	...	Fat Freak Frank
David A. Dunham	...	Mama Bear
David Moretti	...	Papa Bear (as Dave Moretti)
Jeffrey Auerbach	...	Baby Bear

MPAA:

Rated NC-17 for pervasive sexual content.; Rated R for pervasive strong crude sexual content, including fetishes. (The Neuter Version)

Runtime:

89 min | USA:84 min (R-rated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Sweden:15 | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R18 | Iceland:16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | France:U | Spain:18 | Singapore:(Banned) | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Canada:16+ (Québec) | Canada:18A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Canada:R (Alberta) | Finland:K-15 | Norway:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R (home video version) | USA:NC-17 | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Company:

This Is That Productions

Trivia:

The opening theme song, "Sylvia" by The David Raskin Orchestra, was originally the love theme of the soap opera Sylvia (1965), starring Carroll Baker. A slightly different version, by the same ensemble: the "Dirty Shame" vocals are by the orchestra's chorus, while the older film's arrangement had Paul Anka as guest vocalist.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Before running out of gas, car is turned off and in park but is still driving.

Quotes:

Sylvia Stickles: Somebody, somewhere, finish me off!

Movie Connections:

Features The Red Shoes (1948)

Soundtrack:

The Backwards Alphabet

John Waters on Viagra

John Waters has made a great film with a "A Dirty Shame". I used to think, how can a director make so many films that have no point other than to shock, disturb and make people laugh? Well, I soon found out that it was a bit too simplistic to see them that way. You know, if you look at Warhol's Cambells soup paintings, you'll see that they are different types of Cambells soups. Well that's the same thing that's going on in his films. They may have similar flavors but the content is different. (well minestrone is different from clam chowder..okay bad soup analogy) The point is that John Waters has something to say and although trash is the reoccurring theme of his films, he always adds something new to the subject.Before, it was just about the freaks against the normal people and all the tabboos that were broken in the film as a result. Then there was the trash of films and art versus the "norm" and here we have sex politicized as the deviant and immoral act versus the neutered normal people. The irony is that none of the characters in this or any other Waters film is actually normal. He pokes fun at just about everything so it is a celebration of being freakish whether you're from Baltimore or anywhere else. John Waters knows how to be overt without being too mean about it. He is anything but pretentious, in fact he loathes it. There is something absurd about cultural hierarchy and without Waters, we would'nt be able to feel good about all the filth that exists in this country.

We have to hand it to John Waters. Its a miracle that he can make these films and have large audiences see them. John has brought the underground to the surface of mainstream and allowed audiences to either shake, laugh, think, get sick or all of the above. In my mind, John Waters is a real treasure to the art of American cinema and "A Dirty Shame" is a reason why.