Dirty Shame, A

"A Dirty Shame" is classic John Waters, but that's not necessarily a good thing.

Waters is up to his old tricks, namely trying to do anything and everything he can to shock and outrage mainstream movie audiences. Needless to say, he succeeds. Maybe more so than in any of his movies since 1972's "Pink Flamingos."

In fact, with its nonstop onslaught of sex jokes and other crudities, the film definitely earns its disputed NC-17 rating. And given what Waters puts his star through — the talented Tracey Ullman — you have to wonder if some of the charges about him being a bit misogynistic might not be true.

This supposed comedy takes place in Harvard Road, a conservative suburb of Baltimore that is being invaded by "degenerates," sex addicts who are very open about their kinky sexual practices.

Among the more outraged residents is Sylvia Stickles (Ullman), a frigid housewife whose anatomically outrageous daughter, Clarice (Selma Blair), is a raging nymphomaniac. And thanks to a head injury, Sylvia becomes one as well and falls under the sway of Ray Ray (Johnny Knoxville), a charismatic "sexual savior" who's trying to liberate what he sees as the community's repressed citizenry. So it's up to Sylvia's husband (Chris Isaak) and mother (Suzanne Shepherd) to rescue her. That is, if they can keep their own hormones in check.

To be honest, there is not one genuine laugh to be had in this picture, from the "subliminal" imagery (such as the word "harlot" appearing when Sylvia's transformation takes place) to the grotesquely cartoonish bosom of Blair's character, it's simply repulsive and terribly unfunny. And it seems much longer than its relatively brief running time.

And having to watch people as talented as Ullman and Isaak stoop this low, well, that's the real dirty shame.

"A Dirty Shame" is rated NC-17 for crude references to sex acts, as well as vulgar sexual and scatological humor, full male and female nudity, simulated sex and other sexual contact, frequent use of strong sexual profanity, supposedly comic violence (some of it sexual, some of it slapstick), and some drug content (references to drug abuse, as well as use of prescription drugs). Running time: 89 minutes.

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