Customer Reviews
Babs Johnson: "... Filth is my politics! Filth is my life!" 
2008-10-09
It took me a week after I received "Pink Flamingos" from Netflix to watch it. I was very well aware of its reputation and especially of the last scene and I was literally afraid to see it. At last, I made up my mind, took all my courage and watched the impossibly obscene, terribly disgusting, outrageous to a limit, shocking to a nausea, but at the same time extremely funny criminal cult comedy. The film that was made on the shoe-string budget by the self-proclaimed king of bad and nasty taste, native Baltimorian, Mr. John Waters, in 1972, still has not become outdated and would shock you like no other. If you only imagine something disgusting, mean and dirty, rest assured - Waters uses it in the film, his debut feature, and has a lot of fun with it. He does not care a bit how shocking the characters on the screen are and what moronic things they do to each but somehow, the film maintains light,playful, and comical feel about it. If someone had told me before I saw "Pink Flamingos" that the graphic scenes of exhibitionism and incest could be hysterically funny, I'd suggest they should seek a medical help but these scenes and many others ARE funny maybe because the first time writer/director and his friends performers did not take any of what was happening on screen seriously, did not try to make any sense, did not rebel or make a statement or try to prove something. All they wanted to do - to shock the viewers and to make them laugh. They achieved their goals. I would not urge everyone to seek out and to watch "Pink Flamingos" but its unique niche in cinema makes it one of its kind event. If you decide to watch it, do it on empty stomach - as much as I tried not to look at the screen during the infamous final scene, it is still hard to ...well, swallow.
2.5-3.0 /5
Sorry, not funny 
2008-08-17
I love Divine and John Waters, but this film went too far. I can't deal with rape, animal abuse, or coprophagous acts on the screen.
Rebecca Kyle, August 2008
Poor Chicken 2008-06-08
I love John Waters, but I REALLY didn't appreciate the chicken scene. Animal cruelty isn't art in my opinion.
An Excercise in Extremely Poor Taste. Face Down Pushups, In Fact. 
2008-05-22
Another online source observes that this movie is involved with "taking on and demolishing just about every known middle-class value. . ." It certainly takes them on, but does little to offer anything substantive in exchange. This movie was lauded in a recent documentary I watched, so I put it in my Netflix queue. The movie sold itself under the tagline, "An exercise in poor taste." That turned out to be a very restrained characterization.
I'd have given it one star were it not for the occasional inanely humorous moments. Divine is certainly a larger than life personality. I was also interested in the performance of the late Cookie Mueller who was featured in a Nan Goldin book I had a chance to peruse several months ago. And, what the hell, it is - for whatever it's worth - a cult classic, one of those "places" movie buffs probably ought to go just to say they did. This is the backside of the silver screen, the prolapsed rectum of famous films.
And should you find the tedious storyline, awful camera work, threesome with a chicken, the famous "singing [butt]hole and the incestuous fellatio pushing you away from the screen, don't give up. The last moments are the best. I never knew it could be so hard to watch Divine eat real dog feces. This movie is scatologically orgiastic.
the funniest scene in the movies 
2008-04-25
I rented this a while back after reading about for years and it is a mind-blowing movie. All the other reviewers here have said all that can be said,both pro and con,by now;but I want to say that the scene of Divine
parading down the sidewalk to the tune "The Girl Can't Help It" for me ranks in the top ten (and may be #1) as the funniest movie scene ever.
I laughed 'til I cried the first time I saw it.
I love John Waters' movies and especially his choice of songs-there's nothing better than that old rock'n'roll.
It is what it is 
2008-02-11
Filmmaker John Waters exploded into infamy with this darkly comic classic in which cross-dresser Divine stars as Babs Johnson a criminal in hiding from the FBI in a trailer outside of Baltimore Maryland. Accompanying Babs are her mother (Edith Massey) a dim-witted woman who is obsessed with eggs; her son Crackers (Danny Mills); and Cotton (Mary Vivian Pierce) Babs's "travelling companion" and Crackers' co-conspirator in unwholesome play.Running Time: 108 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY UPC: 794043751622
Wow....Very Strange and Very Wrong 2008-01-04
This movie is very disturbing. Sure I have seen and enjoyed many Cheezy movies and independent movies too. But, this movie goes beyond cheezy. Its also Pretty much a porno flick for those of you who have not seen the film. It also has its funny in areas to release some of it's discomfort. The simplicity of the story is testament to Waters' gross-out goals. Divine stars as Babs Johnson, the matriarch of a trailer-dwelling family-gang that relishes its tabloid label of "filthiest people alive." Thus infuriates Raymond and Connie Marble (David Lochary and Mink Stole), who feel that their business of kidnapping and impregnating women in order to sell the babies to lesbian couples and their involvement in fronting money to a chain of heroin pushers in the inner-city elementary schools qualifies them for the title. Thus, the movie engages in a constantly escalating battle of one-upmanship, as the two families vie for the coveted title.
The home-movie quality of Pink Flamingos enhances the grossest aspects of the film because it gives the viewer the impression that little was done to fictionalize the activity on-screen. Throughout this movie I was so...Awe stricken! I couldn't believe what I was seeing: A man having sex with a woman...and chickens. Goofy villains with red and blue hair...and other areas...The most bizarre birthday party every put on film... male frontal nudity...and singing dense man...and of course the climax...All who have seen it, know what I mean...
Although the characters claim to be repulsive, they do have redeeming features - Divine is a devoted mother and daughter. Edith Massey plays the grandmother, also known as the Egg Lady, who sits in a play pen obsessing over eggs; the children are Cotton (Mary Vivian Pearce) and Crackers (Danny Mills) who play sex games with Crackers simultaneously abusing chickens and women while Cotton looks on lustfully.
Well, needless to say I was hooked and slightly numb watching this low budget bad dialogue film. I liked the Hollywood stuff...but the underground is the true John Waters! Waters has been quoted as saying if someone vomits at one of his movies, it is like getting a standing ovation...I can't deny that this man is unique. Thanks to my gore friends for mortifying my mine even more. Recommended to those who are curious.
Sublime Perversity! 2007-12-22
Pink flamingoes is a delightful work of "trash art." There is so much to love about this movie: a flasher with a turkey neck tied to his penis, Divine stealing steaks by putting them between her legs (which she actually did off screan as well!), the chicken scene, the shrimping scene, Edith the Egglady and her wheelbarrow wedding, a man who opens and closes his butt to the amusement of all, and of couse the climatic ending which made audiences retch in the theater during the movie's release. If you love to revel in perversity, profanity, and filth, then you probably already own this must-have masterpiece.
What's so shocking? I don't get what all the hype is about? 2007-11-29
I don't get why peope say this movie is shocking, outrageous, filthy ect.? It's completely normal. Selling black-market baby's is a highly profitable and prestigious business. What? Everyone is using artificial insemination these day's, I mean c'mon? My Grandmother also love's egg's and sleeps in a giant baby cradle.....what's wrong with that? Who doesn't get's turd's in the mail sometime's(?), and I ALWAY'S follow dog's around with a pooper-scooper around dinner time. That's all perfectly sane(?). This is all seem's like normal stuff to me.
divine is simply divine 2007-11-24
if you are a divine fan,,,,how could you not love this film....its raunchy and will leave you with your mouth hanging open in awe a few times....just when you think she wont go there, she will.....
