Pink Flamingos (John Waters 1972)

A couple of nights ago I watched a program from Channel 4 Films that ranked the Top 50 movies to watch before you die. I liked how varied the movie choices were. Hollywood didn't completely dominate and there were many movies on this list I had never even heard of.

At number twenty-eight is Pink Flamingos by John Waters. The movie was probably the cheapest movie to make and destined to become a cult classic. The critics loved how this movie challenged the audiences to get up and leave. I'm writing this entry minutes after watching and have to say that this movie is completely and utterly disgusting and yet I couldn't stop watching.

Every taboo is present as two groups of people vie to be named "the filthiest person in the world". This movie is over thirty years old and I can't even place how it would of been received in 1972. Eating dog shit, fucking chickens and then eating them, kidnapping and impregnating hitchhikers for baby sales, the selling of heroin to kids and much much worse are offensive now. This movie is so wrong, that I can see the appeal. I won't watch it ever again but I know I want friends to see it just so I can hear their opinions. You can't watch this and not feel something. I feel the need to shower and scrub these images from my eyes with a pumice stone.