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Rated R
*** of ****
Length: 87 minutes
Written & Directed by John Waters
Cast:
Stephen Dorff: Cecil B. Demented
Melanie Griffith: Honey Whitlock
Adrian Grenier: Lyle
Alicia Witt: Cherish
Synopsis:
A demented independent film director and his demented groupies kidnap a big name hollywood actress who's career is on the slide and force her to star in their underground film about the woeful emptiness of modern film.
Cecil B. DeMented is demented, but not to the extent that Waters' fans would be expecting. For everyone else, this will be an experience. It seems that in his hilarious effort to lampoon the wasteland that has become American cinema, he has actually tamed himself into becoming more like it. This film works better if you remember it is just a silly fantasy non-autobiography. Waters has a movie here that will be entertaining for the masses, but will leave his hard core fans wanting. The gratuitous swearing gives into the gratuitous violence which gets added absurd drug use and then the absurd sex kicks in, so yes, it is still a John Waters film! The audience enjoyed the film a great deal, and the laughter was hard and often. This also makes it worth seeing in the theaters if you get a chance.
The opening shots with the credits are a statement in themselves. It is a riot of a comedy, so the lack of character development is not a real problem. In fact, the characters are individually unique to the point where their actions are reasonable for each odd-ball character. Unfortunately, they aren't all that bright, but that is what keeps the movie going. Art is imitating life. The set up for the snatch let's you get prepared for the Waters' world you are entering. A lot of one liners and images come at you fast, so you must pay attention. I still would have liked to see how Cecil got to be demented, and how his followers came to be. Honey Whitlock's transformation into a demented forever member was a little faster than it should have been, because once that happens, the film is plenty comedic, but the plot fades further. The film making terrorism is in response to the cynical way in which Hollywood produces and markets their entertainment maladies.
If you like Griffith, if you don't like Griffith, she is good in this movie. It may be her best performance ever! Stephen Dorff does well as Demented, but too much of his dialog is yelled out without any real persona. Witt does a good job and makes a natural sex kitten, but then again, how could she fail!
The sarcastically twisted prose and visuals in the movie make this a must see for all fans of film.
Soundtrack:
1. Opening Credit Theme - Moby
2. Bankable Bitch - DJ Class & Teflon The Bull
3. Nice Tranquil Thumb In Mouth - The Locust
4. Upstart - Meatjack
5. EverydAy - SubstAnce D
6. Sprocket Holes Theme
7. No Budget - DJ Class & Mayo
8. Dying To Meet You
9. Extra Piece Of Dead Meat, An - The Locust
10. Demented Forever - Karen McMillan
11. Ciao! - Liberace
12. Chow - Jerome Dillon/Zoe Poledouris
--in the name of underground cinema!--