A Dirty Shame
Encyclopedia
A Dirty Shame is a 2004 satirical
sex comedy
written and directed by John Waters
, and starring Tracey Ullman
, Selma Blair
, Johnny Knoxville
, Chris Isaak
, Suzanne Shepherd
, and Mink Stole
.
s, the puritan
ical residents who despise anything even remotely carnal, and the perverts, a group of sex addicts
whose unique fetish
es have all been brought to the fore by accidental concussions. Repressed Sylvia Stickles (Tracey Ullman
) finds herself firmly entrenched in the former camp until one day when, after leaving her promiscuous
daughter Caprice (Selma Blair
) - nicknamed Ursula Udders because of her gargantuan breasts and penchant for indecent exposure
- under house arrest
'for her own good', she's smacked on the head by a passing car and meets Ray-Ray Perkins (Johnny Knoxville
), a local mechanic and self-styled 'sex saint' who opens her mind to a whole new world of sensual pleasure, as he and his followers search for the ultimate sex act. Eventually, through a series of bizarre head knockings, everyone in town becomes a sex addict, as Ray-Ray shoots semen
out of his head, onto the camera.
, when he asked the MPAA
what he would need to cut in order for them to give his film an R rating, they replied that "after a while, we just stopped taking notes", and if everything they objected to was cut, only ten minutes could be distributed. They decided to simply release it with an NC-17 rating.
It was shot entirely on-location in Baltimore on Harford Road
which is prominently featured in the film.
, the film is listed as having a 53% critical approval rating, with 53% among the 'cream of the crop.
One of the more positive reviews came from Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times
, who wrote:
Also enthusiastic was Peter Travers
of Rolling Stone
:
On the other end of the spectrum was Roger Ebert
, who gave the film one star out of a possible four:
Overseas, the film earned an additional $574,498 (as of July 14, 2005), making its global box office total $1,914,166.
as "A Dirty Shame: The Neuter Version". The "R" rated version is heavily censored and removes all profanities and nudity. In an interview, Waters stated that this version is "essentially for brainless people and 'really weird collectors'." Netflix
proclaims to stream the NC-17 version of the film, but for a time it was actually the censored version. They have since replaced it with the uncensored cut. The censored version airs on LOGO
, a cable channel for gay interest.
Despite several internet sites and even the spine of the DVD stating that it is
"The Neuter Version", the Australian version of the film is the fully uncut NC-17 version with all profanity and nudity intact. It is rated R18+
for sexual references and adult themes.
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
sex comedy
Sex comedy
Sex comedy is a term for comedy movies with sexual content usually referring to those made in the United Kingdom in the mid 1970s. They may range from comic pornographic films like the Confessions series to relatively innocent comedies that include jokes about sex and other sexual related humour,...
written and directed by John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
, and starring Tracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman is a British stage and television actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author ....
, Selma Blair
Selma Blair
Selma Blair is an American actress who has worked in film, theatre and television. She has performed in feature films including Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, The Sweetest Thing, Hellboy, The Fog, Purple Violets and Hellboy II: The Golden Army...
, Johnny Knoxville
Johnny Knoxville
Philip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
, Chris Isaak
Chris Isaak
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
, Suzanne Shepherd
Suzanne Shepherd
Suzanne Shepherd is an American actress and theater director. She is best known for her portrayal of Karen's overbearing mother in the film Goodfellas, and Carmela's overbearing mother in the television program The Sopranos. Shepherd studied acting with Sanford Meisner, and later went on to teach...
, and Mink Stole
Mink Stole
Nancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date...
.
Plot
The people of Harford Road are firmly divided into two camps; neuterNeuter
Neuter is a Latin adjective meaning "neither", and can refer to:* Neutering, the sterilization of an animal* The neuter grammatical gender-See also:*Trap-Neuter-Return , an alternative to euthanasia for managing feral cat and dog populations...
s, the puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
ical residents who despise anything even remotely carnal, and the perverts, a group of sex addicts
Sexual addiction
Sexual addiction is a popular model to explain hypersexuality—sexual urges, behaviors, or thoughts that appear extreme in frequency or feel out of one's control...
whose unique fetish
Sexual fetishism
Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the sexual arousal a person receives from a physical object, or from a specific situation. The object or situation of interest is called the fetish, the person a fetishist who has a fetish for that object/situation. Sexual fetishism may be regarded, e.g...
es have all been brought to the fore by accidental concussions. Repressed Sylvia Stickles (Tracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman
Tracey Ullman is a British stage and television actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author ....
) finds herself firmly entrenched in the former camp until one day when, after leaving her promiscuous
Promiscuity
In humans, promiscuity refers to less discriminating casual sex with many sexual partners. The term carries a moral or religious judgement and is viewed in the context of the mainstream social ideal for sexual activity to take place within exclusive committed relationships...
daughter Caprice (Selma Blair
Selma Blair
Selma Blair is an American actress who has worked in film, theatre and television. She has performed in feature films including Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, The Sweetest Thing, Hellboy, The Fog, Purple Violets and Hellboy II: The Golden Army...
) - nicknamed Ursula Udders because of her gargantuan breasts and penchant for indecent exposure
Indecent exposure
Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure in public or in view of the general public by a person of a portion or portions of his or her body, in circumstances where the exposure is contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. Indecent exposure laws vary in different...
- under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
'for her own good', she's smacked on the head by a passing car and meets Ray-Ray Perkins (Johnny Knoxville
Johnny Knoxville
Philip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
), a local mechanic and self-styled 'sex saint' who opens her mind to a whole new world of sensual pleasure, as he and his followers search for the ultimate sex act. Eventually, through a series of bizarre head knockings, everyone in town becomes a sex addict, as Ray-Ray shoots semen
Semen
Semen is an organic fluid, also known as seminal fluid, that may contain spermatozoa. It is secreted by the gonads and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize female ova...
out of his head, onto the camera.
Cast
- Tracey UllmanTracey UllmanTracey Ullman is a British stage and television actress, comedienne, singer, dancer, screenwriter and author ....
as Sylvia Stickles - Johnny KnoxvilleJohnny KnoxvillePhilip John Clapp , better known by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, stunt performer, best known for being the co-creator and principal star of the MTV reality series Jackass, with the catchphrase "I'm Johnny Knoxville, and welcome to Jackass."-Early...
as Ray-Ray Perkins - Selma BlairSelma BlairSelma Blair is an American actress who has worked in film, theatre and television. She has performed in feature films including Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, The Sweetest Thing, Hellboy, The Fog, Purple Violets and Hellboy II: The Golden Army...
as Caprice Stickles/Ursula Udders - Chris IsaakChris IsaakChristopher Joseph "Chris" Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor.-Early life:Isaak was born in Stockton, California, the son of Dorothy , a potato chip factory worker, and Joe Isaak, a forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American, originating from Genoa...
as Vaughn Stickles - Suzanne ShepherdSuzanne ShepherdSuzanne Shepherd is an American actress and theater director. She is best known for her portrayal of Karen's overbearing mother in the film Goodfellas, and Carmela's overbearing mother in the television program The Sopranos. Shepherd studied acting with Sanford Meisner, and later went on to teach...
as Big Ethel Stickles - Mink StoleMink StoleNancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date...
as Marge - Patricia Hearst as Paige
- Jackie HoffmanJackie HoffmanJacqueline Laura Hoffman , known as Jackie Hoffman, is an American actress and stand-up comedian known for her facially-contorting expressions, and one-woman shows of Jewish-themed original songs and monologues...
as Dora - Wes JohnsonWes JohnsonWes Johnson is an American actor, cartoonist, comedian and voice artist, who has appeared in such films as A Dirty Shame, Head of State, The Invasion, For Richer or Poorer and Hearts in Atlantis...
as Fat Fuck Frank - Paul DeBoyPaul DeBoyPaul DeBoy is an American actor. He appeared in A Dirty Shame as Wendell Doggett. . Four episodes of "Law & Order" and "Law & Order Trial by Jury"A member of Naked Angels Tuesday readings....
as Wendell Doggett - Gaelan Alexander ConnellGaelan ConnellGaelan Alexander Connell is an American actor and musician.-Life and career:Connell was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland. He has two brothers, Brendan and Shawn, and his first name is Gaelic. He graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and attended the Tisch...
as Horny kid - Channing WilroyChanning WilroyChanning Wilroy is an American film actor who has appeared in seven films by John Waters. His first film role was the character Channing, the manservant in the film Pink Flamingos...
as Male motorist - Alan J. Wendl as Officer Alvin
- David A. Dunham as Mama Bear
- Dave Moretti as Papa Bear
- Jeffrey Auerbach as Baby Bear
- Jonas Grey as Warren the mailman
- Doug Roberts as Driving neuter husband
- Mary Vivian PearceMary Vivian PearceMary Vivian Pearce is an American actress. She has worked primarily in the films of John Waters.Pearce is the childhood best friend of John Waters and has appeared as an actress in all of his films. Because of her work with Waters, she is considered one of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of...
as Unjudgemental ex-sex addict - Jean Hill as Woman at fire escape
- Bob Adams as Bus passenger
- George FiggsGeorge FiggsGeorge Figgs is an American actor and projectionist. He began his career portrayingcharacters in the early films of John Waters. Because of his work with Waters, he is considered one of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of regular cast and crew members.Figgs is a film historian interested in...
(uncredited) as Neuter - Ricki LakeRicki LakeRicki Pamela Lake is an American actress, producer, and television host. She is best known for her starring role as Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray, her ground-breaking documentary film The Business of Being Born, and her talk show which was broadcasted internationally from...
(cameoCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
) as Herself - David HasselhoffDavid HasselhoffDavid Michael Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, producer and businessman. He is best known for his lead roles as Michael Knight in the popular 1980s US series Knight Rider and as L.A. County Lifeguard Mitch Buchannon in the series Baywatch...
(cameo) as Himself
Production
According to John WatersJohn Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
, when he asked the MPAA
Motion Picture Association of America
The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. , originally the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America , was founded in 1922 and is designed to advance the business interests of its members...
what he would need to cut in order for them to give his film an R rating, they replied that "after a while, we just stopped taking notes", and if everything they objected to was cut, only ten minutes could be distributed. They decided to simply release it with an NC-17 rating.
It was shot entirely on-location in Baltimore on Harford Road
Maryland Route 147
Maryland Route 147 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Harford Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 1 in Baltimore north to US 1 and US 1 Business in Benson. MD 147 is an alternate route to US 1 between Baltimore and Bel Air, the county seat of Harford County...
which is prominently featured in the film.
Critical reception
A Dirty Shame received a mixed response from critics, half of whom have lauded its unashamed vulgarity, while the other half have lampooned it for much the same reason. On Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the film is listed as having a 53% critical approval rating, with 53% among the 'cream of the crop.
One of the more positive reviews came from Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, who wrote:
"A gross-out pioneer, Waters has always had more on his mind than delirious, sex-crazed silliness. By allowing people to speak freely about their sexual urges and practices with a bluntness that is jaw-droppingly hilarious, Waters has drawn deeply upon comedy's liberating power. The more the sex addicts talk about their hang-ups the more comically harmless they seem, and thus it's all the more absurd for the puritanical to try to punish them for their various pursuits of pleasure.
Waters has always harnessed poor taste to lampoon attempts to limit freedom of expression. This raucously gritty and high-spirited film could scarcely be bluer in terms of the language, but from Waters it comes as a gust of fresh air."http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-dirty24sep24,2,6103039.story
Also enthusiastic was Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
:
"A Dirty Shame is Waters unleashed, and wicked, kinky fun for anyone except the twits who rated it NC-17...You may even shed a tear when Sylvia bonds with her daughter by confessing, "I'm a cunnilingus bottom." OK, the jokes are hit-and-miss and the plot is nonexistent, but the Waters spirit stays consistently and sweetly twisted. When the cast takes to the streets singing, "Let's go sexin'," you want to cheer them on."
On the other end of the spectrum was Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
, who gave the film one star out of a possible four:
"There is in show biz something known as "a bad laugh." That's the laugh you don't want to get, because it indicates not amusement but incredulity, nervousness or disapproval. John Waters' A Dirty Shame is the only comedy I can think of that gets more bad laughs than good ones...We go to a Waters film expecting bad taste, but we also expect to laugh, and A Dirty Shame is monotonous, repetitive and sometimes wildly wrong in what it hopes is funny."
Box office
A Dirty Shame opened on September 17, 2004 on one Baltimore screen to $29,384. The next weekend, it expanded to 133 venues, where it grossed $448,914 ($3,375 per screen). It ended its North American run with $1,339,668 (as of November 7, 2004).Overseas, the film earned an additional $574,498 (as of July 14, 2005), making its global box office total $1,914,166.
Home media
There is both a full uncensored version and an edited, R-rated cut sold through Blockbuster and Wal-MartWal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
as "A Dirty Shame: The Neuter Version". The "R" rated version is heavily censored and removes all profanities and nudity. In an interview, Waters stated that this version is "essentially for brainless people and 'really weird collectors'." Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
proclaims to stream the NC-17 version of the film, but for a time it was actually the censored version. They have since replaced it with the uncensored cut. The censored version airs on LOGO
Logo (TV channel)
Logo is an American digital cable television channel owned by Viacom's MTV Networks division. Launched in June 2005, the channel's programs are geared towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community...
, a cable channel for gay interest.
Despite several internet sites and even the spine of the DVD stating that it is
"The Neuter Version", the Australian version of the film is the fully uncut NC-17 version with all profanity and nudity intact. It is rated R18+
Australian Classification Board
The Australian Classification Board is a statutory classification body formed by the Australian Government which classifies films, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Australia since its establishment in 1970. The Australian Classification Board was originally incorporated...
for sexual references and adult themes.