My Review of Desperate Living (1977)

 

Written And Directed by John Waters 

Peggy: "Have I gone to Hell? Is that it? Have I gone straight to Hell?"

I should note this movie along with previous efforts like Pink Flamingos and Female Trouble all formed a trashy trilogy of sorts, despite no real connective tissue with one another. As well as certain actors playing different roles each time.

Anyways, this film centred on the spoiled, hysterical and rich Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole). She's fairly unlikable and was convinced that her children were having sex, the neighbours kids were trying to kill her and her husband, Bosley (George Stover) was abusing her. None of these things were true. 

Bosley on the other hand was convinced that Peggy needed to be sectioned when he wasn't calling the housekeeper, Grizelda Brown (Jean Hill) out on her drinking and stealing. Long story short, Bosley ended up dead and both Peggy and Grizelda were responsible for his death.

Being guilty of that crime forced both women into moving to the shantytown of Mortville. It's as much of a shit hole as expected and both Peggy and Grizelda found themselves hanging out with volatile lesbian couple, Mole McHenry (Susan Lowe) and Muffy St. Jacques (Liz Renay). There was even some action between Peggy and Grizelda, though the former didn't seem to enjoy it as much.

Anyways, despite Mortville being an absolute hovel, it had a ruled named Queen Carlotta (Edith Massey). Yup, she's a sadistic bitch who forced her men into sleeping with her, killed her daughter, Princess Coo-Coo's (Mary Vivian Pearce) nudist lover and on top of that, she wanted to give her citizens a lethal dose of rabies.

There's a team up of the Queen and the opportunistic Peggy which did result in Coo-Coo being affected by rabies but a rebellion led by Mole. It's a good victory with suitably nasty endings for both Carlotta and Peggy respectively.

- The first John Waters  film not to feature Divine. I can't imagine who they would've played had they featured in the film. Grizelda maybe?

- Mink was a professional wrestler in her former life. Muffy was a rich bitch who killed her child's babysitter with dog food. There's a gender reassignment subplot that led to a moment where I had to look away.

- A thirst moment for Lieutenant Grogan (Steve Butow). He was insanely beautiful. I can see why Carlotta was nuts about him.

- Chronology: Peggy and Grizelda were located in Guilford, Baltimore before they ended up in Mortville.

Desperate Living made for a good ending to a trashy trilogy. An awful protagonist, a belaboured help, a slew of colourful and grotesque shantytown characters with some genuinely stomach churning moments. A fascinating mess and I really liked it.

Rating: 7 out of 10