After killing her husband, Peggy Gravel and her murderous maid Grizelda wind up in the crazy town of Mortville, where Queen Carlotta presides over a sleazy collection of misfits.
Rated 3.5 / 5 from 1 log on Katalog
I’ve seen almost all of John Waters’ films, and I was still constantly at a loss for words when I finally managed to watch Desperate Living. I loved the extreme absurdity in Female Trouble, I loved the bubblegum sweetness of Hairspray, and I even had some fun with Pink Flamingos, so I went into this viewing with high hopes. Not to say that this movie is more shocking than the others, but my god was it relentlessly ridiculous. A suburban housewife at the end of her rope runs away with her housemaid in the aftermath of a crime they commit together. On the way, they are directed to Mortville, a shantytown that is ruled by an authoritarian queen, and build a new life there together. The brief summary sounds ridiculous enough, the rest has to be seen to be believed. The most difficult thing was Divine’s absence (having a prior commitment during the filming), but the other Dreamlanders certainly have many of their own charms to offer.
