Mondo Trasho (1969)

A day in the lives of a hit-and-run driver and her victim, and the bizarre things that happen to them before and after they collide (sexual assault by a crazed foot-fetishist, visions of ... See full summary »

Director:

John Waters

Writer:

John Waters

Stars:

Mary Vivian Pearce, Divine, David Lochary

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mary Vivian Pearce	...	The Bombshell / Cinderella
Divine	...	Divine / Greaser in Alley
David Lochary	...	Asylum Inmate / Dr. Coathanger / Voice of Snob #2
Mink Stole	...	Homeless Woman / Asylum Inmate / Snob #1
Bob Skidmore	...	Asylum Personnel / Policeman
Margie Skidmore	...	Shocked Mother in Park / The Virgin Mary
Berenica Cipcus	...	Evil Stepsister #1 / Asylum Inmate / Dr. Coathanger's Nurse
Jack Walsh
Chris Atkinson
Lizzy Temple Black	...	The Virgin Mary's Assistant
Mark Isherwood	...	The Hitch-Hiker
Mike Bauer
Pat Moran	...	Dr. Coathanger's Secretary
George Figgs	...	Asylum Inmate / Man in Waiting Room
Susan Lowe	...	Asylum Inmate

Storyline

A day in the lives of a hit-and-run driver and her victim, and the bizarre things that happen to them before and after they collide (sexual assault by a crazed foot-fetishist, visions of the Virgin Mary, strange chicken-foot grafting operations).

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Plot Keywords:

hit and run | actual animal killed | pig | nurse | foot fetish | 

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Taglines:

At Last... A "Gutter Film"

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 March 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

John Waters' Mondo Trasho

Filming Locations:

Johns Hopkins University - 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,100 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dreamland

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Waters admitted in later interviews that he believes this film is "way too long" and should have been a short film.

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Quotes

Divine: Oh Mary! Oh Holy Trinity! Oh God! It isn't easy being Divine!

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Crazy Credits

And introducing John Leisenring as 'the shrimper'

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Alternate Versions

Was released once in the UK - in 1983, before the video recordings act, paired with 'Sex Madness' (1938). This release by Palace Video was uncut.

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Connections

Referenced in Lady Divine (1975)

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Soundtracks

Angel Baby
Written by Rose Hamlin
Performed by Rosie & The Originals (as Rosie and the Originals)

User Reviews

Got A.D.D? This is your film.

One can safely expect to sit still for a couple of hours, block-out the world around them, and pay attention to what's happening upon the screen for the duration of a film, right? Well, for most films, yes.

This isn't like most films, lol.

"Mondo Trasho" is one of my favorite John Waters flicks. I first rented this film back in 1998 after seeing "Pink Flamingos" the previous year. I've definitely seen "Mondo Trasho" over a hundred times by now. It's a real treat for us John Waters fans but it definitely is NOT for your common movie-goer.

You must already be familiar with and appreciate John Waters' film-making in order to get anything out of this film. It's also advisable to do something while watching this film. Yes, you read that correctly - do something while watching this. It's a great film to have on while working on your computer or while organizing and cleaning-up the place. As long as you've got a view of the screen at all times, you'll be OK. I don't think I've ever watched this film sitting down and doing nothing. Pay attention too closely and you will either grow impatient or fall asleep.

This is a very turbulent film. It's like a weird dream. It's grainy, gritty, and garish. The soundtrack jumps around erratically and can sufficiently mystify the viewer upon hearing what at first seems like odd choices in music. That impression quickly gives way to irony that is often times invoked by the soundtrack playing against its accompanying visuals. The effect is often times striking, sometimes silly, other times charming, and many times just plain bizarre. Though, there never is a bad musical-visual sequence, as all of Water's choices blend together beautifully to create an audio/motion-picture collage that feels more like a tweaker's nightmare than an Academy Award-generating production. But that's what makes it so great!

Putting this soundtrack together was obviously a monumental task for Waters and his efforts are probably what makes this film what it is. As I've already mentioned before, this film is definitely not one to sit through. It's like those videos that play upon multiple T.V. screens at dance clubs - nobody really pays too much attention to them but they provide an orgy of visuals, teamed-up with music and designed to stir the senses far beyond what most people are ready for.