A Dirty Shame (2004)

An uptight, middle-aged, repressed woman turns into a sex addict after getting hit on the head, and she then falls into an underground subculture of sex addicts in suburban Baltimore.

Director:

John Waters

Writer:

John Waters

Stars:

Tracey Ullman, Chris Isaak, Selma Blair

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tracey Ullman	...	Sylvia
Johnny Knoxville	...	Ray Ray
Selma Blair	...	Caprice
Chris Isaak	...	Vaughn
Suzanne Shepherd	...	Big Ethel
Mink Stole	...	Marge The Neuter
Patricia Hearst	...	Paige
Jackie Hoffman	...	Dora
Nick Noble	...	Weird Paperboy (as Nicholas E.I. Noble)
Lucy Newman-Williams	...	Neuter Yuppie Woman
Scott Morgan	...	Neuter Yuppie Man
Wes Johnson	...	Fat Fuck Frank
David A. Dunham	...	Mama Bear
David Moretti	...	Papa Bear (as Dave Moretti)
Jeffrey Auerbach	...	Baby Bear

Storyline

Middle-aged, sexually repressed Sylvia Stickles is the subject of this John Water's film, set in North Baltimore. She refuses to have sex with her husband, Vaughn Stickles, and keeps her overly-endowed daughter, Caprice, locked in her room, while she serves home detention for moral depravity charges. Sylvia, together with her mother Big Ethel, lead a group calling themselves "neuters" that promotes decency on Harford Road. When Sylvia is accidentally hit on the head by a lawnmower hanging out of a passing pick-up truck, however, her sexual behavior is changed completely from prude to prostitute. She meets the sex addicted sexual healer Ray Ray Perkins, becoming his twelfth apostle of sex in a journey of pleasure and orgasm.

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Plot Keywords:

lust | prostitute | go go dancer | male pubic hair | nudist | 

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Taglines:

Threatening the very limits of common decency.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for pervasive sexual content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 September 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Adictos al sexo

Filming Locations:

Maryland, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$29,384, 19 September 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,339,668, 7 November 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fine Line Features, This Is That Productions, Killer Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min 84 min (R-rated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to John Waters, when he asked the MPAA what would need to be removed in order for the film to obtain an R rating, he was told "after a while, we just stopped taking notes."

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Goofs

Before running out of gas, the car is turned off and in park but is still driving.

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Quotes

[at the Bear house]
Cow Patty: Hi, I'm Cow Patty.
Vaughn Stickles: Hi, I'm Vaughn. I live up the street and I'm looking for my wife Sylvia.
Cow Patty: I'm the only Goldilocks allowed in this Bear cave. I'm a Bear Hag and we call this...
Mama Bear, Papa Bear, Baby Bear: Bear soup!
[Big Ethel looks in at the Bears as Cow Patty notices her]
Cow Patty: Wow, a tranny bear. Come on in!
Big Ethel: [as she runs off] Police!

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Alternate Versions

The Theratrical Release Of The film was the original NC-17 version.For the VHS/DVD releases John Waters said that it will be released in the original NC-17 rated version and a cut R Rated Version.

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Connections

Features The Red Shoes (1948)

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Soundtracks

Hello Darling
Performed by Chris Marshall
Written by Chris Marshall
Courtesy of FirstCom Music, Inc.

User Reviews

"A Dirty Shame" is a shame!

"A Dirty Shame" is a John Waters film about a prudish, uptight mid-western woman who, after having concussion in a motor vehicle accident, becomes a raving sex addict.

Although I'm a bit of a John Waters fan - "A Dirty Shame" was a pretty big shame and a disappointment.

I guess society and comedy has moved on a bit from drag queens eating doggie-do (see Pink Flamingos). Shows and films like South Park, Wonder Showzen and Team America seem to push the envelope in terms of bad taste comedy. "A Dirty Shame" just seems to fall a little short of that "pushing the envelope in bad taste" name.

Most of the sexual discussion feels not quite as raunchy as "Sex in the City" or even "Jerry Springer"!! Most things about this movie feels a little on the amateurish side - the acting, the cinematography, the script... However - one plus was the Selma Blair character - although it sort of felt it was a little underused.

Overall - A Dirty Shame was a big disappointment. John Waters appears not to be pushing that "bad taste" envelope anymore. Perhaps he needs to return to more kitsch mainstream territory (a la Hairspray).