Multiple Maniacs (1970) User Reviews (42)

This film looks so incredibly cool.

[capkronos · 7/10 · 12 April 2002]

I love the grainy, inky black and white look of this movie, the bad cuts and scratches and even all the jumps in sound. It's just so gorgeous and couldn't be duplicated today...just a strange feeling is captured here, amplified because it's populated with so many hedonistic weirdos and perverts. Of course, these perks only exist because Waters and his crew were completely inept in the technical ways of cinema, but hey, I'll take what I can get.

Content wise...this has at least a flash or two of brilliance, which is impressive for a film that cost around "5000" bucks. The opening at the Cavalcade of Perversions is great ("She is an auto-erotica copraphrasiac and a gerontophiliac!"), but modern audiences might not know what to make out of all the dated cultural references (too much Manson/Tate stuff)...then there's an incredibly tedious and overlong delusion with Divine narrating her version of Christ. Even more time is padded with endless scenes of characters sitting and/or lying in bed talking (and often forgetting their lines), plus topless jitterbugging from Cookie Mueller, people riding around in cars and Mink Stole ("the religious whore") and Divine walking down the street.

Despite all that, the closing sequences (starting with Lobstra) make up for it and are just priceless. Best use of the song "God Bless America" right here folks! And the film is still completely unique and original 30+ years later, so you really have to admire it on that front as well.

Manson family, Waters' style

[Captain_Couth · 8/10 · 5 October 2003]

Multiple Maniacs (1970) was Waters' second feature length film. Heavily influenced by the Manson Family murders, Waters creates this film about a band of murdering, sideshow freaks/performers who travel from town to town robbing and murdering their rich,nosy customers. This is a weird film that showcases what Waters likes to do best. Try and repulse the audience as much as he can (mirroring the side show performers themselves).

Unfortunately, most of the humor is pretty dated and the very low, low budget might turn off most viewers (if they were not repulsed by the first twenty minutes). Other than that, it's a very enjoyable movie.

Waters will finally perfect his film-making a few years later with the back to back to back releases of Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble and Desperate Living. Shot on 16mm, B/W.

Recommended

true outsider art

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 12 January 2020]

Lady Divine is the star attraction and the leader of a traveling freak show. As a finale, she robs the square patrons but this time around, she starts killing and taking hostages. In the chaos, she escapes to her daughter Cookie and her new Weather Underground boyfriend Steve. She gets raped. She's led by a child king to a religious figure.

This is true outsider art from John Waters. I love his outrageous attacks on the conventional. That's why I love the opening freak show. It's rather short, too short in fact. The plot turns into a muddle. I get dizzy with Waters panning back and forth in every conversation. He keeps zooming in and out. He's never been a great camera operator. He's trying too hard and not good at it. On the other hand, the movie never stops being fascinating. His wild characterization never allows the movie to be bland. It is a bloody mess. I'm not quite sure who the other characters are sometimes. This is simply weird. It is wondrously weird.

A triumph deluxe

[roulin · 17 May 2004]

The films of John Waters aren't to all tastes, but if you like, say Pink Flamingos, then you'll love Multiple Maniacs.

Waters' film-making career can be divided roughly into four categories:

• unseen first works (Roman Candles, Hag in a Black Leather Jacket, Eat Your Makeup)

• early filthy works (Multiple Maniacs, Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble)

• more mainstream works (Polyester, Hairspray, Crybaby)

• later missing-the-mark works (Serial Mom, Pecker, Cecil B. Demented)

In my opinion, there's no question that his early filthy works are the best and that Multiple Maniacs is perhaps the best of the three (or at least tying with Pink Flamingos).

Some of the reviewers here criticize the film for being badly acted or low budget. That's missing the point. Waters' films were never meant to couple the acting of Olivier with Industrial Light and Magic special effects. These are low budget gems that deliver equal amounts of shock and laughter.

Multiple Maniacs is one of Waters most perfect films in terms of the dialogue. The continual arguing between Lady Divine and Mr. David (the wonderful and elegant David Lochary) is almost operatic. The rest of the characters (most from John Waters early ensemble, the Dreamlanders) is absolutely outstanding. Mink Stole and Mary Vivian Pearce are pin-point perfect and Edith Massey is a gem in her screen debut. The late, great and much-missed Cookie Mueller gives the best performance of her career as the free wheeling daughter of Divine.

A black and white treasure from John Waters early career. Brilliant dialogue, hilarious scenes and a bravura climax make Multiple Maniacs a cinematic masterpiece.

A Lobster Monstre makes it all worthwhile

[Mr Pants · 7/10 · 15 November 1998]

This film suffers from what a lot of low-budget-inexperienced-director films suffer from: long intervals in which nothing happens in an attempt to get to the better parts of the movie. This one has it is spades, which makes it hard to sit through to get to the highlights. But the high points are some of the most inspired of any John Water's flick: the surreal appearance of "The Emperor of Prague," played by small boy in full monarch regalia who guides Lady Divine, and the completely unsolicited cameo of "Lobstora," the enormous lobster prop who, like nearly everybody in the early films, has its way with Divine. I found these scenes far more interesting than the film as a whole, despite the (possibly unintentional) social commentary of the opening sequence. Here, a crowd of "straights" visit the Carnival of Perversions and witness horrors ranging from the "Puke Eater" to the "Homosexuals." Each attraction is viewed with similar disgust from the suburbanites, yet they make no effort to leave the show, which seems to call to Water's fascination with the American public's fascination with the fringe of society.

Worth seeing a bit of sacrilege since it's the debut of the great Edith Massey!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 16 June 2009]

The best reason to watch this early John Waters film is because it is the debut of one of the funniest and strangest actresses in history, the snaggle-toothed Edith Massey. While she is in a relatively normal role (and nothing like the Egg Lady in PINK FLAMINGOS), it's great to see her continually messing up her lines even worse than usual.

As far as the rest of the film goes, it's a heck of a lot better made than Waters' previous full-length, the almost unwatchable MONDO TRASHO. Now I am NOT saying that MULTIPLE MANIACS is normal--no, it's very sick and perverse. But, it has a real sense of story and narrative even given its low budget. In many ways, despite being in black and white, it's a lot like later films like POLYESTER, FEMALE TROUBLE or DESPERATE LIVING. TRASHO, in contrast desperately needed editing and just looked like a home movie made by schizophrenics and lacked humor!!

The film begins with David Lochary announcing a free "Cavalcade of Perversion Show" and rounds up a bunch of squares who said they were disgusted but still gladly attended! It's all pretty dirty and gross, but also pretty funny hearing these "upright" people talking about how sick it was and loving every minute of it!! Then, in a twist, the patrons are all bound and robbed. Later, it seems Divine becomes bored with this and decides it's just easier to kill people and skip the show! It seems that Divine is like a goddess or cult leader of this group of self-proclaimed "scum of the Earth" and like her persona in later films, he/she acts like the most beautiful woman in the world. If you like the joke, then you'll enjoy the film. The only problem for this group of lovable thieving sickos is that Lochary is discontented and wants out of the gang. He apparently can't leave, though, as he was apparently involved with the Manson family murders of Sharon Tate--Lochary the one who wrote "pigs" all over the walls with her blood. This and the later scene where Divine talks quite casually with her naked daughter as the daughter makes out with a member of the Weatherman terrorist organization were in incredibly bad taste back in 1970. Today, given almost 40 years, it made me laugh quite loudly--and I felt ashamed of myself. But it was just so sick and surreal to see this scene made in horribly bad taste but with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Next, in a very bizarre scene, Divine looks up to see a divine messenger there to rescue her, "the King of Prague" (a cute four year-old dressed like a king) and they go for a walk to the local church. There, Divine thanks god for sending the king to rescue her and thinks about the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5000. In this version, there are only about a dozen and they feast on cans of tuna and bread. Divine prays and asks for forgiveness for her life, but then confesses that she's really never done anything particularly bad!! "The uneducated members of the clergy" might disagree, Divine reasons, she's always justified in her murders! The life of Jesus is then acted out by Waters' repertory group (with Edith as Mary) and it's actually reasonably accurate. At the same time, he/she has a love scene involving a rosary with Mink Stole in one of the pews--complete with loud moaning. I think all this probably would offend a few folks out there! Next, Lochary and his bimbo, Mary Vivian Pearce plot to kill Divine. Instead, they accidentally killed Divine's nympho daughter (no great loss). In the meantime, Divine and her new girlfriend, Stole, kill a cop for kicks. When the final showdown occurs, Divine hacks Pearce and Lochary to death and then eats Lochary's innards--raw, even. But that's not all...by the end of this scene, the room is filled with bodies and fake blood.

So, there's been a "Cavalcade of Perversion Show", sex in church, multiple murders, cannibalism and lots of nudity....so what could possibly come next?! Yep, you probably guessed it...Divine is suddenly attacked and raped by a giant lobster. And, amazingly, the sex was great. For the next few minutes, the film is padded--with Divine walking about the neighborhood smashing things, foaming at the mouth, stealing cars and attacking a small crowd until she is eventually shot dead by a group of hippies who are supposed to be with the military (yeah, right--get haircuts, you beatniks!). And so ends this sick little romp.

Overall, this film is very sick and perverse and definitely a guilty pleasure. As sick as it is, however, aside from all the sacrilege, it's not nearly as gross and unappealing as the next film, PINK FLAMINGOS, which sets the standard for grossness in a John Waters film. Not for the faint-hearted, but still funny and reasonably watchable--just NEVER let your kids, friends or neighbors know you like this sort of crap!

FYI--"Extreme unction" is the term meaning to give the last rites to someone on their death.

To Heck With Method Acting

[csjlong · 10/10 · 21 September 2004]

A lot of people look at the performances in Waters' early films as crude but I think both Multiple Maniacs and Pink Flamingos (and, to a lesser degree, Mondo Trasho) are a testament to the talent the Waters' troupe really had. Divine has probably been discussed enough though I think she remains sadly underrated as an actress but what stands out for me in Maniacs is David Lochary's performance. He steals the show and improbably manages to provide some genuine soul to a contemptible character, perhaps because he looks positively saintly compared to Divine. Lochary is funny, sincere, scared and ultimately empathetic as the helpless, brainwashed victim of the implacable force which is the Lady Divine. You couldn't just hire regular actors to play the Lochary or Divine roles - you had to have the real deal and the magic of these movies does come from the superior casting.

I think Waters' early films are by far his best, the movies he made before he learned "how to make movies." Some of his later work is cute but never as engaging and fresh as Maniacs and Flamingos. How exactly did Waters manage to combine slimy depravity with wide-eyed innocence in equal doses?

The rosary job is perhaps the finest scene Waters ever concocted and then there's Lobstora, one of the most inspired moments the cinema has ever brought us.

I don't think of Maniacs as mere camp. I think it's genuinely great film making with far more verve and inventiveness than most of the so-called "well-made" Academy fare.

Multiple Maniacs

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 25 April 2010]

"Multiple Maniacs" is my first John Waters' underground film and I wasn't sure what to expect. I have read extensively about these films' gleeful willingness to offend, the dirt cheap quality of his productions, the way his movies used real locations and comprised the screen with performers with limited acting skill. The reputation was to me quite intact as "Multiple Maniacs" follows the descriptions I had read about to a tee. Waters doesn't strive to shoot his movie extravagantly and he must have directed his movies with little rehearsal or preparation as his actors/actresses stumble/fumble over their lines(and look to, I'm guessing, cue cards of dialogue they might forget off screen)quite a bit. But, Waters' films seem to thrive on the ugly quality of all I have mentioned above, in particular, the subject matter and unpolished narrative(what little there is).

The movie focuses on Lady Divine, her boyfriend Mr. David, and other deviants who embrace a sleazy lifestyle of habitual sex, drugs, and murder. Divine is the star attraction of a "carnival of freaks" show where those involved in the act lure curious suburbanites, with the customers not knowing they are bait to be fleeced by them. Mr. David, who has become fed up with Divine and her increasing hostility(and penchant for impulsive violent outbursts), has become romantically linked with Bonnie(Mary Vivian Pearce), a girl who desperately wants to become part of the Cavalcade Pervert. As Divine plans to murder David, he and Bonnie prepare to gun her down when she arrives home!

Certainly memorable is the image of an overweight transvestite Divine stabbing her former lover over and over with a butcher knife, pulling organs from his torso, complete gratification for her sadistic deeds on her face. Oh, and how she gets so worked up she starts not only fondling his guts and heart, but chewing away on them without restraint! The way she gets caught up in her ecstasy of violence, plunging the knife in multiple times, foaming at the mouth like a rabid animal, it's all so surreal and hilarious. There's this really warped scene where Waters, in his Herscell Gordon Lewis moment, shoots a crime scene, Divine's grisly handiwork, repeatedly from several angles, or back and forth, his camera dwelling on what had just transpired. Other completely bizarre scenes include Divine being assaulted by a giant lobster(!), a lingering close-up of Divine(..with smudged make-up, eyes crazed, wig disheveled) venting mania, and Divine walking out into the street (after finding her dead daughter, wearing nothing more than a robe and undergarments!) in a daze of hysteria, utterly unstable. Waters just follows Divine as she goes on a rampage, jerking a woman and her groceries from a station wagon(stealing it!), going ballistic with a sledgehammer on this Plymouth which contained a smooching couple, charging toward city folk like a rhino as they form a frightened herd running for dear life, and the climax where National Guardsman reign her in for extermination. MM also has a lengthly portrait on Jesus Christ with Divine quoting scripture from the bible(I kid you not!)as he is being led to the crucifix(this as Mink Stole, with an unhealthy appetite for inducing sexual relations in churches, also using them as places to bed herself, is engaged in a lesbian tryst with Divine, Waters juxtaposing these different scenarios!)and Divine's always naked daughter Cookie shacking up with a hairy chested man she had just met while mama carries on a conversation with them while they are in bed! The essence of perversion, MM is quite a starting place for me in regards to understanding Waters' style and content..now I know what I'm ultimately in for. In Waters' trashy screenplay, littered with foul, profane exchanges between the principles, there's mention of the Tate murder, which was hot off the press, insinuating Mr. David's involvement and how Divine is using this as blackmail! I'm simply amazed at Divine's eagerness to go wherever Waters so desired to shock an audience.

Probably the most personal movie by John Waters

[Jaimz · 10/10 · 15 February 1999]

I have seen all of John Waters' films, but something in this one seemed to stick out. I noticed that in his other movies, the characters are rarely developed, and if they are, you never get a glimpse at their personal lives.

This film is different in that way... it begins as racy as all of his other films, with "Lady Divine's Cavalcade of Perversion" a circus for perverts, drug addicts, homosexuals, and weirdo's. Mr. David, Lady Divine's boyfriend, wants Lady Divine to let Bonnie into the cavalcade, but she quickly dismisses the idea.

From here on, the film switches to a bizarre, and long, view of the characters personal lives. This is done by, long monologues, long shots in which the camera does not change, and very long scenes. These long scenes aren't that badly written, but it is more that they are real, and not part of a movie. After the first 10-15 minutes characters seem to have disassociated themselves from the original plot of the film, and it becomes some sort of a deranged soap opera. But just when you think that this film is different from all other of John's films, a giant lobster appears out of nowhere (and for no reason), named "Lobstora", and it rapes Divine. Divine then goes insane and goes on a rampage, and is then put to death by the national guard.

Besides the fact that Divine is killed in the end, it seems to be a prequel to a young Divine's life that is later portrayed in "PINK FLAMINGOS". This because in "PINK FLAMINGOS", Divine, is supposedly in hiding from the FBI, for murder. This murder which happened in "MULTIPLE MANIACS" of basically all the characters.

All in all, this is most definitely a must see for John Waters fans, it will bring new meaning to his other films.

Just another day in Baltimore

[Tromafreak · 6/10 · 2 May 2009]

Positively revolting!! A tasteless piece of low-budget garbage, with not one redeeming value. It's just too bad John Waters doesn't make them like this anymore. Not that he ever really did. Multiple Maniacs is a bit different from the other Waters trash classics of the 70's. A bit more bizarre, and unpolished, and just a tad more unrealistic. Multiple Maniacs mostly comes off as a rough draft for Waters next and most famous trash epic, Pink Flamingos. Multiple Maniacs is the first real example of what this John Waters guy was all about, rubbing you the wrong way. Meet the cavalcade of perversion. Posing as a traveling freak show, an odd gang of criminals, led by Diving rob and/or murder unsuspecting shock enthusiasts, just looking for a thrill. Divine is an irritable, outlandish hog of a woman just looking for a reason to off someone... anyone. Lately, that boyfriend of hers, Mr. David has been a real pain in the ass, and today, he just might get it, that is, if he doesn't get her first. As the would-be love birds plot on each other, and cheat on one another with their new girlfriends, we, the audience are subjected (treated) to vulgar atrocity after outrageous one-liner after obscene sex act. A delightful little movie indeed. We got all our Dreamland favorites, Cookie, Mink, Mary, David, Divine, and even our pal, Edith pays us a visit. Everyone brings their A games, A, of course standing for amateur, really, unpolished doesn't even begin to describe what's going on here, but out here in Exploitation Country, flaws such as screwed up lines should be expected and embraced, if you didn't know, then now you know. Multiple Maniacs was Waters' first film that wasn't silent, as well as his last black & white. For more colorful trash check out Female Trouble and Desperate Living. As unpolished and inept as it might be, this is one of the most mean-spirited, unflinching, and flat-out rebellious comedies I've seen, and I passionately recommend it every bit as much as Pink Flamingos, unless you're Catholic, in that case, never mind. 9/10

Okay, *I think* giant lobster rape is where I draw the line

[Coventry · 5/10 · 19 December 2014]

I'd like to consider myself a very tolerant, broad-minded and versatile film fanatic. I've seen and reviewed more than 3.000 titles in the horror, cult and exploitation genre and I'm constantly looking for obscure films that push my boundaries in terms of bad taste, gruesomeness and extremity. With my recent discovery of John Waters' "Multiple Maniacs", I think I found my personal limit. Even though I really liked the director's most notorious accomplishment – "Pink Flamingoes" – I seriously had to struggle myself through this one. I presume it's the combination of amateurish direction, total absence of structure and the non-stop irritating voice-over monologues that didn't work for me. You can tell straight from the opening credits that "Multiple Maniacs" will become an exercise in perseverance. The nearly endless cast list – presumably all of Waters' Dreamland studios pals – simply appears on a white board, without any sort of animation of musical guidance. This definitely sets the tone for the rest of the film: cheap, filthy and largely improvised on the spot. And yet, in spite of being unendurable, "Multiple Maniacs" is also strangely and inexplicable fascinating. I remained glued to the screen although half of the script didn't make any sense to me. If it weren't for the detailed plot summary available here on the website, I confess I might not have been able to follow. Divine and some other cast members (like Cookie Mueller and Edith Massey) are unique performers, that's for sure, and a handful of scenes are insanely perverted, like the rosary job and – of course – the giant lobster rape. The numerous references towards the Manson family and Sharon Tate's grisly murder are excessive and quite shameless, since the news item was still a very hot & shocking topic around the time of release. I honestly can't recommend this, but simultaneously I don't want to discourage potential viewers from "discovering" this semi-legendary trash monument. Whatever you do, proceed with caution

It just doesn't fade

[dvlaries · 10/10 · 7 November 2008]

John Waters is quoted in Hoberman & Rosenbaum's "Midnight Movies" (1981) as saying, with "Multiple Maniacs" he had finally flushed all the remaining religion out of his system, and that his intent was to "scare the world." In 1970, he likely did so with this. One shudders to ponder what he'd have to come up with Today, to achieve the same goal.

However, when one considers the parade of human failure and misery that willingly allows itself to be showcased in a weekly strip's worth of Jerry Springer episodes, Waters' Dreamlanders, not only in "Maniacs," but in "Flamingos," "Female Trouble," and "Desperate Living" too, come off as a misfit bunch of lovable zanies.

Its beauty is its pus-filled heart

[fertilecelluloid · 6/10 · 12 December 2005]

I'm not some nut who will throw himself off a building for Waters or lick shoe polish from the Master's boots. I have rather fixed opinion on the different stages of the director's career. The early Super-8's (the few I've seen) are short, crude and original; the first features, including "Multiple Maniacs", "Mondo Trasho", "Pink Flamingos", "Female Trouble" and "Desperate Living" are all very interesting, though not all classics; the films that followed from "Polyester" are Waters Lite, strange birds documenting Waters' struggle to please the mainstream financiers and broaden his own creative output. Naturally, I like the middle period.

When I think of "Multiple Maniacs", I think of David Lochary inviting conservative punters to come and seeing the most disgusting show of their lives. "See Puke Eater!" he screams with pride, and in that solitary invitation, he sums up why we loved the 70's and early 80's John Waters. Waters showed us filth without the sermon, without the hypocrisy. He acknowledge our love of sleaze, our passion for the putrid, and our lust for freaks. He came across as honest, as a misfit himself, an artist determined to rub our noses in the dirt we secretly craved.

Well, some of us did.

I prefaced this review with my declaration that I'm not a Waters brown-noser. Far from it. Despite its admirable desire to shock and sicken, "Multiple Maniacs" is also very boring at times and in dire need of a ruthless edit. The Lobster scene goes on forever and the trek to Calvary is almost as long as Gibson's "Passion of the Christ".

The beauty of "Multiple Maniacs" is its pus-filled heart, not its aesthetics. The aesthetics would come later with "Female Trouble" and "Desperate Living" and seem counterfeit with truly awful trash such as "Cecil B. Demented", a film I want to murder.

Misleading title should've Been Named 'We Don't Have Enough Money to Make Pink Flamingos, but We'll Give You This Sh-t Till Then!

[sashank_kini-1 · 1/10 · 28 June 2012]

The reason Pink Flamingos has been recognized as John Waters' signature film of the 'exploitation' genre is the uncomplicated script with the sole purpose to titillate with acts of depravity. It is a film that shocks, albeit making no particular reference to any event of the period in which these movies were made. Nearly everyone who watches Pink Flamingos would've heard of transsexualism, cannibalism, foot fetishism, voyeurism, zoophilia, coprophilia etc and therefore the film can be enjoyed by a person who wasn't born in the seventies. The script has been written with devilish acumen, incorporating over-the-top sequences and campy humor to tone down some of the objectionable content. The film was shot in color, and thus could highlight some of the outrageous palette John Waters used for the house and Divine's costumes. All these reasons give Pink Flamingos its noteworthy status in the world of trash, not just the singular coprophagous moment.

Multiple Maniacs released about two years before Pink Flamingos and made on a shoestring budget (even though the latter itself was a low-budget film) of about 5000$. Therefore, one actor assumes multiple roles and we are to believe a different hairdo implies a different character (by the way, read an intriguing explanation by a reviewer who elaborates on the religious connotation of the films. It sounds credible at first, but I rather stick to the general belief that Jesus and his followers didn't represent Divine and her vagabonds. Edith who plays both a bar owner and Virgin Mary wasn't a part of the Cavalcade, otherwise the reviewer's explanation would've held more credit) The film is shot entirely in black and white on 16mm and the camera shakes horribly at times and is sometimes so overexposed you can barely see the actors' bodies. The horrible white circle (indicating change of reel) flashes luminously like some extraterrestrial sign. Honestly, this film is dreadful and rather introductory to John Waters' Pink Flamingos, a vastly polished effort compared to this shoddy piece of junk.

When I read the plot line, my mind swirled with images of a colorful circus with Divine and her crew treating the audience with their acts only to slaughter them in the end. This does happen in the beginning of the film but it digresses into a completely different act that places massive focus on 'Divine', contradicting the title of the film itself. What happened to the puke-eating guy or the foot-fetish girl or the homosexuals remains unknown with the focus suddenly switching to Divine, her promiscuous daughter, her estranged boyfriend David, her brief lesbian flinger Mink and a nemesis Bonnie. In fact, while it was Divine and Mary Vivian Pierce (who plays Bonnie) taking on the duo of David Lochary and Mink Stole in Pink Flamingos, the characters are simply switched here. This makes the movie seem a rough-cut version of PF, instead of continuing with the circus act to raise the shock value.

The movie also makes references to Sharon Tate's mother and a Weatherman Underground organization, but they flew over my head since I wasn't born then (plus I'm not from US). At that time, such a facetious approach towards incidents like these would've caused a storm (I read about Ms. Tate's incident later and found the film's take on the event offensive), but now they seem irrelevant. The blasphemous religious sequence here would've made Lady Gaga blush (at least Gaga puts the rosary beads in her mouth). The final fifteen minutes are just codswallop and bullsh-t.

Had the movie developed on the lines of Freaks (a 1932 classic), but edgier, crasser, vulgar and campier, it may have worked. Instead, it succumbs like Rob Zombie's first attempt 'House of 1000 corpses', which was completely overshadowed by the wicked 'The Devil's Rejects'.

My Rating: 0.8 out of 10

Mink Stole is thoroughly delicious!

[CharlesCrumb · 11 July 2002]

The very best John Waters film! Great performances by Mink Stole and Divine in particular. A collection of circus freaks gather locals into their various tents and then go about murdering them. Filmed in a beautiful black and white, and full of fantastic and original performances that will stay in your memory for quite a while. Divine is on quite a religious adventure in this one, and Mink Stole is very devilish and strange as an epic whore of sorts. The supporting cast consists of the classic John Waters regulars, so if you haven't seen this film before, go about renting it or purchasing it. And also, the ending of this film is one of the most surreal movie watching experiences I have ever had! Beware of the lobster!

My god that rosary bead scene

[gbill-74877 · 6/10 · 21 August 2020]

This is what the conventional world looks like to me, so John Waters seems to say: Hollywood performances that are all pretty fake if you think about it (so who cares if the poor acting here just takes that to the next level), Suzy Homemaker housewives who revile in disgust over those they consider freaks, and hypocritical followers of Christ, whose type probably brawled over the food created by his miracles.

Conversely, this is what we (different, marginalized people) must appear like to you: deviants who eat their own vomit, sacrilegious heathen who turn rosary beads into anal beads in a church, and rampaging murderers who need to be put down before they harm to 'normal' people.

In several ways it's a pretty awful film; the plot is padded with lengthy scenes of silly dialogue, and Waters sometimes seeming to go for shock rather than having a point (the lobster rape, really? But his fans would probably say the shock is the point, you dolt). Regardless, in the subversive way that he shakes things up, gleefully upending all of our expectations, and in its final moments, to the tune of "God Bless America," he triumphs.

THIS IS DIVINE!

[Fernando-Rodrigues · 7/10 · 2 May 2021]

This is Waters at his best. So bad it's perfect. Kudos for Divine's performance. Tho it gets a little it tiring at some moments, this might be the funnier Waters movie I've ever seen.

It's Trash! Wonderful Trash!

[truemythmedia · 8/10 · 9 July 2019]

John Waters' movies ("Pink Flamingos", "Desperate Living") are definitely not for everyone, but I've seen enough of John Waters' films to know he is for me. There are plenty of people who will hate this film, and I wouldn't blame them. This movie is crass, ridiculous, disgusting, horribly shot, purposefully offensive, and outrageously acted, but it's also absolutely hysterical and it has a message that it succeeds in getting across. I would say that while "Multiple Maniacs" contains the scene that has most offended me in any of John Waters' film, it also has one of the strongest messages. I personally really enjoy this film (it's sitting amongst my collection), but I understand where the sheer amount of objectionable content could completely overshadow its voice and message.

Trash with panache

[drownsoda90 · 7/10 · 18 July 2018]

"Multiple Maniacs" follows Lady Divine's Cavalcade of Perversion, a wayward traveling group of sideshow freaks who have a penchant for the perverse, which includes murdering their audience members.

I've always considered John Waters something of a less pretentious Andy Warhol, and this film-his second directorial feature-reiterates the sentiment in my mind. "Multiple Maniacs" is patent garbage, and I mean that in the most loving way possible. While watching it, it is obvious that Waters and his crew were fumbling their way through learning to make a movie. This is especially clear in the cinematography and performances; actors continually flub their lines, look into the camera, and chew the scenes apart-there is better acting in high school plays. At the center of it all is Divine, who has rightly attained a cult following of his own, playing his signature character, and his performance, though by no means stellar, is what will inevitably draw the audience in.

For all the rough edges present, there are themes and ideas circulating throughout the film that are by turns bizarre and unique, and it has rightly earned a reputation for containing a particularly blasphemous montage. The last fifteen minutes ostensibly contain the film's most well-orchestrated moments, with Divine alone descending into madness and chasing civilians through the streets.

I don't think anyone could classify "Multiple Maniacs" as a masterwork of filmmaking by any stretch of the imagination-but it does stand as a celluloid capsule of Waters quite literally learning how to make a film, and there is enough wackiness, debauchery, and utter madness to please the most jaded of trash cinema fans. Good or bad, there is really nothing else quite like it. 7/10.

The only Waters film to offend me

[Casey-52 · 9/10 · 29 April 2000]

Of all of John Waters films, this is the only one that offended me in some way. But more on that later. I was surprised to see that this early John Waters movie was available on video, presuming it would be long out of print (like "Mondo Trasho" and "Female Trouble")! It can usually be found for sale dirt cheap or for rent easily.

Divine stars as a brunette for the first time in Waters' first sound film. The sound, cinematography, and editing is real rough, but it gives "Multiple Maniacs" a priceless documentary-like quality that is enhanced by the near flawless delivery of Waters' hilarious dialogue! Waters' early cast is here and two new additions (Cookie Mueller and Edith Massey) liven things up a bit. Great performances worth catching are given by Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Cookie Mueller, and Rick Morrow. Mink Stole gives one of only two mediocre roles in Waters' films (the other is "Mondo Trasho") and Edith Massey is not as great as she would be in her subsequent appearances in "Pink Flamingos", "Female Trouble", "Desperate Living" and "Polyester"! Watch close for Cookie Mueller and Mink Stole in cameos as two of the snobby patrons of the Cavalcade of Perversions! The music is fantastic, more copyright-infringing oldies that are great listening (including Elvis Presley's "Just Because" and a bunch of unidentified but classic instrumentals).

Now why this movie offended me: the rosary job and the crucifixion. I just thought these scenes are the sickest things I've ever seen done in a Waters film (topping even the dog sh*t-eating in "Pink Flamingos")! The crucifixion is very well done, but just seems in VERY bad taste and the rosary job just defies any description. It's not even fun for me to watch! But everything else about "Multiple Maniacs" is classic Waters. The film does get a bit boring after Divine's rape by Lobstora, but the ending shows the lust for violence found in Vietnam Era America, juxtaposed with Kate Smith's "God Bless America" playing in the background. Not for a Waters fan who has only seen "Hairspray", that's for damn sure! Underground film fans will find lots of great techniques to use and psychotronic film fans will eat it up!

Multiple Maniacs

[cultfilmfan · 6/10 · 30 April 2005]

Multiple Maniacs, is shot in black and white and is about a woman named Lady Divine, who runs a freak show in the woods called "Lady Divine's Cavalcade Of Perversions". They let rich people come in and see the show for free and then Divine, and her friends rob and kill them. Divine's boyfriend is is Mr. David, who is the announcer for the show and he is currently in love with another woman named Bonnie, and sneaks out to see her one afternoon. Edith, from the local diner spots this and reports it to Divine, who goes out looking for them. On the way over Divine, experiences a very weird afternoon and soon goes looking to kill Mr. David, and Bonnie. But little do they know that Mr. David, and Bonnie also have plans for them. Multiple Maniacs, is written and directed by John Waters, who is one of my favourite writer/director's and I have always loved what he has done. His films have great dialog, unusual characters, over the top acting and are so unique and off the wall it is anything but boring. Some people may even be turned off of some of his early films like Pink Flamingos, which I reviewed several years ago but failed to mention the film's plot or too much about it because many reviewers have spoiled the film and basically the whole review I talked about facts behind the film and just basically praised it. Multiple Maniacs, however I was disappointed with. The film is fairly slow moving and it some scenes character's seem to just talk and talk and some of the bits get a little old and tiresome after awhile. And most of the shocking humour in the film is now looking rather tame. And the film's story doesn't really have too much going on and I wasn't engrossed in it or having as much fun as I would be watching other John Waters' films. The film is not terrible and still has some unique ideas and things going on but it is probably my least favourite John Waters movie out of the ones I have seen (and I have seen all except for Mondo Trasho).

John Waters trying to hard as usual!

[Thullin13 · 1/10 · 30 April 2019]

So yeah....Another Garbage movie from a a very sexually disturbed film artist... still trying to figure out the appeal of John Waters, and having a hard time when i view drudgery like this.I am a big fan of Cry-baby and wish he would make more light hearted affairs like that. Seems like most prefer his older more obscure material, and well i'm not one of them. The plot is ridiculous, acting is annoying and even though i don't mind a good shock, gore or exploitation flick, mind you if they are entertaining in some way, but this is just shock for the hell of being shock. john waters tries to hard to shock all the senses, and in turn overshadows the great potential of subtle social commentary found within, that is usually so brief that it never really has time to seep deep enough into to the pscyhe and ponder one to think further, because the viewer is usually immediately bombarded by following scenes of perversions and deprivity.

another john waters dissapointment for me.. well hell atleast he gave us cry- baby!

Lady Divine's cavalcade of perversions, the sleaziest show on earth!

[framptonhollis · 9/10 · 8 April 2017]

If a movie in which an obese drag queen gets comically raped by an obviously fake giant lobster does not sound as if it would be your cup of tea, chances are you will not enjoy "Multiple Maniacs". Fans of John Waters, on the other hand, will find plenty to love in this weird and wild glimpse into a world of filth.

Perverted, silly, shocking, and blasphemous, "Multiple Maniacs" is one of film history's least conventional masterpieces. With the atmosphere of a sleazy grindhouse flick directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini with a dash of tongue in cheek satire, "Multiple Maniacs" is a mind blowingly nasty, but also highly entertaining cinematic freakshow. Beneath its over the top story, it is almost a documentary. The line between fiction and fact blurs as imperfections stick out like sore thumbs. Due to the tongue in cheek, raw nature of the film, the slight technical flaws scattered throughout only help the film, as it reminds the audience that it is an independent work created on a shoestring budget by a now-iconic and tasteless group of friends.

The early cinema of John Waters almost feels like a parody of the cinema of Andy Warhol. Warhol's (more plotted) films often consisted of raw, sleazy, and occasionally hilarious footage of his superstars. Waters' films consist of raw, sleazy and constantly hilarious footage of HIS superstars, the biggest difference being the artist's intent and the levels of vulgarity. Warhol may have had his borderline pornographic moments, but Waters' films are jam packed with constant, almost unbelievable perversions. There are scenes in this movie that actually made my jaw drop, especially a certain sequence taking place in a church that I cannot even describe without both laughing and wanting to vomit.

A very spiritual film

[wlbwlb · 7 April 2002]

The key to understanding this, John Waters' most profound film, is a understanding of its Roman Catholic content and allusions. Divine's long interior monolog inside the church, essentially a long meditation on being different, the Way of the Cross, and the crucifixion scene are all keys to the film's message. Notice that the actors who play the Way of the Cross and crucifixion scenes are the same ones who played in the Carnival of Perversions which opens the movie. And who plays Christ? The heroin addict. Now Waters doesn't use these actors again just to save on budget. The meaning is clear: those people that you smug, suburban do-gooders rejected and made fun of are Christ and his followers. Remember that Christ didn't hang out with sanctimonious, middle class people, but rather with whores, fallen women, the sick, the rejected, the stigmatized, the sinners. Waters draws the parallels very clearly, but most people view the film in such a middle-class way that they can't see Divine and Waters' troupe of hippie- weirdos as allegorical Christ figures. The real giveaway to this interpretation is the actual text of St. Francis's late medieval Way of the Cross which Waters quotes verbatim in the film. And of course, did you ever think about the literal meaning of "divine." Poor, abused Divine's symbolic sacrifice at the claws of Lobstora is yet another variation of the Passion theme. A very literary film indeed.