Ever since Baltimore filmmaker John Waters arrived to the film world with his 1972 cult masterpiece “Pink Flamingos” in 1972, he has been the king of bad taste to the film community. While more conservative and mainstream film fans, critics, and executives loathed his movies, Waters attained a massive cult following since the release of “Pink Flamingos” and from then on, he’d become one of the most influential figures in independent films. In 1988, Waters broke through to the mainstream with the 60s teen-dance film “Hairspray” with Ricki Lake and such noted stars on many of Waters films like Mink Stole and the larger-than-life drag queen Divine, in his final film role. The success of “Hairspray” should’ve made Waters gain acceptance in Hollywood but he refused to play their rules and keep making the movies he wanted to make. In the 90s, he gained a fanatical following with indie film fans and critics with 1990’s “Cry-Baby”, 1994’s “Serial Mom”, and the 1998 masterpiece “Pecker”.

While still being a thorn on the side to some people in Hollywood, John Waters had already achieved status as an icon to indie film fans, critics, and even those in the Cannes Film Festival where they gave him an award for his entire achievement in 2000. For a strange man from Baltimore, Maryland with bad taste and a penchant for satire, John Waters have already become a cult film legend. In 2000, Waters decided to return to more radical storylines and elements of bad taste on a movie called “Cecil B. Demented”. “Cecil B. Demented” is about a radical, paranoid young filmmaker who kidnaps a Hollywood starlet to make his own movie while trying to destroy the onslaught of bad Hollywood movies.

While “Cecil B. Demented” doesn’t break a lot of ground in comparison to the past movies John Waters have made, it’s radical, comedic approach to anarchic filmmaking is still one of the most enjoyable films in his career. Playing the title character is Stephen Dorff (“S.W.F.”, “Entropy”, & “Blade”) where he plays the role of a lifetime as a demented, self-indulgent young filmmaker who will make his movie with great success or die trying. Waters said the character of Demented is sort of based on his young self when he started out making movies but without the paranoia. Playing the famed Hollywood starlet Honey Whitlock is veteran actress Melanie Griffith (“Working Girl”, “Pacific Heights”, & “Something Wild”) who is everything of a diva who understands the world outside of Hollywood. Add veteran Waters actors like Mink Stole, Ricki Lake, Patricia Hearst, and new up-and-coming stars like Adrian Grenier, Alicia Witt, and Maggie Gyllenhall; “Cecil B. Demented” is a hilarious, violent film that is anti-Hollywood.

The movie begins in the film theater as the manager talks to a young group of movie ushers about the upcoming arrival of Honey Whitlock led by a young man named Curtis. Whitlock meanwhile, is promoting a new movie she filmed in Baltimore as she calls the town a dump and asks her assistant (Ricki Lake) to see if Pat Nixon ever got f*cked in the Presidential Suite at the hotel. Whitlock leaves for the premiere with a security guard and a white limousine (which she b*tches about) as they go to the theater. The film ushers meanwhile beat up the theater manager and place bombs, guns, and other stuff as Curtis awaits Whitlock’s arrival. Just as Whitlock arrives, Curtis accompanies her as a charity leader (Mink Stole) begins an introduction about a donor whose life was saved but the kid didn’t want to appear as the charity leader tried to kill him after she introduces Whitlock. Suddenly, Curtis pulls out his wig and says, “My name is Cecil B. Demented and this is a f*cking kidnapping” as Demented and his gang beat up some people, kill the charity lady and kidnap Whitlock onto the white limo with her security officer as she screams for everyone including Jack Valenti.

Whitlock finds herself in an old, abandoned theater that is the home of Demented (who reveals a tattoo of the name Otto Preminger) and his gang. Demented tells her that she’s the star of his new movie, “Raven Beauty” which he will direct. Co-starring Whitlock in her movie is a former porn star named Cherish (Alicia Witt) and dope-smoking drug addict named Lyle (Adrien Grenier). The rest of the gang (who also reveal tattoos of names like Andy Warhol, Sam Fuller, Sam Peckinpah, David Lynch, Spike Lee, Kenneth Anger, William Castle, and Pedro Almodovar) is Demented’s crew. Driving to the film sets is the homosexual redneck Petie (Michael Shannon) along with bearded-female producer Dyna (Harriet Dodge). There’s also sound technician Chardonnay (Zenele Uzoma), set maker Lewis (Larry Gilliard), camerawoman Pam (Erika Lynn Rupli). On clothes, there’s the young Fidget (Eric Barry), hairstylist and homosexual wannabe Rodney (Jack Noseworthy) who was also Honey’s security guard, and the Satanic-obsessed makeup-artist Raven (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who immediately punches Honey for being too pale. Demented and his crew also announced that they’ve all taken a vow of celibacy for the film.

They immediately start filming, where Honey gets a bad makeover of bad, blonde hair, as she reads her lines in a monotone, emotionless performance that causes pain to Demented and the crew, even Raven who tries to press her tongue with some device. Once Honey gets the lines right, Demented gets a gleam in his eye as he says “I have a vision” as he decides to terrorize theaters and make Honey proclaim death to Hollywood as moviegoers are watching a pathetic director’s cut of “Patch Adams” (that movie sucked by the way). Honey starts to get into it as she starts to get along with the crew, particularly Fidget who misses his mom (Patricia Hearst) while Cherish wants Cecil to f*ck her but he couldn’t since he too, took a vow of celibacy. Rodney meanwhile, is ashamed of his heterosexuality since he couldn’t love Petie back while Raven does more mindless praises towards her master, Satan.

While Cecil is a renegade filmmaker, he is also as he proclaims “A prophet against profit” since he didn’t want to make movies for money, to the dismay of the more ambitious Lewis and Chardonnay as John Waters said in the DVD commentary that the two characters just want to be in show business with some money. Demented’s radical approach to filmmaking as he and the gang terrorize more Hollywood executives as they announced plans to make the sequel to “Forrest Gump” staring Kevin Nealon. Honey, Cecil, and the gang keep getting harassed by family film lovers as they find support in action film fans. Honey immediately learns that after all the bad comments from people in Hollywood including her ex-husband (Eric Roberts), Nealon, and Roseanne, she decides to wage war with Hollywood as she proclaims “Now I have a f*cking vision”. Cecil, Honey, and the gang decide to destroy the set of the “Forrest Gump” sequel to film their movie while they battle teamsters and get help from Cherish’s porn fans. Cecil’s radical approach filmmaking finally gains him a new following as he plans to make the movie he wants to make and die for it.

Though “Cecil B. Demented” is an excellent film from John Waters, he doesn’t break any ground in comparison to his past films. Then again, Waters was merely doing a satire on his own career as well as paying tributes to the filmmakers he adored that were mentioned throughout the film. Violent and comedic at the same time, Waters does prove he can still bring in something shocking while making you laugh. Stephen Dorff’s performance as the insane Cecil B. Demented is easily the best role of his career while Melanie Griffith regained some edge with her role as Honey Whitlock, while sadly, this might be the last great role of her career. Alicia Witt and Adrien Grenier’s roles are also some comic relief, particularly Witt, who often talks about her porn past and her family f*cking her on Xmas. The rest of the supporting cast, including Demented’s crew has some fine moments but the standout of that whole cast is Maggie Gyllenhaal who plays the Satanic-obsessed Raven to the hilt. Drinking goat’s urine, flapping her arms during a Satanic dance, and giving mindless praises for Satan in such one-liners as “Suicide for Satan”, “Satan loves you Honey and so do I”, and “Who cares what people think of our movies, except for Satan”. Gyllenhaal’s performance brings a smile to everyone as she plays a character so likeable, she’ll be the reason for me to convert to Satanism.

The DVD features include a behind-the-scenes special from Comedy Central and audio commentary from John Waters who admitted that the film was in partial tribute to many of the filmmakers that made him the icon that he is. One part of the audio commentary with Waters is when he talks about certain backdrops in Baltimore that he never shot along with the theater that was the home of Cecil B. Demented where he admitted that the cast got sick during shooting because it was cold. With a few trailers and cast bio, the film includes a wonderful score from Basil and Zoe Poledouris with additional live drumming from Nine Inch Nails’ Jerome Dillon as well as music from local Baltimore punk bands. In the end, while it’s not as groundbreaking as any of his previous films, “Cecil B. Demented” is an excellent, hilarious film from John Waters who proves that he can still bring laughs with bad taste.

Maggie Gyllenhaal Film Reviews:

Donnie Darko (2001):

http://www.epinions.com/content_102579146372

Secretary (2002):

http://www.epinions.com/content_101047570052



Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for Groups
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older