What makes it different from others?

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

The movie's only flaw is also a virtue: It's jammed with characters, stories, warmth and laughs.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

This film is about two idiots who kill a man and run away to hide in a hell on earth called "Mortville". This town is ruled by a gross and insane queen (Edith Massey) and all the residents are depraved losers living in a squalid shantytown. While there are tons of sick freaks inhabiting the town, Divine was unavailable due to another acting commitment and David Lochary recently died due to drug use and their presence was sorely missed.While all of John Waters' previous films received X-ratings, this one oddly did not and I really can't understand why. This film is jam-packed full of full frontal nudity--much more than you'd find in PINK FLAMINGOS and FEMALE TROUBLE (Waters' two previous films) combined. Now if you are looking for anything remotely sexy, I advise you to look elsewhere, as these people make up the ugliest nude and sex scenes in film history. For example, you get to see a 400 pound woman having sex, a castration as well as a crotch shot of (ugghh!) Edith Massey!! My advice is do NOT watch this film on a full stomach! Also, unless you are planning on living a celibate life, I also advise you not to watch as it might just permanently kill your sex drive--it's THAT bad. Yuck!!Despite all the depravity and copious nudity, the film is actually better than PINK FLAMINGOS because there actually a few funny and inspired moments--whereas FLAMINGOS seemed only designed to offend. My favorite scenes included the great wrestling match as well as the first 10 minutes of the film (some of the funniest in film history).Amazing because it was poorly made and offensive, I think this film is a step backwards for John Waters' fans, as the previous film (FEMALE TROUBLE) is much funnier and insightful regarding modern society. DESPERATE LIVING is just nasty and occasionally funny....but mostly nasty. It doesn't really seem to have much relevance or parody--just lots and lots of shocks spread among the humor. I only recommend it to die-hard Waters fans and the very, very curious.

It's incredible how much trash can be put together in one film (that's if we can call this crap a film). It's the worst movie I've ever seen. It's stupidity all over. I can't find words to describe this garbage. Everything in this filming is bad: the script, the actors, the editing, it's deprivations with really bad taste. Nothing makes sense. I just don't understand how some people can give this a 9 out of 10. They haven't watched any good movie yet. I don't give it a 0 because it's not an option, you can only rate it from 1 to 10. If there were minus, I'd give it a minus 10 (-10). There so many good movies to watch. It's not worth it at all wasting our time with this. I only watch it because they gave it a 7 out of 10, so I thought it was good. How mistaken was I!

The only John Waters film to date set in what is virtually an alternate universe -- the town of Mortville, Maryland -- a disgusting shantytown that inexplicably is governed by its own fascist Empress (Edith Massey), who is both cruel and unusual, and who lives in a Disneyland-like castle. This film is hard-core, undistilled Waters, working in his Classic Period that includes "Pink Flamingos" (his breakthrough film) and "Female Trouble" (possibly his greatest work). Filming without his leading lady/leading man, Divine, "Desperate Living" emerges as more of an ensemble film featuring notorious Hollywood starlet Liz Renay, Waters regular Mink Stole, and Jean Hill, discovered and making a striking debut herein. "Desperate Living" is audacious and fevered and yet has a naive quality to it, typical of Waters' artistic charm. Filmed on a shoestring budget, the film benefits from creative and eye-filling sets by Vince Peranio and costumes by Van Smith. It is a fusion of the surreal, the self-consciously rude and outrageous, and an homage to bad movies past. Acted out in a raucous, strident fashion favored by the director that punches every word across with triple exclamation points, "Desperate Living" is the pinnacle of Waters' wild style. It was followed by a comparatively more demure "Polyester" with Divine returning to the starring role, toned down for wider audience appeal. Needless for me to add, this film isn't for everyone nor was it meant to be, as is obvious right from the opening credits.

After rich housewife Peggy Gravel (Mink Stole) accidentally murders her husband and runs away with her overweight black maid Grizelda Brown (Jean Hill) to Mortville, a community of outcasts and criminals ruled by Queen Carlotta (Edith Massey), Desperate Living starts losing the power of John Waters's greatest merit--attack on the norm of the American value. For a Waters film, the more fictitious and metaphysical its format is, the less effective the outcome of his attack is; that's why realistic (for Waters) Female Trouble is intense but fairytale-ish Desperate Living is not. Freaky actors screaming and doing nonsense are amusing to watch, but, needless to say, missing irreplaceable Divine is a significant disadvantage for early Waters.