Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

I have been a John Waters fan since the 70's. I remember seeing this one in the early 80's and was not impressed with it then, but decided to watch it again recently. Well, the years haven't been kind to the film. I could barely get thru it. From the meandering screenplay, subpar acting and directionless direction--it's all an amateurish affair. Fortunately, John Waters (Divine & Mink Stole) got so much better with each film. I would say bypass this unless you are a die-hard Waters fan.

F.Y.I. - Before there was John Waters' "Pink Flamingos" - There was John Waters' "Multiple Maniacs" (released in 1970) which (IMO) should really be re-titled "Multiple Morons".With the word "AMATEUR" clearly written all over it - This regurgitated exercise in low-budget/low-life sleaze (Baltimore-style) tried way too hard to shock and disgust.And, in its feeble attempt to accomplish its atrocious mission - "Multiple Maniacs" quickly deteriorated into a tiresome bore with a decidedly "white-trash" mentality tacked on for good measure.Filmed in gritty b&w - This celluloid atrocity is truly a perverted novelty of early-1970's cinema that (I found) only really came to life in its final 15 minutes of outrageous insanity.

A group of degenerate misfits mount a traveling show called the Cavalcade of Perversion, which goes from town to town with the specific intent of upsetting middle-class squares. Complications ensue when fearsome and ferocious ringleader Lady Divine (the one and only Divine in peak crazed form) gets whipped up into a bloodthirsty rage after she discovers that her smarmy boyfriend Mr. David (played to the slimy hilt by David Lochary) has been cheating on her.The second feature by John Waters naturally serves as a gloriously crude, lewd, and rude upraised cinematic middle finger that's done as a deliberately appalling affront to good taste, proper decorum, and basic moral decency. However, despite such blithely disgusting moments as the infamously blasphemous rosary job scene and the outrageous climactic rape committed by a giant lascivious lobster, this picture proves to be way too gleeful in its giddy depravity to be considered genuinely offensive. Moreover, the enthusiastic cast attack the raunchy material with lip-smacking aplomb: Mary Vivian Pearce as the eager Bonnie, Mink Stole as fawning groupie Mink, Cookie Mueller as Divine's ditsy tramp daughter Cookie, and Edith Massey as helpful barmaid Edith. The choice rockabilly soundtrack hits the right-on groovy spot. A total scuzzy hoot.

I've been an IMDB lurker for years, never contributing a comment or questioning the reviews of others. But I just have to step up to the plate on this one.On the one hand, I see that relatively modest but effective films like "Eight-Legged Freaks," "Bug Buster", and "Darkness Falls" are getting ripped on all sides for failing to properly develop the plot, poor CGI effects, lousy acting, short running time, and whatever else is a personal gripe of the reviewer.Then I see that this film is rated much, much higher and I just have to speak out. This film is garbage. Not only that, it is boring garbage. The lobster attack is not amusing, original, or impressive. There is absolutely no actual discernible acting in this film. The story is boring and the nudity is not even up to the standards of "Orgy of the Dead." I actually purchased a sealed VHS copy of this movie based on the reviews at this site. I expected that there would be SOME minimum interest in this film, but I was sadly mistaken.I won't tell you not to rent or view this movie. In fact, there is actually some benefit in watching this movie. You may get a more realistic idea of the reliability of the reviews that are posted to this site.