A Dirty Shame
A sexually repressed Baltimore matriarch becomes an exuberant apostle of pleasure, igniting a campy battle against neighborhood puritanism.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- raunchy
- campy
- irreverent
- cult movie night
- adult comedy night
What critics said
Critics regarded the film as a provocative, high-spirited sex satire whose explicit Waters-style irreverence was offset by repetitive jokes and a thin plot.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sylvia's transformation and the conflict between sex addicts and the decency-promoting neuters turn sexual repression into the film's central satirical target.
The film foregrounds exaggerated sexuality, an overly endowed daughter, orgiastic group behavior, and broad physical absurdity.
North Baltimore's Harford Road community becomes the arena for the opposing neuter and sex-addict groups.
Sylvia's head injury from a lawnmower hanging out of a passing pickup truck abruptly changes her from prude to sexually uninhibited participant.
Films like A Dirty Shame, and why
Pink Flamingos
provocative sexual satire, camp sensibility, and transgressive comedy
Eating Raoul
adult farce, taboo sexuality, and deliberately outrageous humor
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
sex-positive counterculture, ensemble absurdity, and irreverent satire
Happiness
raunchy provocation, outsider characters, and grotesque comic excess
Movie Details
- Director
- John Waters
- Release Date
- 2004-09-24
- Runtime
- 89 min
- Rating
- 5.4 / 10 (310)
Cast
- Tracey Ullman
- Johnny Knoxville
- Selma Blair
- Chris Isaak
- Suzanne Shepherd
- Mink Stole
- Patricia Hearst
- Jackie Hoffman
- Nicholas E.I. Noble
- Lucy Newman-Williams
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Dirty Shame about?
- A sexually repressed Baltimore matriarch becomes an exuberant apostle of pleasure, igniting a campy battle against neighborhood puritanism.
- What is A Dirty Shame like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Dirty Shame as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is A Dirty Shame violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Dirty Shame as mild.
- What did critics think of A Dirty Shame?
- Critics regarded the film as a provocative, high-spirited sex satire whose explicit Waters-style irreverence was offset by repetitive jokes and a thin plot.
- Which films are like A Dirty Shame?
- Films with a similar feel include Pink Flamingos, Eating Raoul, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Happiness.
- How long is A Dirty Shame?
- A Dirty Shame runs 89 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Dirty Shame?
- In United States, A Dirty Shame is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
