The most obscure of the Waters feature films, Mondo Trasho is in a class of its own. It is a completely silent film and it certainly fits its name. Is this a good thing? I say "yes" with severe reservations.
You gotta go into this movie realizing two things: This is John Waters' first feature length film, and he was a HUGE drug user at the time. The film is also called "The Gutter Film" as it was filmed in gutters and alleys of Baltimore. The plot...wait, there really isn't one. Something about a big blond drag queen, a starlet who gets "shrimp raped" (forced toe-sucking for all you prudes), and a nude hitchhiker. Classic John Waters, maybe. Conventional John Waters, it's not. This film is more surreal than any of John Waters other films. In fact, I see this as being best enjoyed by the David Lynch crowd more than the John Waters crowd. 90% of people won't get anything out of this movie. It's the other 10% that keep this film around today. I warn you. You better have a real fucked-up sense of cinematic merit before going into this film. You better be able to say with a straight face that Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! has better cinematography than Citizen Kane. If you can't do that, then don't bother with this film.
The reason that this film is a prize (even with people who find the movie revolting) is the exquisite soundtrack. John Waters [illegally] scored the soundtrack with songs from his own record collection. Every era of music up to 1969 was used. It is definitely the best soundtrack I have ever heard. In fact, I have heard stories that people often put on this movie during parties just for the soundtrack. I'm sure this works great, but it would be pretty interesting to watch chicken decapitations during your
sister's baby shower regardless of how "cool" the tunes are (Reviewer's note: Yes, the chickens are really decapitated. No special effects). Of course, with some of the baby showers I've been to, it might actually enhance the experience.
Of all the people I've met during my lifetime, I would probably only recommend this movie to one or two of them (and both of them are too busy tripping on 'shrooms). If you can make sense of David Lynch's Eraserhead AND you have a very perverted sense of humor, indulge. To the rest of you, I'll quote Officer Barbrady from "South Park": "Move along, people, there's nothing to see here..."
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