Pink Flamingos (1972)

Upon hearing that Divine (Divine) has been declared, "the filthiest person alive" by a local tabloid, Connie and Raymond Marble (Mink Stole and David Lochary) become intent on stealing her title. What follows must be seen to be believed.

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The 1970s was an era full of shocking and controversial cinema. The old guard was dying/dead and the younger generation took this as an opportunity to shake things up with violence, swearing, nudity and narrative ambiguity. But as daring as many of these films were/are, they have nothing on Pink Flamingos. John Waters' second feature-film was and still is truly dangerous. It wasn't made by coked up film school brats in Hollywood, nor by fancy pants New York artists. This film was made by suburban kids and shot in the actual suburbs. This was every parent's worst nightmare made flesh. The revolution had come home in the form of dyed pubic hair, shoplifting drag queens, kinky sex, singing sphincters, coprophagia, animal slaughter, etc. This film even advocated releasing Manson Family member Tex Watson via giant wall-sized graffiti letters. The front-line was now your front door! When John Waters and his Dreamlanders set out to make this film, their goal was nothing less than the absolute destruction of good taste. Judging by the fact that the films is still able to shock more than forty years later, I think they were successful.