Customer Reviews

Cecil B. Demented (Widescreen)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I am a huge John Waters fan, but this movie does not come close to living up to his usual standards. It seems Waters is trying to balance between mainstream filmmaking for the larger audience appeal, and keep his previous biting cutting-edge. Serial Mom was able to do this -- this movie absolutely failed. It is poorly written, poorly acted (Melanie Griffith a bad actor? Yeah, that's a stretch), and poorly editted.

The movie is suppose to be making a statment against Hollywood turning out so much mediocore garbage. This movie is a prime example of the type of garbage that shouldn't be turned out.

John Waters' movies are by all means still worth buying and watching, just avoid this one.

There's a reason why the vast majority of Waters' film get a turkey in ALL the review books: his movies suck. Period.

I kept picking this one up at the local library, but not taking it home. This week I finally relented and gave it a spin.

What a waste of 90 minutes! I should sue Waters' for the time I lost!

First, this movie isn't funny. Not one single smile cracked my face. Now, before you call me a prude, or a retard, I love wacky cinema. Some of my favorite movies are off-the-wall films that most of my friends see as stupid and immature.

This one, though, never got so much as a smirk out of me.

The writing is dreadful, the directing and editing turn much of the overall plot into a sycophantic mess. Some of the acting is fairly good, but so much profanity comes out of their mouths.

You know, just because someone says f#%k 1,000 times doesn't make them funny. In fact, I find the use of profanity a sign that the comic has run out of ideas and is trying solely to shock.

And watching Waters crow over his work in the special features was painful. He's such a no-talent freak, and you could tell his cast was imbarassed to be seen in the same shot is him. (He reminded me of someone the Coen Brothers would make up in one of their paradoys - but I kept pinching myself, saying, "this guy is REAL!" Pathetic.)

Take your filmmaking back in the closet, John. How you get any funding is beyond anyone's comprehension....

Stephen Dorff(Blade and S.F.W.(So **cking What) is Cecil B. Demented and he kidnaps Melanie Griffith to do a crappy film that he is gonna direct, but nobody wants it so then he trys to get his way and Griffith makes up her mind and goes on with the show. Dorff is over-the-top in this funny and wonderful movie. Directed by John Waters..if you know him then you know him, if you dont you dont

The cinematic pairing of John Waters and Melanie Griffith is a match that has been waiting to happen- the master director of "Pink Flamingos" and "Desperate Living" presents the mainstream actress a role of a lifetime and shows what a hilarious actress she really is. The premise of terrorist fimmakers naking their own underground film with a kidnapped mainstream actress not sounds outrageous, it kind of makes sense in a film community delivering products based on computer games or sequels to films that weren't very good to begin with. John Waters reminds us all that there was once a blossoming underground film industry,and Griffith reminds us that not every actor has to win an oscar to be cool. Stephen Dorf also makes an indelible impression in title role, and it's great to see cameos (although they are not long enough for my liking) of legendary dreamlanders Mary Vivian Pearce and Susan Lowe. In my book, an instant classic.

i've seen this movie more than 8 times now and whenever i come across it on the tv i'm very likely to watch it again. a small gang lead by Cecil B. demented (stephen dorff) is inflicting its vengeful hate of hollywood on multimillion budget film-shooting plateaux. why? because hollywood is producing nothing but big budgeted remakes of old classics, special effect-laden bores, cheesy sequels and syrupy love stories to appease the ever growing mob of tasteless cinema viewers. Cecil wants 'real' acting, with no edits, where raw emotions and atmosphere are preserved on film with all their intensity, honesty and boldness. oh, and cecil wants porn too, as hiding that aspect of our society is pure hipocrisy. so this, too, must be part of true, no-holds-barred-cinema. Cecil faces hollywood in his movies, using one of hollywood's dearest, the kidnapped Honey whitlock (M. griffith), who gradually adopts the outlaw gangsters' cause and succeeds in translating Cecil's anti-hollywood ideology with her vitriolic acting and belligerent attitude (cant get enough of her squeeky, high pitched voice). i'm an avid fan of extreme metal/punk/hardcore soundtracks like 'SFW' , 'heavy metal 3', maximum overdrive' or 'Demon Knight'. This movie's soundtrack is in the same league (in quality AND heaviness) with the abovementioned soundtracks; it gives the movie the insane atmosphere and break-neck pace it needs. i think one needs to see movies like that: plots that are thought 'out of the box', leave you with so much questions after the film's over. even if many wiseguys slammed this plot as 'corny' or 'superficial'. i say give this movie a try, it's a very entertaining viewing, with some very comical and witty references, not forgetting the awesome soundtrack ('chow-chow' is priceless)!! i must add that although there's much shooting and killing that occurs here, the directing doesnt focus on them and they immediately become background happenings. this, i think, is a work of genius, and the movie is worth viewing for that alone.

John Waters' "Cecil B. Demented" pushes the envelope of good taste, which I like. Unfortunately, it didn't work well for me. I was all set to laugh uproariously at an irreverent look at H-wood, but it started going downhill when Cecil asks Honey to take her clothes off, and the cast and crew drop everything to run to this screen and start masturbating. Stephen Dorff who did a nice job in "Backbeat" does his best with this paper-thin role. Alicia Witt who was on TV's Cybil and in "Mr. Holland's Opus" does a valiant attempt as Cherish the porn star. But while these rebellious cinematic mavericks are pursing their goals, they are also killing people. For me, it was a bit like trying to develop a sit-com about the Manson Family; it just didn't work. The end where the shoot's been concluded and everyone starts copulating is cut by the fact that many like Cherish take a bullet to the brain. Self-mutilation & the starry eyed girl running around extolling the virtues of Satan weren't even poor taste; it wasn't funny and didn't work. Melanie Griffith who I do like is the reason I rented; although I've enjoyed Waters' "Pecker" before. She does a fairly good job with the role, but there isn't much depth required nor brought to the change from victim to willing participant. So while bad taste may have it's audience, superficiality may have its entertainment value, and there were lots of clever lines thrown about, this taste tester is not one I savored. Taxi!

ok...watch this movie is you wanna laugh at hollywood. its takes the [] out of it, in a funny way!
i love this movie and watch it over all da time "DEMENTED FOREVER!"

This movie manages to make fun of both inane Hollywood cinema and insane independent cinema at the same time. The movie itself is quite obviously intended to be "awful" in the sense that every character is based on a stereotype with no character development whatsoever. If you like tacky, crazy movies, you should give this one a chance. Otherwise, it's probably not for you.

I feel that this movie could have been a bit faster paced at times, but overall managed to capture the spirit of some of the wacky elements of filmmaking and rebellion.

....this is hilarious! And Waters is right that Mela G is overall a good sport to be subjected to the Demented Mania. What I dig about C.B.D.: in the "family film is another word for censorship" scene how the good mothers throw Jujubies at Demented and crew, how Honey Whitlock's jump from atop the building was shot and edited like a big-time 70's B-moovy (she lands on her feet like a cat), how Cecil reminded me of Depp's Ed Wood, how Waters tossed in Patty Hearst in a story kinda like her own, and how dead on that hilarious "Gump Again" sequel business is. To me it looks as if Waters is gonna stay a Hollywood outsider forever. That's okay, I'm digging on his Hollywood East sick cinema....

This movie is without question is the stupidest movie on the face of the earth! Besides all of the cussing, crude jokes, and wobbly cameras, this movie has the dumbest plot. "Outlaw Cinema?!" What the crap! Do not waste your time or money. THERE IS A REASON THIS MOVIE WENT STRAIGHT TO VIDEO!