Pink Flamingo
Banned worldwide, this movie is often called the most disturbing and horrifying film ever made, featuring real s*x scenes.
Directed by John Waters, Pink Flamingos stands as one of the most famous underground films in cinema history.
Originally filmed in 1972, Pink Flamingos didn’t get a wide release until 1989. A distributor pushed for an official rating from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
The BBFC gave it an 18 rating—but only after cutting three minutes of extremely explicit footage. One removed scene showed “chickens being roughly handled and killed during a bizarre s**ual assault on a woman,” according to the BBFC’s website.
Another deleted moment featured a close-up of a man stretching his anatomy to make it appear as if it was “singing.” To show the movie legally, they had to trim several shocking scenes.
Many viewers found Pink Flamingos so disturbing they covered their eyes for much of the film. That reaction was exactly what John Waters wanted. In his book Shock Value, he wrote, “To me, entertainment is all about lousy taste.” Waters even said that if someone fainted during one of his films, it felt like getting a standing ovation.
Beyond its shocking visuals, Pink Flamingos delivers a sharp societal critique. It channels the rebellious spirit of the punk rock movement with its anarchic attitude, bold style, and a soundtrack filled with 1950s rockabilly music.
The film’s focus on dysfunctional families mirrors themes seen in iconic 1970s horror movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. Interestingly, it even predates the media’s obsession with criminal glorification, later explored in Oliver Stone’s Natural Born Killers (1994).
The outrageous plot follows Divine, the legendary drag performer born Harris Glenn Milstead. Divine plays a character of the same name, rocking a tight glittering gown, dramatic makeup, and a towering beehive hairdo.
In the story, the media labels Divine “the filthiest person alive.” Hiding under the alias Babs Johnson, Divine lives in a shabby trailer with her son Danny Mills, her voyeuristic lover Mary Vivian Pearce, and her eccentric, egg-obsessed mother Edith Massey.
Mink Stole and David Lochary’s opposing Connie and Raymond Marble are determined to be the “filthiest people alive.” Among their heinous deeds are kidnapping adolescent girls, confining them in their basement, making them pregnant, and selling their infants to l**bian couples. They also market medications to recent high school grads. The movie is essentially funny, even with these horrible crimes.
Though considered a classic cult favorite, *Pink Flamingos* was never meant for general popularity. Author of *G@y P**nography*, John Mercer, pointed out to the BBC, “This isn’t a failed movie that gained a camp following and then became popular.” Made by an outsider, it was about outsiders and displayed on the outskirts of film distribution and exhibition. That is the venerable definition of a cult movie.
Later, Waters worked on more conventional projects such as directing *Cry-Baby* (1990) starring Johnny Depp and *Hairspray*, which inspired a Broadway musical smash. But in the early 1970s, he worked on a significantly smaller budget, typically filming in Baltimore with friends called “the Dreamlanders.” Though several cast members had never acted, they embodied the rebellious attitude Waters sought to capture.
Mercer notes that the people in *Pink Flamingos* reflect “true outsiders who despise society’s conventions.” The movie had an instant impact on underground film. It became a staple of the “midnight movie” issues when it opened at New York’s Elgin Theatre. Night after night, audiences packed in, excited to see something different.
Ian Hunter described Pink Flamingos perfectly: “This is a funfair movie—a freak show following the long tradition of exploitation films from the 1920s and 1930s.” Despite its cult fame, the movie remains banned in countries like Austria and Switzerland. Its notorious scenes of incest, disturbing acts, and a severed pig’s head helped cement its shocking legacy.
However, the film saves its most infamous moment for the end. Waters revealed that this outrageous scene was one of his first ideas for Pink Flamingos. Working with a tight $10,000 budget, he knew he had to create something unforgettable. “I wanted something to leave them gasping in the aisles,” Waters said.
The result? Divine, the film’s star, eats real dog poop on camera. Over time, this jaw-dropping scene became legendary. Hunter notes it stands as a bold badge of toughness among underground cinema fans.
