Cecil B. Demented (R) No Rating
Angry auteur takes up arms against the crass sins of commercial movie culture.
Story
John Waters gives Hollywood the finger with this comedy about cinema purist, Cecil B. DeMented, and his band of guerrilla filmmakers who kidnap the industry's hottest leading lady, Honey Whitlock (Melanie Griffith), during the Baltimore premiere of her latest film, a "life-affirming screwball comedy" called "Some Kind of Happiness." DeMented and the group live Rocky Horror-style in an abandoned warehouse, with plans to save the public from bad movies while shooting their anarchist film. Honey is won over, helping to cause terror at location shoots, including an attack at a multiplex screening of "Patch Adams: The Director's Cut." (Hey, these guys aren't all that bad!)
Acting
Griffith either can't get work or has a great sense of humor. Why else would she play this far-out send-up of a Hollywood glamour girl who is all glitz in public, all bitch in private? Cheers to her for taking bold risks and coming out on top. Stephen Dorff is over the top as the title character (even for this film) but still scrapes up laughs with his maniacal rage. Ricki Lake takes a break from her daily TV sleaze, getting back to what she does best. Other Waters regulars, including Mink Stole and Patty Hearst, also return.
Direction
Anyone not familiar with the director/screenwriter's work should be cautioned that navigating this Waters could be rough sailing. Some of his films ("Polyester," "Pink Flamingos") would make the cast of "American Pie" blush. His dialogue is stiff and strained, and his actors look like they're stuck in an awkward high school play. That said, "Cecil" is full of hilarious jabs like the showdown with fat, lazy teamsters on the set of the senseless sequel "Gump Again."
Bottom Line
Rough, rusty and tasteless revenge for any movie buff who's felt ripped off at the box office.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starring Melanie Griffith, Stephen Dorff, Ricki Lake, Patricia Hearst and Mink Stole.
Written and directed by John Waters. Produced by Yves Attal. Released by Artisan Entertainment.
To get the full Quicklook Films experience, uncheck "Enable on this Site" from Adblock Plus
box office top 10
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Released: May 10, 2024 Cast: Owen Teague, Freya Allan 56.5M
The Fall Guy Released: May 3, 2024 Cast: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt 13.7M
Challengers Released: April 26, 2024 Cast: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor 4.7M
Tarot Released: May 3, 2024 Cast: Harriet Slater, Adain Bradley 3.5M
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Released: March 29, 2024 Cast: Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry 2.5M
Unsung Hero Released: April 26, 2024 Cast: Daisy Betts, Joel Smallbone 2.3M
Kung Fu Panda 4 Released: March 8, 2024 Cast: Jack Black, Awkwafina 2M
Civil War Released: April 12, 2024 Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura 1.8M
Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Released: May 3, 2024 Cast: Ewan McGregor, Liam Neeson 1.5M
Abigail Released: April 19, 2024 Cast: Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens 1.1M