Serial Mom has long been one of my favourite movies. John Waters once again demonstrates his unfailing ability to tap into our fear of the gross and disgusting, and, perversely, help us to face our fears - we may know someone who picks his nose, but Waters gives us an obnoxious woman who lets her dog lick her feet clean after a shopping trip. Maybe your mother caught you jacking off when you were younger, but Waters brings a whole new dimension of toe-curling embarrassment to the scenario in the brilliant sequence where Scotty 'enjoys' (ahem!) a Chesty Morgan video. Waters also throws in close-ups of people eating noisily, a dentist's drill in action, a messy impaling (made hilarious by Kathleen Turner's flawless performance), an ankle-nibbling rat, signed photographs of Charles Manson and Richard Speck, respectable middle-class housewives swearing like construction workers, an all-female rock band called Camel Lips and a Pee-Wee Herman doll - "still in the box"! All this would mean nothing if the film wasn't incredibly funny, and thankfully, it is. In fact, it's one of the most subversive and inventive comedies ever to come out of a mainstream studio, and you'll be quoting the dialogue for weeks to come. And in case you think it's improper to laugh at serial killers, consider this - how often have you wanted to blow away an irritating gum chewer, a teacher who gave you bad grades, a careless driver, whoever stole your last boy or girlfriend, or pretty much anyone who got on your nerves? Serial Mom is the perfect escape valve for all those negative emotions, and is the perfect film to unwind with at the end of a stressful day.
正片
