Multiple Maniacs (1970)

100% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
76% of users liked it
(1,072 ratings)

Another effort from notoriously tasteless duo John Waters and Divine, Multiple Maniacs finds heavyweight transvestite Divine as the maniacal head of a group of murderous kidnappers. Bent on ridding society of it's most boring element, suburbanites, Divine and company tour under the guise of Lady… More Another effort from notoriously tasteless duo John Waters and Divine, Multiple Maniacs finds heavyweight transvestite Divine as the maniacal head of a group of murderous kidnappers. Bent on ridding society of it's most boring element, suburbanites, Divine and company tour under the guise of Lady Divine's Cavalcade of Perversions, a not-so-elaborate ruse to lure in the most complacent element of the population and slaughter them en masse. Mesmerized by promises of "actual queers, kissing on the lips," and other such promises of lurid thrills, the plan works like a charm until a vicious love triangle leads to a risky plot to murder ringleader Divine. Despite their past, Divine's partner David (David Lochary) and scheming newcomer Mary Mary Vivian Pierce) plot to dispose of the murderous murderess just as Divine is planning to fire David. Enraged at the sudden turn of events, Divine hits the streets in anger only to find innovative uses for a rosary before being raped by a man in a dress and a giant lobster. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: NC-17, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: John Waters
Written By: John Waters
Genres: Horror, Comedy

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1970 Wide

Critic Reviews

Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Waters shoots the bravura blasphemy for shuddering passion and keeps upping the fervor
Phil Hall, Film Threat
Uneven, to put it mildly. But when it is funny, it is priceless.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Stephen M

I watched this a couple of months or so ago, decided to chew it over before reviewing and now I come to do so I can't remember a great deal about it, which possibly tells you all you need to know about the quality of the movie. Poking fun at, among other things, the Roman… More
I watched this a couple of months or so ago, decided to chew it over before reviewing and now I come to do so I can't remember a great deal about it, which possibly tells you all you need to know about the quality of the movie. Poking fun at, among other things, the Roman Catholic church and the victims of the Manson Family, <I>Multiple Maniacs</I> certainly goes for the jugular in terms of tastelessness; the problem is, it's just not funny enough. John Waters is quite capable of writing amusing dialogue but there's precious little on display here. Instead, the movie is littered with tedious, over-talkative scenes that take an eternity to go nowhere, and even the two most infamous sequences - the "rosary job" administered on Divine by Mink Stole and the surreal appearance of "Lobstora" - outstay their welcome by several minutes. Curiously, <I>Multiple Maniacs</I> works best in its quieter moments, when it's not desperately trying to be offensive. For example, as I've said, the "rosary job" goes on forever and isn't all that funny, but the build up, with Divine's voiceover telling us one thing and the visuals exactly the opposite, is highly amusing. I also enjoyed David Lochary and Mary Vivian Pearce's star-crossed lovers routine.
Quinto W

The film is a little uneven, unsure of where to go exactly and how to get there, but, trust me, what a fun ride it is. The cast is in top shape as always, and like in any Waters film there are plenty of shocks to be found. Always hilarious and highly enjoyable.
ken j

well this is one of john waters first movies he ever made and it shows made in black and white and what had to be on a very low budget this is also got to be one of waters most weirdest movie i gave it this many stars for cult status alone and of course *the lobster scene*. Starring… More
well this is one of john waters first movies he ever made and it shows made in black and white and what had to be on a very low budget this is also got to be one of waters most weirdest movie i gave it this many stars for cult status alone and of course *the lobster scene*. Starring the usual band of misfts in john waters troop includeing Divine and Mink Stole
Patrick D

Now this is somewhat of a low rating for a favourite, but even though I don't think the film is the greatest piece of cinema, it doesn't it can't be my favourite. What really makes this worth while is it's sheer uniqueness and rawness. For any fan of John Waters,… More
Now this is somewhat of a low rating for a favourite, but even though I don't think the film is the greatest piece of cinema, it doesn't it can't be my favourite. What really makes this worth while is it's sheer uniqueness and rawness. For any fan of John Waters, you can tell that in this film , he's not holding back. You can tell that as a young filmmaker he's not yet comfortable with the medium, but he really is getting there, and it has amazing Waters staples in it that you'll see reappear in his later works, but others you'll never see again. The structure drags at time but it's a pretty lean movie so it doesn't become boring, and kind of lends itself to a greek tragedy of sorts. So basically, this is will not blow you away in filmmaking, but it will blow you away in just experiencing John Waters un-restrained.