Desperate Living

"It isn't very pretty…"

1977 1h 31m EN

😐

6.3

MID

🍅

73%

FRESH

⭐

IMDB

★6.3TMDB · 126🍅73%Rotten Tomatoes★7IMDB · 6,094

ComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After killing her husband, Peggy Gravel and her murderous maid Grizelda wind up in the crazy town of Mortville, where Queen Carlotta presides over a sleazy collection of misfits.

“It isn't very pretty…”

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Where to watch · US

Fandango At HomeRent

Cast

Liz Renay
Muffy St. Jacques
Mink Stole
Peggy Gravel
Susan Lowe
Mole McHenry
Edith Massey
Queen Carlotta
Mary Vivian Pearce
Princess Coo-Coo
Jean Hill
Grizelda Brown
Brook Yeaton
Bosley Jr.
Karen Gerwig
Beth

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Waters
Writers: John Waters
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

49 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Waters, shot by Thomas Loizeaux. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Chris Lobinger. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Charles Roggero shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Liz Renay and Mink Stole and Susan Lowe carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It isn't very pretty…".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0075936 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Waters directs. Thomas Loizeaux behind the camera. Chris Lobinger scores. Charles Roggero cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $0.1M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
249 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by John Waters, shot by Thomas Loizeaux. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Chris Lobinger. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Charles Roggero shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Liz Renay and Mink Stole and Susan Lowe carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "It isn't very pretty…".
8IMDB entry: tt0075936 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 13 themes, including "fascism", "delusion", "exploitation", "dark comedy".