“A Dirty Shame is Waters unleashed, and wicked, kinky fun for anyone except the twits who rated it NC-17…You may even shed a tear when Sylvia bonds with her daughter by confessing, ‘”‘I’m a cunnilingus bottom.’ … [T]he Waters spirit stays consistently and sweetly twisted. When the cast takes to the streets singing, ‘Let’s go sexin’,’ you want to cheer them on.” – Rolling Stone

After years of making surprisingly audience-friendly studio films, John Waters returned to his trash roots with this ludicrously entertaining sex comedy that satirizes cultural conservatism with wicked glee. Tracey Ullman stars as Sylvia Stickles, an uptight convenience store owner who, after getting bonked on the head, is transformed into a sex-crazed lunatic. As she goes on a nymphomaniacal rampage through Baltimore, Sylvia attracts the attention of Ray Ray (Johnny Knoxville), a sexual healer and tow truck driver in search of the world’s greatest orgasm. Selma Blair is along for the ride as Sylvia’s go-go dancer daughter who performs under the name Ursula Udders due to her enormous N-cup breast implants. Thanks to its NC-17 rating (given for “pervasive sexual content”) and some fairly shoddy marketing, A Dirty Shame was a flop in theaters and remains Waters’ final directorial effort to date. But “John Waters’ most underrated and prescient film” (Paste) is crying out for a cult revival. Full of big tits and even bigger laughs, this raucous, racy delight might just be the best John Waters film you’ve never seen. Now…LET’S GO SEXIN’!!!

In honor of the film’s star, Johnny Knoxville, we present a Jackass pre-show, starting at 6 pm.

Arkadin does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. However, we encourage researching titles to determine if a screening may contain content that could be upsetting to you. Please feel free to contact us for guidance on specific films. Information about content can also be found on Common Sense Media, IMDB and DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as through general internet searches.