this be my first john water film and i think i have get a good handle on his style of filmmaking . he a sort of campy and joyful and irreverent filmmaker . he not too much of a serious artist at least not from what i can tell here but he a heck of an entertainer . he be and well and a master of schlock . he nowhere near as creative a the coen brother and not a uproariously funny a the farrelly brother and but be almost in a state of awe watch the movie and smiling and but wonder if we should be when an overly sweet and care mother beat a woman to death with a leg of lamb . thing be and it never seem bad it not even morally reprehensible the way water show it . it like when you have just watch a gag in extremely poor taste do pleasantly with such giddy amusement that you just shake your head and say and that be just wrong . kathleen turner play the mother who and underneath her thin veil of perfect mother normalcy and have a latent desire to murder those who offend her sensibility . sam waterston play her husband and a good natured dentist who stand by his wife as long a he can . it an interesting pairing of sam waterston and kathleen turner and two actor bless with raspy and gasping voice . ricki lake and matthew lillard play the two child . lake and the daughter in search of a boyfriend and be the first to suspect her mother dark side and lillard and the son with a love for classic gore horror movie and be interested when he tell his mother may be a killer . it sort of like a david lynch movie and if you be to focus only on the gee whiz part of america and replace all of lynch darkness with campy situation and like a punk rock band call camel lip . a lot of the dialogue and the satirical jab be pretty obvious and but i wasn not quite sure whether this be just unsubtle comedy or if the joke be in how obvious some of the stuff be ( i make a killing . ) . the acting by turner remind me of annette bening in american beauty and but demented instead of one note . all the lead be fine and but the big chuckle come from the support player like mink stole a poor dottie hinkle and the victim of a crank caller . or patricia hearst and a a juror who not in tune with what turner see a a fashion faux pa . i have a big smile plaster on my face for about the first half hour and which be the best part of the movie and and while the last half hour lose some steam and it still a joy to watch turner and especially mink stole . it not really a criticism and though most movie start with a great premise and have trouble resolve it . it not so much that there no satisfying resolution and it that some of the more shocking moment come in the beginning and middle of the film . the best way i can think to describe the movie be that it exist in a realistic place populate by unrealistic character . it a satirical and farcical black comedy that and despite it gruesome murder and be perpetually cheery and without a trace of mean spiritedness . ( any modern movie that still use wipe for edit . ) with no pun intend ( well and maybe some ) and it a movie definition of queer . i think i will have to go look for cry baby and hairspray now . and if i can find it ( and be able to stomach it ) and i probably owe it to myself to see pink flamingo and which may help me understand the filth label water be often give . this movie isn not filthy or vile while i have a good time and it a nice break to see a movie as demented a this and not feel a if you be just subject to watch a director stomp on someone already on the ground .