Trashology

By: amos Lassen

I could not have found a better title for this review than the film's tagline; it is absolutely perfect. "Trashology" is "Pink Flamingos" meets "The Crypt" and it is one of the most shockingly delightful offensive gross-out comedies. It is a satire that pokes fun at the genres of sleaze and bad taste.

The majority of female characters in this movie are played by men in drag. There's also tons of crazy, campy, completely over-the-top humor that winks directly at gay audiences.

Trash Cinema is a dying subgenre of film that hasn't been addressed in quite a while. But lo, it is back and with a fury thanks to Brian Dorton. and Douglas Conner, I jumped at the opportunity to review it. If you can, imagine the most twisted episode of "Strangers with Candy" you've ever seen John Waters, and stir in some Troma. That is what "Trashology" does.

It is an anthology made up of three short films. But first, we meet Tracy (Laura Lee Black), a middle aged woman going to college to become the next underground Trash filmmaker. After giving her professor oral sex for arriving late for class, she finds herself with a "Trashology" book full of stories that feature sex, violence, and just about every bodily fluid imaginable.

In the first short, "The Vat" we meet Beatrice (Jenny Coulter), a 65 year old cranky, nicotine addicted spitfire and Laura (Rodney Horn) a grandmother type with a delightful, mean spirited sense of humor. The duo are met by religious fanatic Claudia (Angie Keeling) who is really really angry that she got ripped off at 25 cent Banana Wednesday. As the day goes on, there is a fight between the three of them and they shoot Claudia. They decide to bury her in oatmeal but guilt gets the better of them and they bring her back to life via a Ouija Board. That is when the problems really start to happen; she does not come back the same person she left as. Now she is a horny nymphomaniac that uses the family supper as her bathroom, and will pleasure herself with anything available. "The Vat" features friendships that only Satan's "geriatric grandmother" could relate to or anyone with a parent over the age of 50. The characters are over the top and reminded me of The Golden Girls but on crack.

In "Big Debbie" as we meet a rather large woman in her wedding dresses crying as she is walking down the street holding snack cakes. Debbie (Rodney Horn) has just been stood up on her wedding day. She meets a young man on the street that offers her a shower back at his place to clean up. When she arrives at his apartment, his friend is waiting for her and the twosome plan to use her for some rather kinky sex. When one of the two men ends up dead, Debbie is to get rid of the body. Little does she know but an angry lesbian (Rachel Stout) bent on revenge has seen her and wants to get some justice of her own. Big Debbie" features the fetish known as 'squashing'. As I have been told over and over, it is a thing! Yet that is just the start of this sick little puppy because poor Debbie goes through some strange stuff and thankfully comes through only slightly more damaged than she began.

"Inglorious Bitches" is about a pair of female vigilantes who discover an app on their phones that lets them track down and murder sex offenders. They take their love of killing people and turn it into cause for killing people by going after sex offenders. Imagine taking a bat covered with spikes and ramming it up someone's bottom until he is dead! Well anyway the characters in this segment are so twisted and wonderful. Actually there isn't one badly written or poorly acted character in this collection of filthy thoughts and filthy jokes.

This most certainly is not a Lifetime movie. It is filled with lowbrow humor that pokes fun at society and at the expense of humanity. This movie is hilarious and brilliantly sick with humor.

It is wicked sick how all the characters relate to each other in all three stories and this shows director Brian Dorton's love and honest passion for this genre. This is John Waters for 2012. He should be very proud.

Bonus Features Include:

Audio Commentary with Director Brian Dorton, Producer Douglas Conner, and Jesus Terán of Slasher // Video
Deleted and Alternate Scenes
Big Debbie (Original demo)
Photo Gallery
The Ferrett
Kill Cecile Vol. 1 (Short Film)
Sex, Lies, and Melissa (Short Film)
Smokers Anonymous (Short Film)
Crazy Fat Ethel (Original Demo Trailer)
Trashology Official Trailer
Trashology Teaser Trailer