Cecil B. Demented

2000 Comedy

Iconoclastic satirist John Waters bites the hand that (periodically) feeds him in this humorous look at the underside of the film industry. Self-styled guerrilla filmmaker Cecil (Stephen Dorff) leads a Baltimore movie-making collective/street gang called the Sprocket Holes, which includes Cecil's girlfriend and frequent leading lady, a low-rent porn actress named Cherish Oh Lordy (Alicia Witt). Desperate for attention, they kidnap famous Hollywood actress Honey Whitlock (Melanie Griffith) during a Baltimore publicity stop and force her at gunpoint to star in their latest production, Raving Beauty. Before long, Honey comes down with a severe case of Stockholm syndrome and joins the Sprocket Holes in their bid to destroy the mainstream film industry. Waters regulars Ricki Lake, Patty Hearst, and Mink Stole highlight the supporting cast, and techno star Moby contributes to the soundtrack. more..

Director: John Waters

Starring: Stephen Dorff, Melanie Griffith,Adrian Grenier, Alicia Witt, Larry Gilliard Jr.

Reviews

  • A fast, furious and funny fusillade of a movie.

    Kevin Thomas - Los Angeles Times

    19 January 2013

  • DeMented is Waters the way we like him--spiked with laughs and served with a twist.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    19 January 2013

  • It's an audacious little comedy with bursts of hilarity and a certain giddy energy.

    Bob Graham - The San Francisco Chronicle

    19 January 2013

  • It's the cinematic equivalent of one of those prop guns where you pull the trigger and a little flag comes out of the barrel, waving gaily.

    Jay Carr - The Boston Globe

    19 January 2013

  • Consistently amusing and smart in its choice of targets, but it lacks the manic edge of some of Waters' earlier movies.

    Stephen Holden - The New York Times

    19 January 2013

Awards

  • Worst Actress

    Razzie Awards (2001)