Criterion Collection
Desperate Living 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
- 4K UHD
- Region B
- Classification R 18+
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Desperate Living 4K Ultra HD + Blu-Ray
The film
About the film
Bringing his notorious Trash Trilogy to a gloriously anarchic conclusion, John Waters delivers one of his most outrageous and subversive creations with Desperate Living. Following the cult shockwaves of Pink Flamingos and Female Trouble, Waters turns his attention to authoritarianism, social conformity and queer rebellion in a wildly transgressive fairy tale unlike any other.
When neurotic housewife Peggy Gravel murders her husband with the help of her long-suffering maid Grizelda, the pair flee to Mortville, a bizarre outlaw settlement populated by society's misfits and ruled by the tyrannical Queen Carlotta. As Mortville's oppressed residents endure corruption, cruelty and absurd punishments, tensions rise toward an explosive uprising against the Queen's reign of terror.
Filled with Waters' trademark blend of bad taste, black comedy and social satire, Desperate Living remains one of the filmmaker's boldest and most uncompromising works. Featuring unforgettable performances from Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Jean Hill and Liz Renay, this cult classic stands as a gleefully warped celebration of outsiders fighting back against oppression.
DIRECTOR-APPROVED 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES:
• New 4K digital restoration supervised and approved by director John Waters
• Uncompressed monaural soundtrack
• 4K UHD presentation in HDR
• Blu-ray featuring the film and special features
• Audio commentary featuring John Waters and actor Liz Renay
• Optional dubbed Italian audio track
• New conversation between John Waters and film programmer Cristina Cacioppo
• Back to Mortville – a tour of the film's main Baltimore location led by John Waters
• New interview with actors Susan Lowe, Mary Vivian Pearce and Mink Stole
• Interview with production designer Vincent Peranio
• Original theatrical trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Essay by critic Grace Byron
• Cover artwork based on the original theatrical poster featuring photography by Peter Hujar
The edition
Edition details
| Format | 4K UHD |
|---|---|
| Region | Region B |
| Classification |
R 18+ People under 18 are not permitted to buy or hire these films or games or to see these films in a cinema. These films cannot be demonstrated in a public place
|
| Director | John Waters |
| Starring | Liz Renay, Mink Stole, Susan Lowe, Edith Massey, Mary Vivian Pearce |
| Original release | 1977 |
| Release date | 20 Jul 2026 |
| Label | Criterion Collection |
| Country | United States of America |
| Genre | Comedy, Crime |
| Barcode | 5061088922962 |