Others above have stated eloquently most of what makes The World's Greatest Sinner so great. So what if the tone is uneven? Yes, the editing unintentionally echoes French new wave because of sloppiness; yes, there is that kind of great bad acting that would characterize John Waters' early efforts. Talk about rioting in the obvious. Those who criticize this film for the above reasons are simply screaming attention to their myopic view of movies.
What is hard to not appreciate are several unforgettable scenes: the ecstatic dance at the rock show after he changes his name to GOD; the seduction of the elderly woman while GOD runs for the Presidency and the ensuing reclining on the couch as he whispers "You remind me of my mother" (or something akin to that); the insurance agent discouraging potential customers from buying burial insurance. "Don't worry, when your corpse starts to stink, someone will bury you." And those highlights are just off the top of my head and I haven't viewed the movie for 6 or 7 years. I'd just like to urge Zappa's old, old buddy who wrote the critical note above,that, if he's still all torn up about some minor disrespect that occurred in 1961 (!!!!!), well.... it might be time to get over it, buckaroo.
What is hard to not appreciate are several unforgettable scenes: the ecstatic dance at the rock show after he changes his name to GOD; the seduction of the elderly woman while GOD runs for the Presidency and the ensuing reclining on the couch as he whispers "You remind me of my mother" (or something akin to that); the insurance agent discouraging potential customers from buying burial insurance. "Don't worry, when your corpse starts to stink, someone will bury you." And those highlights are just off the top of my head and I haven't viewed the movie for 6 or 7 years. I'd just like to urge Zappa's old, old buddy who wrote the critical note above,that, if he's still all torn up about some minor disrespect that occurred in 1961 (!!!!!), well.... it might be time to get over it, buckaroo.