John Waters - the pope of trash

[Guybrush]

As I'm currently reading one of his books, I wanted to make a thread about the Sultan of Sleaze, John Waters.

To the uninitiated, he's a pencil mustachioed, gay US filmmaker who directed hits like Hairspray and Crybaby in the 80s, but also made a string of very controversial and trashy movies before that. He's also fascinated by serial killers, keeps fake pieces of meat lying around and seems like an all-round funny and good guy.

Many of his movies feature the actor and drag queen by the stage name Divine who gets into various shenanigans like eating real dog poo at the end of Pink Flamingos.

I like John Waters and have seen most of his movies, including his infamous Trash Trilogy. I didn't like Pink Flamingos much, but Female Trouble was enjoyable and the first 10 minutes or so of Desperate Living rivals The Room in terms of funniest movie start (imo).

Polyester may be my favorite movie by him overall 🙂 it has better pacing and is quite funny.

Are there any other appreciators of the pope of trash here? 😁

[Janszoon]

I love John Waters. My introduction to him was Hairspray but then I saw Cry Baby, Pecker, and the unforgettable butthole karaoke of Pink Flamingos and I appreciated him even more. Two years ago, when I went on a writing retreat to the Baltimore area, I had the pleasure of hanging out in his old neighborhood of Hampden.

[Guybrush]

Cool! I haven't seen Pecker, so maybe I should get on that 🙂

One thing which is great about American culture is it occasionally churns out these awesome, creative oddballs ready to take on the world and do it on their own terms. It adds such color and diversity to society.

Gotta appreciate the freaks and weirdos 🙂 at least the relatively benign ones.

[jadis]

I'm a big fan. IMHO he's one of the great subversive gay icons of the 20th century, like Pasolini or Burroughs or Jean Genet. Got a lovely prose style too.

Loved Serial Mom back when I was too young to care about directors and later a cool older friend showed me Female Trouble and Pink Flamingos and Hairspray.

PF remains the favorite for the dialogue (and the monologues!). One of the few films I genuinely know by heart.

Polyester is also brilliant.

I should rewatch the opening of Desperate Living, all I remember is that it was depressing. 

[Rubber Soul]

I am from Baltimore and Waters rates as one of our gods along with Cal Ripken, Brooks Robinson, and Jerry Turner (he was a local newscaster back in the day). I'd probably rate the original Hairspray as my favorite but I can easily watch Pink Flamingos (save that gross last scene), Female Trouble, and Serial Mom with the same glee. Pecker, to me, was his last decent movie (never got Cecil B Demented and haven't see the Ulmann one).

Anyway, yeah, Waters is great!

[Guybrush]

I should rewatch the opening of Desperate Living, all I remember is that it was depressing.

Mink Stole plays an insane wife / mother who has just been released back into her home from the psych ward and it's basically her having a continuous mental breakdown about various nothings. It's great 😄

[Psy-Fi]

Back in 1981, an older co-worker at a restaurant I was working at, told me about a job he had as a projectionist in a movie theater in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He asked me if I knew who John Waters was and I told him I hadn't heard of him so he proceeded to tell me about John Waters and his films. He said he knew John Waters, Divine, and several other cast members from various John Waters films and invited me to visit him in Provincetown, during the summer, when he was working at the theater and said he'd invite me to one of their parties. I was 19 at the time and although I liked to party, the descriptions he gave of John Waters, Divine, some of the other actors and the movie 'Pink Flamingos' in particular, made me think that there was probably a good chance I'd end up in some outrageously weird situation that I'd regret later, so I never took him up on his offer. Around three years later, after I no longer worked at that restaurant and had lost touch with that co-worker, I started watching John Water's films and then I regretted not taking my co-worker up on his offer when I had the chance. 

I've seen everything from 'Mondo Trasho' through 'A Dirty Shame.' The first one I watched was 'Pink Flamingos' followed by 'Female Trouble' about six months or so later. Saw both of them in a couple of movie theaters. Have most of his filmography on VHS tapes I bought during the mid 1980's to early 2000's. I also have a copy of his book 'Crackpot: The Obsessions of John Waters' and I went to see him around 2012 on one of his stand-up Christmas performances. He was hanging out in the lobby after the show, selling copies of his books and chatting with fans. I would've loved to have gotten a copy of his mugshot autographed but he didn't have any for sale there and I didn't have one with me at the time.

 

[Guybrush]

That story could've been so much more interesting, Jadis.

Nah, jk thanks for sharing!

I'm surprised by the amount of Waters-appreciation. Considering the subject matters he explores, I didn't expect it!

[jadis]

He's also one of those guys who are compelling speakers 100% of the time.

A couple of great documentaries where he's among the luminaries being interviewed:

This one is about Burroughs and features everyone you know will be in a Burroughs documentary like Ginsberg, Patty Smith, Iggy, Gen etc

And this is on the underground filmmakers George and Mike Kuchar (features two thirds of Canadian art cinema's triumvirate of geniuses, Maddin and Egoyan. Guess Cronenberg was busy) 

[Guybrush]

He's also one of those guys who are compelling speakers 100% of the time.

Yes, absolutely true. I really became aware of him when we, for some reason, saw This Filthy World back around the time that came out in the mid 00s. I didn't know much of anything about his career, but still loved it.

Should definitely rewatch that.

[Psy-Fi]

John Waters - Public Service Announcement

[Guybrush]

That's brilliant

[jadis]

I am from Baltimore and Waters rates as one of our gods along with Cal Ripken, Brooks Robinson, and Jerry Turner (he was a local newscaster back in the day). I'd probably rate the original Hairspray as my favorite but I can easily watch Pink Flamingos (save that gross last scene), Female Trouble, and Serial Mom with the same glee. Pecker, to me, was his last decent movie (never got Cecil B Demented and haven't see the Ulmann one).

Anyway, yeah, Waters is great!

A different generation obv but do Animal Collective figure at all in the Baltimore lore?

[Rubber Soul]

John Waters - Public Service Announcement

A classic. Saw this watching a movie. The house died laughing.

A different generation obv but do Animal Collective figure at all in the Baltimore lore?

Yes, along with Beach House. Before them, Baltimore didn't have much of a music scene unless you count some obscure R&B and Kix.

[jadis]