What happens when a ‘drape’ (a juvenile delinquent) falls in love with a ‘square’? This is the basis for this John Waters movie, his first in the 90’s. After the success of Hairspray, everything was thrown at Cry Baby which boasted the highest budget for one of Waters’ films so far, a subject matter that …

Continue reading John Waters Reviewed- Day 8- Cry Baby (1990)

‘Pleasantly plump’ teenager Tracy Turnblad auditions for a spot on the local Baltimore dance show, The Corny Collins Show. But she’s horrified to see that the show is racially segregated and plans to remedy this. There’s a reason for the gap of 7 years since 1981’s Polyester- Waters was trying (and failing) to secure funding …

Continue reading John Waters Reviewed- Day 7- Hairspray (1988)

Francine Fishpaw just wants to live a ‘normal’ life but finds this impossible because of her p*rno cinema owning husband, her son who may or may not be a notorious Baltimore criminal, her lewd daughter and her delinquent boyfriend. Thank God she has her friend, Cuddles who used to be her cleaner but is now …

Continue reading John Waters Reviewed- Day 6- Polyester (1981)

From Google- ‘A housewife (Mink Stole) murders her husband, runs away and ends up in a town ruled by an evil queen who wants to infect her kingdom with rabies.’ Desperate Living feels like quintessential Waters…but with significant differences. Firstly, Divine doesn’t feature. He was actually appearing on stage and so couldn’t appear. Susan Lowe …

Continue reading John Waters Reviewed- Day 5- Desperate Living (1977)

I was going to write my own plot outline for this masterpiece but I love the one that Google provides- ‘A bizarre fat woman (Divine) and her misfit family compete with a Baltimore couple (David Lochary, Mink Stole) to be named the filthiest people alive.’ Perfect. Waters purposely set out to make a transgressive piece …

Continue reading John Waters Reviewed- Day 3- Pink Flamingos (1972)

Lady Divine runs The Cavalcade of Perversion (key attractions- The Puke Eater, The Bicycle Seat Sniffer and ‘two queers who actually kiss on the lips’). But this is actually a front as she robs any of the squares who come to see the show. Alas, Lady Divine has grown tired of just robbing the patrons …

Continue reading John Waters Reviewed- Day 2- Multiple Maniacs (1970)

‘The Bombshell’ is making her way through Baltimore when she is confronted by a hippie with his own special proclivities (if you know, you know), who takes her to a wooded area so that he can… After this moment of ecstasy (in which she daydreams about herself as Cinderella), she is mown down by Divine …

Continue reading John Waters Reviewed- Day 1- Mondo Trasho (1969)