Two important films came into my life the year between the ages of eleven and twelve: The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Hairspray. Both were introduced to me (or at least encouraged viewing) by my mother. You might think this was pretty hip of her, but really, she encouraged anything remotely connected to her 70s days, when she felt like a misfit (bonus points to get me stop renting cartoon movies, which she generally despised). Cry-Baby was actually my first John Waters movie and I watched Cry-Baby recorded on a VHS when it aired on the USA network, censored but still fun, and definitely speaking directly to my pure-red-blood-deep American roots (and then pointing and laughing merrily at them).
I was an odd ball kid and I connected more with Tracy Turnblad than the Amber’s of the world. Weird was, and still is, a fairly accurate adjective for me. Skip forward two years later, I’m thirteen going on fourteen and my older brother, working at Tower Records, brings home my second John Waters movie: Desperate Living.
I won’t go into its premise, but needless to say it stuck with me. Scarred is more like it, but in a way I’ve come to appreciate over time. There are moments in my life that I still find enjoyment in bellowing,
“TELL YOUR MOTHER I HATE HER AND TELL YOUR MOTHER I HATE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!”
It was a running gag amongst my Junior High friends, who knew the quote from a Marilyn Manson album. I felt cooler knowing the source.
Pink Flamingos and the rest of John Waters’ films would not come into my life until I reached adulthood, but the audacity of John Waters’ films is what has stuck with me from the time of my adolescence to present day; and John Waters himself is someone I adore and find to be hard-working and, having gotten his pretension out of his system during his youth, filled with honesty, enthusiasm and gratitude.
The revival of Hairspray piqued my John Waters interest again and amidst the books, movies, lectures and such I have finally come upon the 1998 Sundance Film Festival documentary winner Divine Trash a documentary on John Waters, with emphasis on his beginning up through Pink Flamingos and a nice touch on Divine.
With commentary from the likes of Mink Stole, horror master Herschell Gordon-Lewis, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mary “the last film censor in America” Avara, Vincent Peranio and many individuals who crossed paths with Waters during his rise to infamy – including the man himself and his parents, no less! – it’s a delightful, entertaining and informative lesson in film history. Well, delightful for pervs like me who love John Waters!
There are no spoilers, but here is the cover of the DVD for Divine Trash regardless:
I Loved:
- The range of commentators. I like that there wasn’t just praise for John, that filmmaker Steve Yeager took the time to include Mary Avara, and a local Baltimore film journalist who had been writing about Johns films since they first began showing in church basements.
- It was fun to see footage of John’s very early works, including Multiple Maniacs which looks like a good romp of a film.
- John talked about his five minutes at NYU film school and on the first day (or thereabouts) being shown or lectured on The Battleship Potemkin and being completely disenchanted with this. Virtually the same thing happened to me when I began a film making course; same movie, same reaction. I wanted to see and talk about John Waters!
- Archival footage, both of an early interview with John that Divine Trash opened and closed with, and of the actors that had passed away including Divine, Edith Massey, Paul Swift, and David Lochary.
Quibbles
- The documentary only focused through Pink Flamingos, and while I would never argue its substantial influence on millions as well as culture and film itself, I was thrown out of the pan and into the fire of bad taste and perversion with Desperate Living and would have enjoyed learning more about the ins and outs of that film (as well as his other late 70s, early 80s flicks) However, I have yet to see In Bad Taste, Yeager’s follow-up documentary, which may or may not address films passed Pink Flamingos.
Divine Trash Overall Rating
Subject: A+
Execution: A+
Would I Recommend: Yes, for people who love John’s films, or want a pretty quick, well-rounded and informative history about John, his rise and how Pink Flamingos came to fruition. NOT recommended for children who have only seen Hairspray.
Would I Buy: Eventually, I’m sure. My first John Waters non-fiction related purchase is going to be This Filthy World, a quasi-stand-up/lecture he gave in 2006.
Can Your Mum Watch: Not unless she’s already down with the JW. As cool as my mum comes off, she wouldn’t care to watch this because, beyond Hairspray, she ain’t gonna be watching John’s flicks anytime soon. She would enjoy This Filthy World, though.
