John Waters was destined to be an underappreciated, classic, cult filmmaker; or a serial killer, from the earliest years of his childhood. Enjoying the freedom and ability to keep on going and going…we can appreciate which one of the callings he chose.
It’s frightening, if you think about it, to imagine what’s going on in his deepest, darkest places when puts together the images he’s captured on film. From the very earliest, probably a social statement for a youthful 18 year old Waters’, “Hag in a Black Leather Jacket”, this short film was about a black man who courted a white ballerina by carrying her around in a garbage can and recruits a Klansman to perform the rooftop wedding.
Fortunately, he never took himself so seriously that he didn’t have a good time. Tongue planted firmly in cheek, John would make unaccredited appearances in his own movies and others. Many times just a voice on a telephone (including Ted Bundy and a pervert). It’s his humor that makes his movies, sometimes grossly stupid (have you seen any of them?), not just watchable, but looked forward to.
Pairing with the now deceased actor known as Divine, an obese, cross-dresser/female impersonator, right from the beginning of his career, it was the movie, “Flamingos” that brought this dynamic duo of doo to light with the long-remembered dog poo eating scene. John Waters tends to cast Mink Stole in his films as well.
With many appearances on David Letterman, one wonders whether it’s John or Dave who is playing with the viewing public. Not that it matters. Just having Waters giving us so much to watch, unable to look away, stunned by both subject and portrayal, is quite enough. That he’s laughing at us as well as with us, well, that’s ok too. Just as long as he doesn’t take up serial killing and figure out where I live.
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