John Waters

Satirist, social critic, underground filmmaker, pop culture icon, and just plain sick -- John Waters has been identified as each.  A screenwriter and director, John Waters has created an unique career in American movie-making.  In the sixties, he had to distribute his homemade Baltimore movies from the trunk of his car. His only opportunity came from late night showings at small movie theatres.  Today, his films cast stars (Johnny Depp, Kathleen Turner), play all over America, and even get turned into Broadway musicals (Hairspray, Cry Baby).  His first major hit was Pink Flamingos (1972), the making of which is featured in Divine Trash. Flamingos, along with his other early movies, earned him accolades such as King of Sleaze, Prince of Puke, and Pope of Trash. Why?  Watching a character eat dog poop, or handing out scratch and sniff cards to audiences with options for vomit and farts, created a career unlike most of the other independent movie makers of the time. Waters has joyously embraced  his ongoing reputation of an outsider, even as he has begun to receive awards, and hosting a television series. His movies are still all made in Baltimore, and continue to tweak our culture’s taboos with complete wit, and unrestrained humor. In one of the stranger turns of events his film Hairspray (1988) became a successful Broadway musical, and touring all over America; now, the musical is to become its own film.