John-Waters Movie Reviews

I love to watch this movie every Christmas! The story concerns a family living in Australia in the 1800's. Australia is very hot at Christmas, because their summer is then, so the holiday gets celebrated very differently. During the story, a drought is on and everything is dying. The family is very poor and can't afford to buy gifts but their little boy is sure that "Father Christmas" whom he thinks he's met in person, will get him a gift if he's good. When a scoundrel pretending to be Father Christmas, and the local rich man get involved, it becomes a Christmas none of them ever forget. The movie has one scene that would make it worth watching anyway, even if it weren't a good movie: the scene where they try to have a traditional English Christmas (complete with Yule log in 100 + weather) and the roasted pig takes a header across the room. You'll love it!

What a wonderful, overlooked holiday film. An amazing cast of characters that reveals the hard life in turn of the century Australia. One of our families annual traditions is to watch this movie together.

A different look at Christmas in a different culture with fine acting, crisp dialogue, good humor and the underlying true meaning of Christmas coming through without overbearing moral overtones. A wonderful, entertaining alternative to typical Hollywood gushy Christmas shows produced with half-wits in mind.

Adventures In Wonderland is a fun, educational kids show which is also great even for adults like me. I love the songs, there should be a CD of them!

After years of loving this show as a kid (im 15 now) I've finally found episodes of the show! And I bought them as soon as I could! I remember certain episodes of the show like how Alice would always start the show with a problem and walk into her sister's room and talk to dinah then she'd go through the looking glass and the main credits rolled!!! And I remember this episode where Alice found her sister's new perfume and acciedntly spilt on herself all over and she really stunk and so fourth. Then there was an episode where she wanted to change her hair and the mad hatter and march hare accidently die it Green! I love this show!! The sets!! The Costumes!! The songs!! The Characters!! The acting!! I cannot wait to get my 3 videos!...
I am sooo excited

Based on the books and the Disney movie with a modern twist. It is no longer on the Disney channal, but I saw as many episodes as I could. The Red Queen of Hearts is crabby most of the time but sometimes she can actually be wise. The Caterpiller tells a story every episode and is wiser than everyone else. The Mad Hatter and Hare are inseperable best friends and Dormouse is the Hatter's pet and lives in a teapot. The Walrus has an invisible friend, piniped, who might be the Carpenter.

I love to watch this movie every Christmas! The story concerns a family living in Australia in the 1800's. Australia is very hot at Christmas, because their summer is then, so the holiday gets celebrated very differently. During the story, a drought is on and everything is dying. The family is very poor and can't afford to buy gifts but their little boy is sure that "Father Christmas" whom he thinks he's met in person, will get him a gift if he's good. When a scoundrel pretending to be Father Christmas, and the local rich man get involved, it becomes a Christmas none of them ever forget. The movie has one scene that would make it worth watching anyway, even if it weren't a good movie: the scene where they try to have a traditional English Christmas (complete with Yule log in 100 + weather) and the roasted pig takes a header across the room. You'll love it!

What a wonderful, overlooked holiday film. An amazing cast of characters that reveals the hard life in turn of the century Australia. One of our families annual traditions is to watch this movie together.

A different look at Christmas in a different culture with fine acting, crisp dialogue, good humor and the underlying true meaning of Christmas coming through without overbearing moral overtones. A wonderful, entertaining alternative to typical Hollywood gushy Christmas shows produced with half-wits in mind.

Passion Flower is Bruce Boxleitner's first movie that involved sex. He acted the part like a pro.

Great photography,music,clothes music,mysticism,story.DONT MISS IT! Photography by Dean Semler who did "MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME". Shot in nice hotels, clubs ,houses. Nice suits, dresses, cocktail parties, . Good music score. Great shot of 747 landing with camera capturing it moving on a fast car. Shot in exotic Singapore. A good thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat. Great scenes of Asian festivals in the background. I can't recommend it enough.

I saw this film twice when it came out in LA in '89 or '90 and almost got a hernia from laughing. Sandra is truly OVER the whole Westernized idea of self-concept; she has irreverence for almost everything in pop culture, and...well, who can blame her? I listened to the soundtrack from the show again last weekend twelve years later and still laughed. She really has a way of tempering one's desire for too much self-importance, and the way she skewers fame is just... charmed!

This movie, WITHOUT YOU I'M NOTHING, is based on Sandra's off-broaway, smash hit one woman show. Whew.. that was a mouthful. Anyway I wasn't familiar with Sandra's work before I saw this but after I saw this, I was floored. It's funny, touching, silly, and crazy. It's one of the best movies/shows I've seen. During WITHOUT YOU I'M NOTHING Sandra takes jabs at people but she's also an incredible storyteller/comedian. She also sings and dances thoughout. This movie is like no other. It's dark humor, crazy stories, and Sandra's eccentric attitude is sure to entertain.

Sandra Bernhard's Without You I'm Nothing, the movie released in the winter of early 1990, followed on the heels of her 1988 off-Broadway stage production ... what she and others refer to in the movie as her "smash-hit one-woman show." There were several changes in monologues and one-liners to update the comedic appeal of the show. And the movie version visually re-vamped the story, taking Sandra from a fabulous existence as a successful stage performer in New York, during what she calls her "superstar summer," to an illusory existence back in her home in Los Angeles - her fictional manager in the film refers to it as getting Sandra back "to her roots, to ... upscale supper clubs like the Parisian Room."

There's a point to be made here. Sandra tries to appeal her liberal worldview to an audience that doesn't completely see it. In L.A. she's playing to a predominantly black audience, trying to relate her ideas and comedy when all these people seem to want is "Shashonna," a Madonna-look-alike stripper. And even then, with Shashonna dancing to drum beats that resemble those from "Like a Virgin," there's not much to be said for the audience's enjoyment of the show. The scene in the club throughout the movie is dryer than a bone. A funny scene to catch is of a rotund man from the audience helping Shashonna out of her pants.

But, if she's going down, Sandra's going down with style and force, conveying everything from foul confidence to punctured vulnerability ... right to the point at which she's naked (literally), pleading with the audience for acceptance and, yet, somehow still swimming in the pool of her own transparent stardom. Her interactions with celebrities like Calvin Klein, Jerry Lewis, Bianca Jagger, Ralph Lauren and (what we're lead to believe is) Warren Beatty are fictional and hilarious.

Sandra begins her show in her most awkward moment, performing a quiet but mystifying rendition of Nina Simone's song "Four Women" while dressed in African garb, singing lines such as "my skin is black," "my hair is wooly," and "they call me Sweet Thing."

She resurrects and celebrates the ghosts of underworld art: "Leave it to Andy [Warhol] to have the wisdom and sensitivity into the hours and hours of toil and labor that went into the Indian product ... that they've been so lucky to cash in on this whole Santa Fe thing happening."

She expounds on the excessiveness of Hollywood, consoling a distraught friend then admonishing him, saying "Mister, if this is about Ishtar, I'm getting up right now and walking out of your life forever because that's too self-indulgent for even me!"

Sandra illustrates the expectations of women in the age of feminism. In retelling her young-girl fantasy, she eventually concludes in relief, "I'll never be a statistic, not me. I'm under 35, and I'm going to be married!"

And she extols the opening of sexuality in society: "When he touches you in the night, does it feel all right, or does it feel real? I say it feels real ... MIGHTY real." And, finally, she cries for change in American society by channeling disco greats Patrick Cowley and Sylvester and proclaiming, "Eventually everyone will funk!"

All this comes in the form of glitzy, schmaltzy but wonderful cabaret performances of songs written and originated by Billy Paul, Burt Bacharach, Hank Williams and Laura Nyro, to name a few. At the same time, the idealized, fictional incarnation of Sandra -- her self-generated mirror image -- floats around town, a beautiful model with flowing gowns and tight bustiers reading the Kabala, studying chemistry and listening to NWA rap music.

Without You I'm Nothing exposes Sandra in what was then her most intimate and direct engagement with an audience to date. She explores emotions and existences that, up until then, she'd only toyed with as a regular guest on Late Night With David Letterman. Her almost child-like enthusiasm for shock, exhibited throughout the '80s, is thrown aside in the face of a subtler allure, and her confidence in the face of materialism and American celebrity proves refreshing. This approach to comedy would change Sandra's direction forever and mark the more mature, more personable entertainer to come.

If you like subtle humor to the point of engaging in inside jokes about glamour, celebrity, sex, loneliness, despair and shallow expressions of love and kinship, this movie will keep you in stitches. But see it with a friend "in the know" because it's definitely funnier that way. Before you know it, the two of you will be trading Sandra barbs and confusing the hell out of everyone else.

"Hairspray" is a hilarious musical by one of the funniest directors of our time, John Waters! "Hairspray" revolves around the lives of Baltimore teenagers in the 1960s and how they deal with relationships, race relations, status, and the Corny Collins Show! The Corny Collins Show is a ficticious American Bandstand. All of the cool kids are dancers on the show. Ricki Lake's character, Tracy, has big dreams about being on the show. After an audition, she is given a coveted spot as one of the dancers. This begins a rivalry between her and a snobby young lady (played by Vitamin C).

Ricki Lake and Divine give excellent performances as mother and daughter. There are also great performances by Sonny Bono, Debbie Harry, and Jerry Stiller. The music and dance sequences will definitely have you tapping your feet. Even through all of the fun and hilarity, there is also an important message you can learn from.

I would highly recommend this film to people who would like to see a good, well-acted, and very funny film!!! You won't be disappointed!

"Hairspray," marks the mainstream feature film debut of Baltimore, Maryland's most eccentric film director, John Waters. Incorporating his hometown and his love of sixties tunes, "Hairspray" chronicles the rise of a chubby Baltimore teenager (Ricki Lake in her film debut) as she rises to the top of a local dance show. Being the underdog in this movie, Lake's performance as Tracy Turnblad is classic and her rise to the top makes this one of the feel-good movies in recent years.

On the way to the top, Tracy faces fierce competition from snobbish Amber Von Tussel and her racist, conservative parents (played by Deborah Harry and the late Sonny Bono). Faced with a growing demand to intergrate the show, the movie takes place in a major era in American history as the Civil Rights movement is starting to take form.

In comparison with his other films, I feel this is Water's best work. He truly has made Tracy Turnblad somewhat of an antihero due to the fact of her weight and social background, but it works perfectly. At the end of this movie everyone will be screaming the words "Free Tracy Turnblad!" over and over again (surprsingly, that line has become a major pop-culture line on many college campuses throughout the United State).

Supporting actors such as Divine, Jerry Stiller, Ruth Brown, Pia Zadora, Rick Ocasek, and Michael St. Gerard (Doesn't he look like Elvis?) bring life to this film and the film's style, costumes, and soundtrack will give many a feeling for 1960's nolstagia.

In conclusion, this film should become an addition to anyone's video library. I can't wait for the DVD version to come out. Until then, buy it! You won't be disappointed.

I think it's safe to say that Hairspray is a unique motion picture. The film, while providing nonstop fun and laughs throughout, also manages to not only confront but to roll right over prejudice in several of its nefarious guises. I was a teenager when this film came out, and sadly, it was the death of Divine (just before the movie was released) that made me aware of this film. I don't know if that publicity helped or hurt ticket sales - Divine, for those who have never heard of him, was famous for playing female roles, and Hairspray had begun to rejuvenate his whole career. As for the film, it's extremely campy in the best of ways, overflowing with great singing and dancing from the early 1960s, and it is the type of film that makes you feel good after you watch it.

Ricki Lake plays Tracy Turnblad, a big, bold, and beautiful teenager who dreams of dancing on the exceedingly popular Corny Collins dance show. Her mother, played by Divine, isn't too crazy about modern music and dancing - until Tracy auditions and gets a spot on the show. Strutting her stuff in front of the cameras, she quickly becomes Baltimore's newest sensation. This does not sit well with Amber von Tussle (Colleen Fitzpatrick), as Tracy steals her man and then threatens to win the coveted title of Miss Auto Show 1963. Tracy is overweight, but she likes herself just as she is and easily dismisses the fat jokes thrown her way early on. The big issue in this film, though, is segregation. Tracy and her best friend Penny Pingleton (Joann Havrilla) soon become friends with some of the black kids in town and begin working toward integrating the Corny Collins show. Collins is all for the idea himself, as currently the Negro show runs only once each month under the controls of sassy Motormouth Mabel (Ruth Brown). The station manager will not hear of integration, though, and Penny's mother is aghast to find out that her daughter is in love with an African-American. This is 1962, of course. The whole segregation issue becomes the basic foundation of the movie as it dances its way to the end, making Hairspray a wonderfully entertaining film with a serious message behind it.

The film is blessed with many interesting cast members. Divine plays not only Mrs. Turnblad but also the station manager, Jerry Stiller plays Mr. Turnblad, Sonny Bono and Debbie Harry (and Debbie Harry's increasingly interesting hair) come together to play Amber von Tussle's parents, and Ric Ocasek and Pia Zadora show up as Beatniks in a strange little cameo appearance. Of course, Ricki Lake pretty much steals the show as the big girl with big dreams, although I found Joann Havrilla's performance as Penny Pingleton quite captivating in a weird sort of way.

It is very difficult to describe Hairspray; you pretty much have to watch it to get a true feel for its entertainment assets and social commentary underpinnings. It does have its silly moments, but this is not entertainment for the sake of entertainment, nor is this a film you will soon forget after watching it.

John Waters' follow up to his classic PINK FLAMINGOS doesn't plume the same depths of hilarious depravity but is still an entertaining movie. FEMALE TROUBLE sees Waters (who also co-edits and wrote the lyrics for the title song) reteaming with PINK FLAMINGOS stars Divine (who also performs the title song) and Mink Stole (who is also credited with the stills).
FEMALE TROUBLE tells the tale of the life and crimes of Dawn Davenport (Divine) beginning with her High School days in 1960. After destroying Christmas for her family Dawn runs away from home and is picked up hitch-hiking by a sleazy guy who impregnates her. Not surprisingly she ends up giving birth to her daughter in typically tasteless Waters fashion.
With a daughter to support and a scuzzy hippie boyfriend spongeing off her earnings, Dawn works a series of menial jobs from waitress, hooker and gogo dancer (not a pretty sight) before discovering her true niche as a career criminal. As a result she meets a bizarre artistic couple who want to photograph Dawn's crimes because they feel "Crime equals beauty". This predictably leads to media fame and plenty of Waters' bad taste: gratuitous nudity (not the good kind), maiming, mutilation, incest- all the usual barrel scraping (Which I don't have the heart to spoil for potential viewers), though this is pretty tame compared to PINK FLAMINGOS which I still consider to be his masterpiece.
FEMALE TROUBLE will appeal to cult movie buffs but mainstream viewers should probably steer clear; especially those only familiar with his more accessible PG rated movies like HAIRSPRAY and CRY BABY. Connoisseurs of camp and vulgarity will love it. Personally, I have mixed feelings about FEMALE TROUBLE hence my 3 star rating. I still rate later Waters' movies like SERIAL MOM and CECIL B. DEMENTED higher than this, but it's still worth a look.

I first saw "Female Trouble" back in the 1970s and since then I've been looking for the video. I have it now and it's just as I remembered it. Divine plays both the immortal Dawn Davenport and Earl, and it's clear that she is better at playing female roles than male roles. Dawn is so delightfully evil that we are not surprised by whatever happens to her, but the violence doesn't shock us as it would in some other movies. The late Edith Massey was great as Ida and Mink Stole - the only actor to appear in ALL of John Waters' movies - was almost as good as the bratty Taffy (I would have slapped her too if she was my daughter.) And we got to see Divine's penis and Massey's breasts! The only thing I didn't care about was the "romance interest", Gator. Waters should have gotten a good-looking guy to play Dawn's husband, not one of his hippy friends.

It's a shame that Oscars weren't given for trashy cult movies in the mid-seventies, 'cause "Female Trouble" would have swept the field back then.

John Waters has created a masterpiece in Dawn Davenport of 'Female Trouble'! ONLY, but ONLY, could Divine play the insanely HILARIOUS Dawn Davenport throughout her series of misadventures. This movie guarantees constant laughter, as well as a series of 'Oh my God's' that will no doubt drop from your mouth! This is a family with serious ISSUES! With a daughter like little Taffy - "Look at her face, she has the face of an old woman" to her 'Supermodel' career, Dawn races from scene to scene in her slingback pumps & heavy mascara with 'Divine' style! When she hits her arch enemy with a fish in the head, you will hit the floor laughing hysterically! It is so ridiculous that you will love it! You haven't LIVED until you have witnessed Dawn in her fringed bell-bottom jump suit - jumping on a trampoline - all 300 bodacious pounds of her! And her final speech is not to be missed! Get this movie! It will STUN you into uncontrollable laughter! And like our 'Supermodel' Dawn Davenport, you will soon finding yourself with an uncontrollable urge to inject mascara into your veins for your next 'beauty fix'! You just have to witness this extravaganza to believe it! Absolutely HYSTERICAL!

Edith Massey was "THE" Virgin Mary in this Modern life. No one knew it, but she showed the world what the true meaning of love was. You can actually see her halo hovering above her head when she sits in the play-pen in "Pink Flamingos" and shouts, "Oh Mr. Eggman. I love you so much! Oh Babs! What if there were no more eggs?" Our own Virgin Mary never got this far. What about Queen Carlotta from "Desperate Living"? "Would you like some pizza little birdy?" or "Oh! Ready, aim, FIRE!" The best Catholic-ismatic moment had to be her pleading with her son 'Gator' in "Female Trouble". "Oh Gator. I'd be so proud if you was a (...) and had a beautician boyfriend. I'd never have to worry! THe woRLd of heteroSexuAls is A sick AND boRIng LIFE!" Her delivery was priceless! If you ever had the chance to meet her or see her in one of her live acts, you would know what a kind and sweethearted person there was behind those over-sized (...) and matching tooths. Yes, tooths. This tape will probably never make it to DVD, as it is too short, as was Edie's life. God bless her for spreading her love around Baltimore and little did she know, the rest of the Goddamned world!

WOW... A short documentary about one of the most lovable stars in cinema... I really really liked this. Edith Massey is definately one of the most awesome ladies ever to roam the earth. This is a surprisingly sentimental documentary and extremely interesting. If you dont like the Egg Lady, Queen Carlotta, Cuddles, or any of her other characters...you should be smacked upside your head! Edith Massey was and always will be an icon for underground/indie cinema. So much class, so little teeth... But a heart of purest gold and a gentleness about her that makes you wish she were your mommy! I know I'll be feeding her Eggs someday in the big playpen in the sky, reciting Humpty Dumpty and laughing with glee. I wish she were still alive so I could give her a great big hug and tell her the wonders she has added to the word "film". I know shes up in heaven, dancing and singing with David Lochary, Cookie Mueller, Divine, and Maelcum Soul. They are all extremely missed. EDITH I LOVE YOU!

I actually went out of my way to see this several years ago when it wasn't available on VHS, I had to rent the special edition of "Polyester" on disc to see it. It was definitely worth it. John Waters had some pretty entertaining people in his Dreamland group but Edith Massey was definitely the most loveable. I'm glad this warm hearted documentary short (15 minutes, but worth it) was made before she passed away. There's some great footage of her talking about her past as a bar-girl in her endearing way. You'd never think hearing someone with 6 teeth talk would be so enjoyable. I miss her almost as much as I miss Divine.

Add it know to your John Waters collection. Desperate Living is the best of the three.

Polester is great and Hair spray is so so.

We need to get Flamingos and Female trouble in this set and it would be PERFECT!

All and All Nipsey likes.

I bought this before the advent of DVDs, and I love every disgusting minute of it. Well, maybe not the birthday party scene in Pink Flamingos, but the rest of it is nothing short of brilliant. This is truly independent cinema. The kind you make with money borrowed from your parents, not from some studio that thinks they're on the edge. You will be offended by these films. Even Hairspray has it's edgy moments. Disgusting zit popping, puking, rats crawling through beautiful reflections of the moon in water. Polyester is Water's first near main-stream movie, with abortion, porn, foot fetishists, beheadings (the scene where a cop non-challantly throws a head into the woods after a car accident kills me). Desperate Living is a grand take on Fairy Tales gone wrong, sort of like Shrek on an adult level (over-simplification). And then there's Pink Flamingos. The Grandmother of filth. Of course, the only children of this genre is Waters' own movies, but Waters is enough. This is a must own set, on VHS or DVD. Female Trouble and Multiple Maniacs would complete this set. Both are also available on VHS finally.

This is a collection of John's greatest hits. Desperate Living is a true Fairy Tale for the open minded, Pollyester is Super, (Divine and Tab Hunter, what a pair) and Hairspray is the video from this collection you can leave out for the kids. All in all a great collection for the John Waters fan.

If you're a fan of low budget film making, the story behind the making of "Macon County Line" is as fascinating as the film itself, perhaps moreso. You'll learn about that in a short featurette that's included on the DVD that features interviews with Director Richard Compton, Actor-Producer-Writer Max Baer, Jr., star Jesse Vint and others. What I really enjoyed is the film commentary offered by Richard Compton during the film. It's actually more of a conversation with Anchor Bay producer Bill Lustig, a pretty good low budget film maker, himself (Maniac, Vigilante, Maniac Cop), about how the film came to be. Listening to the two directors talking about how to get the most out of a small budget (just over $200,000 for the film) is a real education. Lustig is a very good interviewer/commentator and has shown up on other Anchor Bay releases (his own "Vigilante" comes to mind).

The film, itself, is a much better-than-average story about mistaken identities and the tragic consequences that result. The cast is generally good and the acting is a lot better than what one might typically expect from drive-in fare. Max Baer, Jr., in particular, gives depth to a character that could have been played as "Sheriff Jethro Bodine." Baer wanted to break away from his "Beverly Hillbillies" image and, for the most part, he succeeds. Anchor Bay's widescreen edition looks great. I can't vouch for the sound since I don't have an elaborate audio system, but Anchor Bay generally has a reputation for doing good things with the available source material.

Fans of 70's era drive-in movies will really enjoy "Macon County Line."

Critical acclaim is not exactly the way to describe Macon County Line. This film, with many of the other 70's classic drive-in features, is an absolute classic but didn't rate highly with critics. Alan and Jesse Vint, although not Hollywood royalty, deserve a place in film history for their parts as brothers who become the victims of horrible circumstances. Alan and Jesse popped up in other films through the 70' and 80's (most notably "Centennial"), but "Macon County" is their opus. It's just a shame that their talents were never showcased like this again. They are outstanding actors. The film has impact, and the DVD version is like watching it for the first time. WOW! What a film. If you are like me, a child of the 70's, and using Amazon and e-auctions to build nostalgic movie and music libraries, put this one in your DVD collection. It's outstanding.

Macon County line is a sure thriller.It leaves you with the feeling of "Could this happen to me". Out of his role of Jethro Bodine,Max Baer is truly convincing as the sheriff every small town seems to have. The story is based on fact .Two teens are senselessly murded and another is scarred for life, just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.A true classic,Macon County Line Is a roller coaster ride of thrills and suspense every minute. You WLL ENJOY this film.