John Waters Interview

[dave]

Here's the link.

There's no such thing as exploitation films anymore. When Herschell Gordon Lewis made "Blood Feast," the ultra-gory horror film, in 1963, he did it because in that moment no studio would ever make something so explicit. The underground exists, but it's on the Internet and nobody can figure out a way to make money from it. I'm on the Internet, but it did ruin every business I'm in. But there are still filmmakers like Gaspar Noé, Lars von Trier and Todd Solondz, who are really good and transgressive and who continue to surprise me.

[melissa scott]

Interesting -- Waters says there's nothing really subversive these days, at least, not in the way he was when he was younger - or did I get that wrong?

Eh, Beavis, don't older people say that kind of crap?

Sorry, but there's a huge difference between Jackass and Pink Flamingos.

Isn't subversive like porn -- you know it when you see it?  It just takes one new voice to shake things up sometimes.

I think, if it does get made, I may give "Fruitcake" a miss. Thanks Dave for the link.

Mel

[dave]

Yeah, I dunno about what he says- He says angry older people are losers, while young angries are sexy. I think it's good (and can even be healthy) to be angry when you're older, it just depends on *what* you're angry about, don't be all 'You kids get offa my lawn!'...

Also, not sure I got this right, but he said Jackass dir. is subversive for making blue-collar types watch this kinda stuff, but does Waters actually like it himself? I've never been attracted to Jackass, seems more like frat-boy humor.

My take is that Waters has run out of anger-steam, and he's okay with that. No problem with that myself. I think he's just trying to go out 'gracefully' (!!??).

The last truly subversive movie I saw (unless y'wanna count Rushmore and Ghost World) was Happiness.

I may give Fruitcake a miss as well.

Thanks for the input Mel.