The great John Waters is coming to VTIFF! We’re thrilled to present his outrageous trash-classic Female Trouble, which just happens to be the director’s favorite film starring his larger-than-life muse Divine. But this is no ordinary screening; it’s a one-night-only performance as well! John Waters joins us in person in the theater to provide live commentary throughout the film, regaling the audience with his invaluable insights and tangy humor as he watches along.
Dedicated to Manson Family member Charles “Tex” Watson, who Waters visited behind bars, Female Trouble is one of the most outlandish Christmas movies ever committed to celluloid. Waters wrote, directed, produced, and co-edited the film (he was also lyricist for the title song, sung by Divine over Cookie Thomas’ “Black Velvet Soul”), reassembling his Dreamlanders (including David Lochary in his final film role) to capitalize on the infamy of his all-time cult-provocation Pink Flamingos. Divine takes the button-pushing ethos “crime is beauty” as a personal challenge, raging through Female Trouble with unfathomable abandon. We first meet fame monster Dawn Davenport as a nightmarish teenager hell-bent on getting cha-cha heels for Christmas. When her parents drop the ball, her fury knows no bounds, leading her down a decades-long path of destruction and decadence that can only end in the electric chair. Glamor has never been more grotesque than it is in Waters’ oddly ambitious 16mm love letter to Hollywood melodramas. As The New Yorker’s Richard Brody said, “Waters smashes the bowdlerizing codes of Hollywood morality… the movie’s theoretical import pales alongside its giddy, gory, grungy, ludicrously exalted delights.”
John Waters has written and directed sixteen movies, including Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble, Polyester, Hairspray, Cry Baby, Serial Mom, and A Dirty Shame. Both Pink Flamingos and Hairspray have been added to the U.S. Library of Congress’ National Film Registry. He is the author of ten books, including Carsick, a memoir about his cross-country adventures hitchhiking, and his first novel, Liarmouth: A Feel Bad Romance. One of pop-culture’s most beloved personalities, he has appeared as himself in many movies and TV shows, and has performed, exhibited his photography, and presented his annual Christmas show at colleges, museums, film festivals, galleries, and comedy clubs around the world.
Tickets for this event include the screening of Female Trouble with live commentary and post-screening remarks. A special VIP event, John Waters’ Group Therapy, with an exclusive Q&A and photo-op with the filmmaker, is available as well by selecting the VIP ticket option at checkout.
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