Join John Waters as he makes his sure-footed first foray into mainstream cinema with glue sniffing, foot stomping, abortions, alcoholism and a dash of murder for good measure.

The BFI is currently screening a season of John Waters features to celebrate 50 years of one of America’s truly exceptional filmmakers. Finally watching Polyester in glorious “Odorama” was an absolute delight, and getting caught up in the disturbing sensory overload of filthy smells gave this marginally more mainstream Waters fayre a fascinating new dimension.

Divine‘s portrayal of Francine Fishpaw is outstanding and I can’t praise her performance highly enough. She is equal parts Elizabeth Taylor and Doris Day. Her performance is evocative of classic Holywood but seen through the colourful, kaleidoscope lens of Waters. The plight of this woman and the indignity she suffers are made all the more tangible through the peculiarly hysterical Punk Rock performances of Divine and her co-stars.

Oddly touching and very well performed, Polyester is as fulfilling as one could hope from an outsider/ mainstream crossover film. The narrative arc of the socially dissonant Fishpaws descends into glorious chaos, only to find a sweet smelling redemption before the credits roll.

Pecker, Dirty Shame, Cry-Baby and Hairspray are playing at BFI Southbank between now and October 6^th.

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A suburban housewife’s world falls apart when her pornographer husband admits he’s serially unfaithful to her, her daughter gets pregnant, and her son is suspected of being the foot-fetishist who’s been breaking local women’s feet.

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