#995: WATERS, John: Polyester (1981)

WATERS, John (United States)
Polyester [1981]
Spine #995
Blu-ray


For his first studio picture, filth maestro John Waters took advantage of his biggest budget yet to allow his muse Divine to sink his teeth into a role unlike any he had played before: Baltimore housewife Francine Fishpaw, a heroine worthy of a Douglas Sirk melodrama. Blessed with a keen sense of smell and cursed with a philandering pornographer husband, a parasitic mother, and a pair of delinquent children, the long-suffering Francine turns to the bottle as her life falls apart — until deliverance appears in the form of a hunk named Todd Tomorrow (vintage heartthrob Tab Hunter). Enhanced with Odorama™ technology that enables you to scratch and sniff along with Francine, Polyester is one of Waters' most hilarious inventions, replete with stomach-churning smells, sadistic nuns, AA meetings, and foot stomping galore.

86 minutes
Color
Monaural
1:85:1 aspect ratio
Criterion Release 2019
Director/Writer


John Waters was 35 when he wrote and directed Polyester.

Other Waters films in the Collection:

#863: Multiple Maniacs (1970)
#1131: Pink Flamingos (1972)
#929: Female Trouble (1974)

The Film

A

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Eight-panel poster featuring an essay by film scholar Elena Gorfinkel, a foldout poster of the cover, and a scratch-and-sniff Odorama card.

Commentary

Featuring Waters from the 1993 Criterion laserdisc release of the film.

Conversation

Between Waters and critic Michael Musto.

Program

Featuring interviews with Waters collaborators Hunter, Dennis Dermody, assistant director Pat Moran, art director Vincent Peranio, Stole, Garlington, and Greer Yeaton.

Interviews

From 1993 with crew members Moran, Peranio, and Van Smith.

Archival interviews

With Waters, Moran, and actors Divine and Massey, featuring footage from the making of the film.

Twenty minutes

Of deleted scenes and alternate takes.

Trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

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