Continuing a series recalling little nuggets heard on film maker commentaries. In this installment John Waters remembers filming the most infamous scene from his most infamous film. Waters once said that even if he had discovered a cure for cancer, he would still be best remembered for the scene where Divine samples a little...
present left by Pat Moran's dog...
How can I tell this story in a new way ? We just waited and waited and waited. He wouldn't go. Somebody, I can't remember who gave the dog an enema with a hair applicator and dye bottle...and he did it - once. Later that night they all got together and Divine said "Oh God, am I gonna get sick from this?" They were all smoking pot and hash and they called Hopkins hospital and Divine pretended he was a mother and said "I have a retarded child and he just ate dog shit" And they said, "Well he'll be alrite. He could get the white worm, check for that". And they all howled on in a hashish frenzy !
John Waters,
Pink Flamingos (New Line DVD, commentary index point 91:18)
I dearly love John Waters - and he really has been telling this story for decades - my brother told it to me after seeing the movie in the early 80's! But it's such a wonderful moment from such a gag-inducing moment!
ReplyDeleteHere's a Pink Flamingos review from my place if anyone would like to check it out:
http://craiglgooh.blogspot.com/2011/03/most-fun-youll-ever-have-being-offended.html
Eating dog shit is certainly one way to carve out a niche in Cinema history, even though I'm not sure if I'd have the stomach for it - I've seen Pink Flamingos a good few times now over the years and still to this day I will watch this moment, going Oh Jesus!... Great review Craig, I love that phrase scatological gormandizing !
DeleteAn hilarious story - one we heard him tell live too, and it's still funny after all these years. It's always such a shock when you see/hear Waters talking about his work, he's such a nice guy that it's almost hard to equate him with some of the things in his films - though saying that, even when he's at his most disgusting, he is still somehow charming and funny about it. I guess it's why films like Pink Flamingos made their way into the zeitgeist, instead of being just fringe-shockers.
ReplyDeleteJohn, I really envy you for being an audience with John Waters - he is one of the great raconteurs. I absolutely agree that he is funny and charming even when dishing out the shock tactics, there's even something harmless about the two women chained up in Mink Stole's basement... It's interesting to see the footage of Waters on set directing Pink Flamingos as he takes it very seriously, very concentrated...
DeleteI don't believe I've ever seen that footage, Wes, is it on your DVD? Mine is the New Line disc, it just has a commentary and deleted scenes... I really should re-watch some of the older Waters stuff, it really has been too long. I can't remember much from Female Trouble, to be honest.
DeleteJohn, sadly not on the DVD where it belongs, but rather on the very fine 1998 documentary Divine Trash... I agree, I must dig out those New Line double features, because I've not revisited Female Trouble, Desperate Living and Polyester half as much as Pink Flamingos - all all three are terrific...
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