Polyester

In 1981 writer/director John Waters and his frequent lead actor Harris Glenn Milstead, er, Divine, decided to go somewhat legit and made POLYESTER, one of the funniest movies I believe I've ever seen.  Different than the director's earlier, notorious X-rated underground films - PINK FLAMINGOS, FEMALE TROUBLE, etc.  Waters decided to try something more mainstream to "infect more people" than just the midnight crowd.  To wit, POLYESTER carries an R-rating and while it is most definitely not for all tastes, seems fairly tame.  

We're still in Waters' native Baltimore, but this time in the milieau is middle class suburbia.  The Fishpaw family consists of put-upon housewife Francine (Divine), her adulterous husband Elmer (David Samson) - who owns a porno theater - and her two rotten children: the slutty Lu-Lu (Mary Garlington) and Dexter (Ken King) whose hobby is stomping on women's feet.  Life is bad from all sides for poor Francine, who is also disrespected by her greedy mother La Rue (Joni Ruth White), but has a friend in Cuddles (Edith Massey), her old housekeeper.  

Life gets even worse after Francine catches Elmer with his secretary. She falls into alcoholism, learns her daughter wants an abortion, and that her son has been arrested, having been ID'd as "The Baltimore Foot Stomper."  But she keeps seeing this handsome stranger around town, one she eventually learns is named Todd Tomorrow (Tab Hunter).  He's attentive, charming, and sweeps her off her feet.  Too good to be true? 

POLYESTER could've easily been the sort of straight faced melodrama it is spoofing, but film buffs will recognize Waters' digs at the films of Douglas Sirk.  And many other plight-of-the-conservative-wife dramas of yesteryear.  Vincent Peranio's art direction is delightfully tacky, especially that Fishpaw household.  Never has macrame been so laugh inducing.  The entire film is hilarious, my favorite bits being the recurring local newscasts, the choir lady who gets revenge, and the drive-in that only shows first run art films.  

The film may soft pedal Waters' notorious bad taste humor, but some viewers will still be offended by jokes involving abortion, adultery, trick or treaters who shoot those who don't have candy, and odd fetishes.  Others will just be grossed out.  I forgot to mention that POLYESTER was originally presented in "Odorama" - audiences were provided with scratch and sniff cards and instructed by numbers that flash onscreen as to which circle to scratch at that moment. As you would expect, most of the smells are, um, unpleasant.  Some are a bit nicer.  The lovely folks at Criterion did include a replica of these cards with the disc.  I did not have the pleasure as I watched this movie on iTunes.  Can't say I'm not curious.....