海角社区官网

Waters will return to 海角社区官网on May 18 to take part in the 鈥淔lurry of Filth: A John Waters Retrospective鈥� at the Paradise Theatre, where he will provide live commentary during a special screening of his 1998 film 鈥淧ecker.鈥� The retrospective comes courtesy of Drag Me to the Movies, a 海角社区官网screening series that weds drag performance with film-going, hosted by award-winning queer artist聽聽Weird Alice.聽

鈥淧ecker,鈥澛燼 tamer iteration of the usual Waters fare of heresy and excrement, follows Pecker (Edward Furlong), an 18-year-old amateur photographer聽working in a sub shop, and his 鈥渃ulturally challenged鈥� family.聽

Pecker鈥檚 black-and-white portraiture captures the underbelly of the Hampden neighbourhood of Baltimore. After pasting his work around the sub shop, he catches the attention of a visiting New York gallerist with a fetish for the working class who propels him to international acclaim.

In anticipation of the retrospective, the Star spoke to Waters about 鈥淧ecker,鈥� art world elitism and fighting censor boards. The interview has been edited and condensed.

Tell me a bit about the last time you were in Toronto.

滨鈥檝别 been to Toronto many times with my films and my books. It鈥檚 a great movie town 鈥� I once showed (the 1975 Pier Paolo Pasolini film 鈥淪al貌, or the 120 Days of Sodom鈥�) there for a screening. The last time I was in Toronto, I filmed the finale of the new season of 鈥淐hucky.鈥� I am pro-Canada, even though I sent 鈥�Multiple Maniacs鈥�聽to the distributor (in 1970), which had to go through the Ontario censor board, and they sent me a receipt that just said 鈥渄estroyed.鈥� They burned the print! Tell them I spit on their grave.聽

How did you land on 鈥淧ecker鈥� as the film to be accompanied by live commentary?

I picked it because people call it my 鈥渘ice鈥� film, even though it does have talking Virgin Marys and teabagging. It is a nice movie in a way, though some people call it autobiographical, which it鈥檚 not. I wasn鈥檛 an outsider artist or naive like Pecker, but some of the same things happened. I was inspired by Diane Arbus鈥檚 (鈥淐hild with Toy Hand Grenade in Central Park鈥�) and wondered what the kid in the photograph felt like when he saw it sold for $300,000 or something. Also, every single location that we shot 鈥淧ecker鈥� in is gone. Even the house burned down; there鈥檚 no place left in the film that remains the same.聽

I imagine less censor board fears on this one?

I actually fought the MPA (Motion Picture Association) so that I could call the movie 鈥淧ecker.鈥� They said I couldn鈥檛!

鈥淧ecker鈥� spoofs the art world and its critics, curators, and dealers. Though you鈥檝e previously said you like the art world鈥檚 elitism and that you avoid art made for the everyman.聽

I always make fun of things I like! The art world is a magic trick where you have to learn how to see in a new way, which is a talent. Once you can see it, you see that all the great art makes people furious at first. The least sophisticated response ever (to art) is 鈥淚 could have made that.鈥� Well you should have, stupid!聽

Is there a film from the retrospective you would especially recommend seeing on the big screen?聽

I鈥檒l say 鈥淐ecil B. Demented鈥� because it didn鈥檛 do as well at the box office. A lot of people come up to me on the street and yell 鈥淒emented forever!鈥� though, which makes me laugh.聽

If you could be paired with another director for a retrospective, who would it be?

Maybe Todd Solondz or Gaspar No茅. I don鈥檛 think our films are at all alike, but we certainly are the same kind of troublemakers. Or maybe the complete opposite, you could have me and Marguerite Duras 鈥� but 滨鈥檝别 met her and she鈥檚 a troublemaker too.聽

Similarly, what would you recommend as the back half of a double bill with 鈥淧ecker鈥�?

It wasn鈥檛 a successful movie but the film where Nicole Kidman played Diane Arbus (鈥淔ur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus鈥�). It鈥檚 maybe a failure but a very noble one.聽

Are straight people allowed to attend the retrospective?聽

Hmm, yes. I鈥檓 not a separatist. Progress is everyone accepting there are bad gay movies.

鈥淔lurry of Filth鈥� begins May 10 with a screening of 鈥淧ink Flamingos鈥� and will feature pre-show drag performances and prizes from local artists. See for more information and tickets.