Polyester (1981)

[demonknight]

Originally Posted by BluPat

Wow! This is awesome! Hopefully Female Trouble and Desperate Living are coming too!

Female Trouble is confirmed. As of now, there are no plans for Desperate Living and Pink Flamingos.

[Lutz]

We should consolidate this into one thread.

[apollo828]

Yep, I saw John last night. (You know life's good when your wife is thrilled to see John Waters with you.) Funny as hell, and yes, he confirmed that the two films were coming. Hopefully he won't get in trouble because we snitched him out.

Originally Posted by demonknight

Female Trouble is confirmed. As of now, there are no plans for Desperate Living and Pink Flamingos.

Yeah, I asked him about PF during the Q&A, since it's one of the very few films not available in HD at this point. (Granted, some are available only on Amazon or other online services.) He said something like, "No, but I really hope Criterion will put out whatever they can." Another person then asked about his last three films not being on Blu-Ray. He said he wasn't aware of any rights issues, implying that New Line and Lionsgate just aren't interested in re-releasing these films. A shame. Digital downloads are cool and all but discs just look and sound better.

[Cvalda]

Originally Posted by flashback8

Another person then asked about his last three films not being on Blu-Ray. He said he wasn't aware of any rights issues, implying that New Line and Lionsgate just aren't interested in re-releasing these films. A shame.

A dirty one, at that.

[demonknight]

Originally Posted by flashback8

Yep, I saw John last night. (You know life's good when your wife is thrilled to see John Waters with you.) Funny as hell, and yes, he confirmed that the two films were coming. Hopefully he won't get in trouble because we snitched him out.

Yeah, I asked him about PF during the Q&A, since it's one of the very few films not available in HD at this point. (Granted, some are available only on Amazon or other online services.) He said something like, "No, but I really hope Criterion will put out whatever they can." Another person then asked about his last three films not being on Blu-Ray. He said he wasn't aware of any rights issues, implying that New Line and Lionsgate just aren't interested in re-releasing these films. A shame. Digital downloads are cool and all but discs just look and sound better.

I don't really think Criterion gets as bothered as some companies do re: title leaks. When I saw him, he played coy about another title coming down the pipeline, saying that he counldnt say, contractually. Like 3 weeks later, Serial Mom got announced from SF.

And that is tragic. I think Pecker would make a good Criterion title, and I would love Cecil B Demented, though it seems more out of their wheelhouse and LG doesn't like to play ball.

[bruce holecheck]

Wrote this one up at my Cinema Arcana FB Page last night -- indeed, the included Odorama card has now been approved, which seems to indicate this is coming sooner rather than later:

“It’ll blow your nose!” Confirmed at both the director’s recent live Q&As and by the official Divine page, it appears the next John Waters epic to enter The Criterion Collection is his savage skewering of Sirkian melodramas, POLYESTER (1981)!

The Lady Divine stars as Francine Fishpaw, a lonely housewife whose life is spiraling out of control. She’s ashamed that her husband Elmer runs the town’s frequently-protested porno theater, showcasing films like MY BURNING BUSH. She’s aghast at her rebellious daughter Lu-Lu’s life decisions; getting knocked up by a local punk, Lu-Lu declares, “I'm gonna get an abortion and I can't wait!” And Francine especially can’t believe that her son Dexter is the dreaded Baltimore Stomper, responsible for a rash of foot-flattening attacks. The final straw comes when she discovers Elmer’s late hours at work usually involve some particularly rigorous overtime with his buxom blonde secretary. Unable to take any more, Francine slides into a pill-poppin’, booze-chuggin’ stupor – which is exactly when the hunky Todd Tomorrow (Tab Hunter) shows up, promising a life she’s never dreamed of. But is it too good to be true?

A hilarious satire of campy women’s pictures and soap opera dramatics, POLYESTER bridged the gap between the Baltimore auteur’s early regional efforts and his later, slicker studio work. Featuring his usual cast of Dreamlanders in supporting roles and aided by ludicrous gimmick of Odorama—a scratch-and-sniff card offering the scents of dirty shoes, gasoline and farts—the film has gone on to be favored by fans of both eras, and this new Blu should gain it wider exposure still.

This isn’t POLYESTER’s first time in The Criterion Collection, either – the company issued the title on laserdisc in 1993, featuring an audio commentary, a second track with the director reading from his essential Shock Value book, the infamous No Smoking bumper, Robert Maier’s LOVE LETTER TO EDIE (1975) short, local news segments and so much more. Hopefully this new edition will carry some of these treasures over, in addition to the expected Dreamlanders interviews.

And yes, it’s confirmed there’ll be a brand new Odorama card included. Expect the title to street this Fall.

© Bruce Holecheck, 2019

[SleazyForWeasley]

Originally Posted by demonknight

I think Pecker would make a good Criterion title.

I love Pecker. No pun intended. I'd take it on Blu-ray from just about any vanity label at this point.