John Waters

John Waters

Date of Birth:

Apr 22, 1946

Place of Birth:

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Growing up in Baltimore in the 1950s, John Waters was not like other children; he was obsessed by violence and gore, both real and on the screen. With his weird counter-culture friends as his cast, he began making silent 8mm and 16mm films in the mid-'60s; he screened these in rented Baltimore church halls to underground audiences drawn by word of mouth and street leafleting campaigns. As his filmmaking grew more polished and his subject matter more shocking, his audiences grew bigger, and his write-ups in the Baltimore papers more outraged. By the early 1970s he was making features, which he managed to get shown in midnight screenings in art cinemas by sheer perseverance. Success came when Pink Flamingos (1972) - a deliberate exercise in ultra-bad taste - took off in 1973, helped no doubt by lead actor Divine's infamous dog-crap eating scene.  Waters continued to make low-budget shocking movies with his Dreamland repertory company until Hollywood crossover success came with Hairspray (1988), and although his movies nowadays might now appear cleaned up and professional, they retain Waters' playfulness, and reflect his lifelong obsessions.

filmography:

Time Warp Vol. 2: Horror and Sci-Fi Time Warp Vol. 2: Horror and Sci-Fi

2020

Frankenstein: A Modern Myth Frankenstein: A Modern Myth

2012

Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness Time Warp Vol. 1: Midnight Madness

2020

Cecil B. Demented Cecil B. Demented

2000

Sympathy For The Devil: The True Story of The Process Church of the Final Judgment Sympathy For The Devil: The True Story of The Process Church of the Final Judgment

2015

Pecker Pecker

1998

Hairspray Hairspray

1988

Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn

2019

Sniffing Out ‘Polyester’ Sniffing Out ‘Polyester’

2019

Crime and Beauty: Making ‘Female Trouble’ Crime and Beauty: Making ‘Female Trouble’

2018

Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp Time Warp Vol. 3: Comedy and Camp

2020

Divine Waters Divine Waters

1985

For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism

2009

Mondo Trasho Mondo Trasho

1969

Anthem Anthem

1997

The Cockettes The Cockettes

2002

The Ballad of Sexual Dependency The Ballad of Sexual Dependency

1985

Mugworth Mugworth

2018

Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution

2017

Forever Hollywood Forever Hollywood

1999

It Came from... Baltimore!! It Came from... Baltimore!!

2005

Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story

2007

Starz Inside: In the Gutter Starz Inside: In the Gutter

2008

Coven of the Heathenites Coven of the Heathenites

2008

Ballyhoo: The Hollywood Sideshow! Ballyhoo: The Hollywood Sideshow!

1996

The Mystery of the Pink Flamingo The Mystery of the Pink Flamingo

2020

In Conversation With Director John Waters, Actress Kathleen Turner and Actress Mink Stole In Conversation With Director John Waters, Actress Kathleen Turner and Actress Mink Stole

2016

Serial Mom Serial Mom

1994

There's a Hippo in my House There's a Hippo in my House

2007

Joel Calls Indie Film Type Dudes Joel Calls Indie Film Type Dudes

2020

30/30 Vision: Three Decades of Strand Releasing 30/30 Vision: Three Decades of Strand Releasing

2019

Weiner Weiner

2016

Little Richard: I Am Everything Little Richard: I Am Everything

2023

Blood, Guts and Sunshine: The History of Horror Made in Florida Blood, Guts and Sunshine: The History of Horror Made in Florida

2021

Scala!!! Scala!!!

2024

The Brandon Novak Story The Brandon Novak Story

1970

Fragments of Paradise Fragments of Paradise

2022

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

2022

The Book of Harth The Book of Harth

2022

The Incredibly Strange Film Show: Herschell Gordon Lewis The Incredibly Strange Film Show: Herschell Gordon Lewis

1988

Chucky's Family Vacation Chucky's Family Vacation

2005

The Incredibly Strange Film Show: John Waters The Incredibly Strange Film Show: John Waters

1988

The Junior Defenders The Junior Defenders

2007

My Life with the Waters My Life with the Waters

1970

Mary Woronov: Cult Queen Mary Woronov: Cult Queen

1970

42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage 42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage

2006

Living with Chucky Living with Chucky

2022

Jingle Bell Rocks! Jingle Bell Rocks!

2013

Seed Money: The Chuck Holmes Story Seed Money: The Chuck Holmes Story

2015

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground

2021

Mommie Dearest: Joan Lives On Mommie Dearest: Joan Lives On

2006

Treasures Untold: The Making of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid' Treasures Untold: The Making of Disney's 'The Little Mermaid'

2006

Anarchy TV Anarchy TV

1998

Pink Flamingos Pink Flamingos

1972

Yesterday's Tomorrows Yesterday's Tomorrows

1999

God Save the Queens God Save the Queens

1995

No Smoking in This Theater No Smoking in This Theater

1982

Tell Me Iggy Tell Me Iggy

2022

Uncle Bob Uncle Bob

2010

Lynch/Oz Lynch/Oz

2023

Inside Deep Throat Inside Deep Throat

2005

Pie in the Sky: The Brigid Berlin Story Pie in the Sky: The Brigid Berlin Story

2000

Paul Bowles: The Cage Door Is Always Open Paul Bowles: The Cage Door Is Always Open

2013

Love Letter to Edie Love Letter to Edie

1975

The Advocate for Fagdom The Advocate for Fagdom

2011

Mansome Mansome

2012

Excision Excision

2012

Obscene Obscene

2008

Busby Berkeley's Kaleidoscopic Eyes Busby Berkeley's Kaleidoscopic Eyes

2006

In Bad Taste In Bad Taste

1999

The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players: Off & On Broadway The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players: Off & On Broadway

2006

Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore

2010

Beautiful Darling Beautiful Darling

2010

Here’s Looking at You, Boy Here’s Looking at You, Boy

2007

A History of Sex A History of Sex

2003

That Man: Peter Berlin That Man: Peter Berlin

2006

Mangus! Mangus!

2011

These Amazing Shadows These Amazing Shadows

2011

The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels

2008

Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat

2002

Sweet and Lowdown Sweet and Lowdown

1999

Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea

2006

Something Wild Something Wild

1986

Thinking XXX Thinking XXX

2004

Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream

2006

This Film Is Not Yet Rated This Film Is Not Yet Rated

2006

William S. Burroughs: A Man Within William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

2010

Divine Trash Divine Trash

1998

This Filthy World This Filthy World

2006

It Came from Kuchar It Came from Kuchar

2009

Homer and Eddie Homer and Eddie

1989

Suburban Gothic Suburban Gothic

2014

I Am Divine I Am Divine

2013

Growing Up with John Waters Growing Up with John Waters

1993

Way USA! Way USA!

1988

Edith's Shopping Bag Edith's Shopping Bag

1976

Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis

2007

Whatever Happened to Gelitin Whatever Happened to Gelitin

2016

Welcome to Hollywood Welcome to Hollywood

1998

Meet The Kuchar Brothers Meet The Kuchar Brothers

2006

Gastronomic Getaway Gastronomic Getaway

1991

Memories of Oz Memories of Oz

2001

Sickies Making Films Sickies Making Films

2018

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip

2015

Abby Singer Abby Singer

2003

I, of the Cyclops I, of the Cyclops

2006

Jackass Number Two Jackass Number Two

2006

TURA! TURA!

1970

The 1000 Eyes of Dr Maddin The 1000 Eyes of Dr Maddin

2015

New Line Cinema: The First Generation and the Next Generation New Line Cinema: The First Generation and the Next Generation

2008

All the Dirt on 'A Dirty Shame' All the Dirt on 'A Dirty Shame'

2005

Mansfield 66/67 Mansfield 66/67

2017

The Sarnos: A Life in Dirty Movies The Sarnos: A Life in Dirty Movies

2013

At the Video Store At the Video Store

2019

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema

2006

Tab Hunter Confidential Tab Hunter Confidential

2015

Footlight Parade: Music for the Decades Footlight Parade: Music for the Decades

2006

(buz'be bur'kle) n. A Study in Style (buz'be bur'kle) n. A Study in Style

2006

Hairspray Hairspray

2007

Blank City Blank City

2011

Each Time I Kill Each Time I Kill

2007

Seed of Chucky Seed of Chucky

2004

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