Polyester [VHS]

...screams Mink Stole in the opening rant of this delicious double scoop of filth and decadence. And that line sums it up perfectly: this DVD set picks up where "Pink Flamingos/Female Trouble" leave off."Desperate Living" was the only movie in John Waters' 70's trash trilogy I had never seen (because it was never available at any local video stores) and I was unsure as to whether he could pull off another camp/trash masterpiece without his "Elizabeth Taylor" (I am referring, of course to that wonderfully, hilariously vulgar creature known as Divine). Ten minutes into this disc, and that answer was a definite "yes!".Right from its opening moments, "Desperate" has the same sleazy feel as its predecessors, and the lines that come out of Mink Stole's mouth could make up an entire CD of laugh-til-you-drop sound bytes. Sheer brilliance! And the film just gets better as it goes along, when Mink and Jean Hill descend upon Mortville and Susan Lowe and Liz Renay ("I sleep in the room right next to you.....NAAA-keddd!") enter the picture. Their flashback sequences are among the funniest moments in the movie and the "dog food" scene made me laugh out loud--but the "squish" scene at the end of the wrestling match almost made me pee my pants, it was so riotously funny!Mary Vivian Pearce actually gives a somewhat touching performance here, as I felt sorry for Princess Coo Coo once ruthless Edith Massey as Queen Carlotta started putting her wicked plans into action. The lesbian bathroom bit was another memorable sequence (Kudos to Pat Moran for a brief but deliciously creepy turn as the "bathroom pervert"--and to Van Smith for making her look that way). Susan Lowe as Mole delivered another gut-busting moment as she stood there proudly waving her newly-attached penis ("It never goes soft!!") but also made me wince as Muffy finished off the last "stitch" making Mole scream in agony.Aside from Princess Coo-Coo's fate at the end, the movie is a real camp classic that, like the rest of Waters' earlier work, definitely improves with repeated viewings. Watch it with friends and you will all be quoting from it for days--"Royal proclomation Number One--Kiss...my...ass!!".The commentary on this disc is a little disappointing because Waters' shares the time with cast member Liz Renay who spends way too much time raving about her own body and how much she loves her own boobs, but she can be forgiven because I'm sure this discussion must have brought back plenty of fun memories for her.Waters alone does the commentary on "Polyester", which brings Divine back to the forefront as suburban matriach Francine Fishpaw, who's life of suburban bliss is constantly threatened by one crisis after another. Several of the Dreamlanders appear in this one, but in minor roles (Mink Stole is sadly under-used) yet Divine manges to hold it all together, and the actors playing her teen-age children deliver funny performances, with Lulu's go-go girl-gone-bad antics being a definite highlight (she even has her own theme song)."Polyester" is Waters' "transition" film--not as offensive to mainstream audiences as some of his earlier works, but still quirky enough so as not to alienate fans of those earlier works. It too, is filled with wickedly bad dialogue you'll be quoting daily ("Scrub down any interesting toilets lately?").Together, these two films will provide hours of fun--put these on at your next party and see who goes running for cover--you'll find out who your REAL friends are. Buy this set together with "Pink Flamingos/Female Trouble" and you've got hours of fun!!

i miss devine!

Been watching John Waters' later movies with my teenage kids, first serial mom, then polyester, crybaby last night, original hairspray tonight. They have been amazed so far.I was a bit disappointed that this edition did not include the odorama numbers flashing in the corner of the screen. You don't need the card for that to be funny. Also some interesting edits: at the drive in when he is visiting his friends in the back room, tab hunter mixes upHis cocaine to prepare it for free basing, but then it's implied that he has snorted it, whereas in the original hee smokes it from a glass pipe. So this is some weird edition that wasn't what i saw in theaters or cable in the 80s. Also, in this version Tab Hunter sings the song in the opening credits and the Debbie Harry version is nowhere to be heard.Still glad it's available for streaming.I'm going to let the kids ahem "discover" his earlier movies on their own, if they choose. We have all agreed that we lack interest in watching divine eat dog poop.

Polyester is a hilariously funny over the top satire starring the extremely talented Divine and sexy erotic former '50's heartthrob, Tab Hunter. Polyester is a timely send up of American hypocrisy, the mask we hide behind as we engage in our social norms and the hysteria of smut's effect on society. I saw this soon after it was first released and at the time I was scared it was going to include some sort of gross out moment such as what was in Pink Flamingos so the larger meanings were lost on me. Now, over almost 40 years later, I appreciated this movie more so as I laughed out loud at practically every scene. John Waters' genius is ever more apparent now in 2019, BRAVO!

If there were a movie genre called "gay-camp", John Waters (director of this film) is the Master of it. For those of you not familiar with "camp", it's a gay term which refers to something so seedy and distasteful, that it actually becomes hilariously funny. To some this movie may look like an amateurish piece of junk. However, if you aren't gay, you don't know how gay people view society. Since we have been judged so negatively by the majority for so long as being sinners, etc, we look at our society differently. And sometimes we just have to laugh at a society which judges us so harshly just because of our sexual preference. Finally, a word about Divine. This actor was a true star of the genre "gay-camp". He is no average drag-queen, he goes above and beyond in terms of comic timing, posture and screen presence. So vastly under-rated and so sad we lost him at such an early point in his life. He's a treasure.

What else do you need to say? Either you like his stuff or not. He manages to make movies that are simliar but still very different.

I love all things John Waters and I love all things Divine, together or doing there own thing! I consider this film the beginning of John Waters heading a bit more mainstream. (Note I said a bit! This is NIT Hairspray or Serial Mom but it is FUN....in theaters you could even "smell" along with Francine! Nuff said! No spoilers! WATCH IT!

One of my favorite movies. Divine’s performance as “Francine Fishpaw” was Oscar worthy. He threw himself into that role so fully that you soon forget he is actually a man. I’ve seen this film so many times and still laugh my ass off every time.

beautiful edition of one of my favourite movies of all time. The sound is a bit flat but it would have been a tough job to get it up to modern standards. Divine is here in all her outrageous glory in high definition... long live Francine Fishpaw :)

I’m a massive fan of The Criterion Collection so when I saw Polyester was coming out in Odorama (scratch and sniff) I knew I had to have it. But what is the point of including only 1 scratch and sniff card per disc? Can I only enjoy that joke once and on my own? I was really looking forward to amusing friends with this brilliant oddity, but that is simply impossible. Criterion: what are you thinking?

Really impressed with the speedy service especially in these difficult times. The film is a wonderful John Waters classic and Criterion do it proud. Many thanks

A very camp classic..when scratch and sniff card's were popular in cinemas.

Very disappointed will sell straight away