John Waters: Pope of Trash

by John Waters (Editor)

Irreverent, heartfelt, shocking and laugh-out-loud funny―a colorful celebration of the work of subversive auteur John Waters Known for pushing the boundaries of good taste, John Waters (born 1946) has created a canon of high-shock-value, high-entertainment movies that have cemented his position as one of the most revered and subversive auteurs in American independent cinema. Featuring misfit muses, tributes to his hometown of Baltimore and themes of fetish, obsession and celebrity culture, his renegade films―including Pink Flamingos (1972), Female Trouble (1974), Desperate Living (1977), Hairspray (1988), Serial Mom (1994) and A Dirty Shame (2004)―are irreverent, laugh-out-loud comedies that lovingly draw inspiration from William Castle, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Russ Meyer, Andy Warhol and Pier Paolo Pasolini alike. John Pope of Trash accompanies a landmark exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the first dedicated solely to Waters’ films. The book presents costumes, props, handwritten scripts, concept drawings, correspondence, promotional gimmicks, production photography and other original materials from all of the filmmaker’s features and shorts. Spotlighting many of his longtime collaborators, it also features a new interview with Waters and texts by curators Jenny He and Dara Jaffe, film historian Jeanine Basinger, film critic and cultural theorist B. Ruby Rich, and author-writer-producer David Simon that explore how Waters’ movies have redefined the possibilities of independent cinema.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Film, Celebrity

255 pages, Hardcover

Published October 17, 2023

About the author

John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, personality, visual artist and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films: Pink Flamingos and Hairspray. He is recognizable by his pencil-thin moustache.

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unfortunately I have not been able to see the exhibit that this catalog accompanies, but I am hopeful that I can make it to LA in the new year. This book is a wonderful piece for any John Waters fan. I loved all of the essays that discuss John and all of the Dreamlanders, the many beautiful color photos, and interview with John Waters himself. I think many people who felt like outsiders in the 80s came to know and love John Waters and his found family. He is fantastic and I highly recommend this catalog!!

[Alexander Negrete · Rating 4 out of 5]

A greatly insightful look inside John Waters’ career as the punk rocker pioneer of cinema. An unapologetically rebellious creator of exploitative art house, that yet cares so deeply for the world around him. I highly admire The Pope of Trash as an artist, so I definitely got a thing or two out of this read.

Solid 9/10

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

you get the whole museum exhibit in this coffee table sized book! basically, it's like going through legendary filmmaker John Waters keepsake collection; in a color popping, glozzy cute way. you see old photographs, notes from filming, interviews, stories...

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about all of John Waters films (not written by John, but those that worked closely with him). Great coffee table book. Pictures arw fantastic and there are a lot of nuances and symbolism from the movies themselves that I missed. Great for fans of his movies!

[Jedenobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a nice broad overview of his work. Love the short bios on the Dreamlanders and seeing the collection items from each individual film. Would love an expanded version with script pages and more commentary from Waters himself.

[Madison]

A really nice collection of essays and photographs spanning Waters entire career. He may be the only filmmaker that makes me equally repulsed and delighted

[Jordie Novack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the coolest books I own. Happy birthday John Waters 🚬

[lara phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

not much here I didn't already know, not sure why this was needed.