Three More Screenplays: Hairspray / Female Trouble / Multiple Maniacs

by John Waters

Here are three more of John Waters's most popular screenplays — for the first time in print, including an original introduction by Waters and dozens of fun film stills. John Waters, the writer and director of these movies, is a legendary filmmaker whose films occupy their own niche in cinema history. His muse and leading lady was Divine — a 300-pound transvestite who could eat dog shit in one scene and break your heart in the next. In "Hairspray," a "pleasantly plump" teenager, played by Ricki Lake, and her big-hearted hairdresser mother, played by Divine, teach 1962 Baltimore about race relations by integrating a local TV dance show. "Female Trouble" is a coming-of-age story gone terribly awry: Dawn Davenport (again, Divine), progresses from loving schoolgirl to crazed mass murderer destined for the electric chair — all because her parents wouldn't buy her cha-cha heels for Christmas. In "Multiple Maniacs," dubbed by Waters a "celluloid atrocity," the traveling sideshow "Lady Divine's Cavalcade of Perversions" is actually a front for a group of psychotic kidnappers, with Lady Divine herself the most vicious and depraved of all — but her life changes after she gets raped by a fifteen-foot lobster.

Genres: Film

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2005

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

[Stu Milde · Rating 4 out of 5]

somewhat original story matched with a lil too zany IMHO voice acting. 4 stars seems a lil bit uncalled for but I was entertained for at least half of it

[Alex Robledo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me fascina leer los guiones de las películas que me gustan y qué mejor que hacerlo mientras las veo para notar su fidelidad con la tinta. Ahora, me encontré este libro que aborda un poco la filmografía de John Waters y que contiene los guiones de Hairspray (1988), su película más accesible y familiar, y de Female Trouble (1974) y Multiple Maniacs (1970), locura estridente en celuloide. En los tres percibí uno que otro cambio minúsculo en lo que supone el line delivery de los actores, lo demás sí está al pie de la letra.
Hace no mucho adquirí un gusto por el cine de este realizador, cuyo ángulo recae en lo raro, lo inusual y, con ello, el respeto por las comunidades que coinciden fuera de lo mainstream y con las que es fácil identificarse. Muchas gracias, maestro del trash.

[J Rudden · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I wouldn't suck your lousy dick if I was suffocating and there was oxygen in your balls."

I love these movies, even if they do have their individual problems (ie, Hairspray's white saviour tendencies).
Been a while since I've watched any of them, but found myself genuinely laughing out loud throughout. All sorely overdue rewatches.

[Bradley Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his second screenplay collection, Waters joins his most accessible and family friendly film with two of his most diabolical celluloid atrocities. In “Hairspray,” an overweight teenager becomes 1962 Baltimore’s latest celebrity as she lands a spot on a local television dance program and teaches the city about integration. “Female Trouble” is a coming of age story starring Divine as Dawn Davenport whose ultimate goal is to get famous by committing crimes in the name of beauty and fashion. In “Multiple Maniacs,” Lady Divine showcases a travelling sideshow called “Lady Divine’s Cavalcade of Perversions” and whose members rob, assault, and murder their patrons. The collection features over 50 candid set photos and stills from the films. Also included is an introduction from Waters who talks about the musical adaptation of “Hairspray,” how “Female Trouble” is his most quotable movie, and how he wishes he can bring “Multiple Maniacs” back in print for home (which it did in 2017).

[Francis Cuncich · Rating 5 out of 5]

~ I'd rather drown in a river of snot than read this book again, Hippie! ~