Desperate Living (1977) // dir. John Waters

A John Waters Christmas

Born on this day 105 years ago: the fabulous Edith Massey (28 May 1918 – 24 October 1984) – snaggle-toothed naïve outsider actress, “egg lady”, punk granny, plus-size model, thrift shop proprietress and perhaps the most beloved of John Waters’ stable of regular actors. Massey made her film debut in Waters’ early “gutter film” Multiple Maniacs (1970). Her last appearance was in Polyester (1981). Her most treasured performances – as Mama Edie in Pink Flamingos (1972) and Aunt Ida in Female Trouble (1974) – will enthrall aficionados of cult cinema forever. The combo of Massey and Divine onscreen together is probably my all-time favourite comedy double act (like Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz for freaks and punks). Eat a hard-boiled egg or use “rah sha sha” in a sentence today in Edith Massey’s memory!

A very young John Waters

Phantasm (1979)

Fright-Rags is celebrating John Waters' birthday wih a desng by Nathan Thomas Milliner. It's available on black, pink, and blue tees for $33 each. They'll ship the week of May 17.

“LET THEM EAT CAKE! THE ROYAL WEDDING PARTY” EDITH MASSEY // NYC, 1981 [fold-out handbill | 5 1/2 x 8 1/2″]

“Invite for a Royal Wedding themed party at the Underground on the occasion of Princess Dianna and Prince Charles’ wedding on Wednesday July 29, 1981. The party featured live musical performances by Dreamlander Edith Massey and Hibiscus and the Screaming Violets. Coordinated by queen of the downtown scene Ann Magnuson. Invite features an image of Edith Massey on her throne as Queen Carlotta in John Water’s 1977 film Desperate Living. Dress Code: Royal & Bulletproof.”

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Cookie Mueller by Don Herron

Desperate Living (1977)

“The men sat in the next booth at the Brown Derby. My back was to them. Suddenly I perked up as I heard my name. “Liz Renay,” one of them said. “There’s a girl who had some tough breaks.” “She brought it on herself,” the other voice said. “Still … it’s kind of sad. She wasn’t just another one of those French pastries who come to Hollywood to look for fame. She had it. She has one of the most beautiful faces I ever saw. You know, she just missed being great.” I turned to get a look at the man who had just spoken. I recognized him as William Ornstein, a reporter for Hollywood Reporter. Ornstein spoke again: “Yeah, that Renay really could have made it big. She was on the way to becoming a superstar. Add a few good breaks and subtract a few of the bad ones and you know, she could have been Marilyn Monroe.”

/ From Liz Renay’s chatty, meandering autobiography My Face for the World to See (1971) /

Born on this day: the sublime Liz Renay (née Pearl Elizabeth Dobbins, 14 April 1926 - 22 January 2007) – b-movie actress / burlesque queen / jailbird / naive outsider painter / gangster Mickey Cohen’s moll / “Streaking Grandmother” / authoress of multiple volumes of sordid memoirs (including My First 2,000 Men and Staying Young) / all-round kitsch icon and the woman hailed by John Waters as “my idea of total glamour.” For Waters’ fans, Renay is venerated for her performance as Muffy St Jacques in punk masterpiece Desperate Living (1977) - especially for her acidic delivery of lines like, "I was having an erotic dream!" and "I sleep in the room next door - naked!" She’s also memorable in The Thrill Killers (1964) and The Hard Road (1970).

Have a great Waters Wednesday, Dreamlanders!

Here's this week's new John Waters portrait!

fave first watches of november 🎸💌💥

peeping tom (1960) – sick and fucking twistedddd absolutely obsessed. i could go on and on abt the exploitative nature of cinema and women and being looked at as a form of violence and horror and the audience as a voyeur i could go on and on. but this movie already said everything and had sick kills too

suspiria (1977) – the fucking. colors. love how crazy it is and how crazy these people are. love the lack of control over your body specially when this is a dancer and control of her body is probably her most prized possession!!

eyes without a face (1960) – what was in the water for horror filmmakers in 1960. fascinating how such a simple visual idea (a girl wears a mask that makes her entire face plastic except her eyes which drill into your soul) can give so much over an entire movie. just looking at her makes you so unsettled it’s so simple and so effective. and i was surprised at the body horror for the era it was very bloody and made me crawl out of my skin it was great

desperate living (1977) – i’m a john waters girlie through and through this was great. you get mink stole as a hysterical housewife and you think surely this can’t get better. ho ho ho it can. i just love john waters so so so much specially his dirtier earlier movies it’s soooo great

crash (1996) – what’s there to say. car crashes and sex and bisexualism. it’s as great as everyone says it is. it’s car crash sex scene car crash sex scene car crash sex scene car crash sex scene. and it’s great 👍

american mary (2012) – I LOVE. MOVIES. i don’t even have words. i love surgery i love morally ambiguous women. some surgery scenes i was so irked out and so turned on. there’s a moment you think she’s going to do bottom surgery on a trans woman but actually she wants to be smooth like a doll so people can’t sexualize her so she’s never vulnerable. i actually just discovered i’m really into surgery horror so if you have any recs let me know!

Happy 77th Birthday John Waters!

🎥 ❤️