Multiple Maniacs
JOHN WATERS: DIVINE FILTH, PART 1
"One must remember that there is such a thing as good bad taste and bad bad taste." — John Waters
The filth hits the fan in the very first entry of our new series John Waters: Divine Filth, as we dive headfirst into the gloriously blasphemous chaos of MULTIPLE MANIACS (1970).
Filmed on a shoestring budget with Waters’ early Dreamland crew, MULTIPLE MANIACS is a black-and-white barrage of bad taste — featuring Divine, a traveling sideshow of depravity, a giant lobster named Lobstora, and a certain unspeakable act involving a rosary.
In this episode, we explore how Waters transitioned from underground Super 8 provocateur to cult cinema legend, how MULTIPLE MANIACS built on the DIY ethos of Baltimore’s art freak scene, and how Divine fully embraced her emerging status as the filthiest star alive.
It’s a film that’s confrontational, hilarious, and shockingly personal — and it set the stage for everything that would follow in Waters’ career.
Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by Slasher Film Festival Strategy.
This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.
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