#mortville

[bitter69uk]

“The movie that I did that did the worst was called Desperate Living … It was a fairytale about lesbian anguish and mental illness and politics and corruption in a town called Mortville. When this movie came out, lesbian groups stopped it from being shown in Boston at the Orson Welles Cinema where all my movies played at the time by saying “How dare a man make a comedy about lesbians?” Well, today it’s the movie that lesbian groups bring on colleges all the time to raise money!”

/ John Waters in the 2006 film This Filthy World /

Released on this day (27 May 1977) in Baltimore: John Waters’ ultra-twisted punk-y black comedy Desperate Living (1977). (Tagline: “It isn’t very pretty …”). Re-titled Punk Story in Italy, it's one of Waters’ comparatively lesser-known gems (probably because his usual muse and leading lady - three hundred pound “hog princess” Divine - isn't in it). Lambasted by Variety as “amateur night on the psycho ward” and described by Waters himself as “the worst of all my films. And it’s the grimmest!”, the genuinely nasty Desperate Living has something to offend everyone! Pictured: Susan Lowe (as Mole McHenry – the role originally intended for Divine).

[schlock-luster-video]

"Any last words, goon face?"

Happy Waters Wednesday, Dreamlanders! Here's a new portrait of Edith Massey as Queen Carlotta from Desperate Living!

[rhymes-with-chuck]

[divineofficial]

Oh, gosh. This is fun. ~Queen Carlotta

[kaylynn-langerak]

I’ve been working on a hedge maze in Mortville.

[bitter69uk]

“The movie that I did that did the worst was called Desperate Living … It was a fairy tale about lesbian anguish and mental illness and politics and corruption in a town called Mortville. When this movie came out, lesbian groups stopped it from being shown in Boston at the Orson Welles Cinema where all my movies played at the time by saying “How dare a man make a comedy about lesbians?” Well, today it’s the movie that lesbian groups bring on colleges all the time to raise money!”

/ John Waters quoted in the 2006 film This Filthy World /

Released on this day (27 May 1977) in Baltimore: John Waters’ ultra-twisted punky black comedy Desperate Living (1977). Tagline: “It isn’t very pretty …”. Re-titled Punk Story in Italy, it's one of Waters’ comparatively lesser-known gems (probably because his usual muse and leading lady - three hundred pound drag queen Divine - isn't in it). Lambasted by Variety as “amateur night on the psycho ward” and described by Waters himself as “the worst of all my films. And it’s the grimmest!”, the genuinely nasty Desperate Living has something to offend everyone! Pictured: Susan Lowe (as Mole McHenry) and Liz Renay (as Muffy St Jacques). For many of us, this duo represents “relationship goals.”

[bitter69uk]

“The doorbell rang, I opened the door and there she was – my dream-come-true, four-hundred pounds of raw talent. I carefully invited Jean in, and the first thing she did was goose me to totally unnerve me. She asked for a drink and got it. She laughed and said she had no objections to nudity (“I’ve got a lot to show, honey”), would certainly dye her hair blonde (“Big deal. I’ve had blonde hair twice before”) and asked for a special chair that wouldn’t break when she sat on it. After listening to her give a hilarious reading from the script, we went over the contract, I gave her an advance on her salary, and it was settled.” / John Waters recalling his first encounter with Jean Hill when she auditioned for his film Desperate Living in the book Shock Value (1981) /

Born on this day: John Waters’ majestic “soul diva” Jean Hill (15 November 1946 – 21 August 2013), unforgettable as Grizelda in his 1977 bad taste classick Desperate Living. Pictured: Italian poster for Desperate Living (which was re-titled Punk Story in Italy!). The fierce Hill is centre, surrounded by fabulous co-stars Liz Renay (as Muffy St Jacques) and Mink Stole (as Peggy Gravel).

[kaylynn-langerak]