John Waters Screenplays: A Reading and Conversation with Michael Schulman

Performing Classic Screenplays

• 💡 John Waters opened the event by performing line readings from his early screenplays, a practice he noted directors are typically forbidden from doing.
• 🎭 He read the opening scene from "Pink Flamingos", introducing Divine as "the filthiest person alive" and the Marble family.
• 👏 A contest winner joined him to read a scene from "Female Trouble", where Divine's character, Dawn, throws a Christmas tantrum over "cha-cha heels."

The Waters Writing Process

• ✍️ Waters revealed he writes every movie and book with a Bic pen on yellow legal pads, cutting and taping them together.
• ⏳ For early films like "Pink Flamingos", he wrote the script as filming progressed, often shooting only on weekends due to budget and equipment constraints.
• 🚫 He emphasized that there was "not one ad-lib line" in his early movies, requiring actors to memorize extensive dialogue, which he considers a mark of professionalism.

Filmmaking Philosophy & Influences

• 😂 Waters' primary goal was always to "make me laugh", considering himself the first audience for his work.
• 💥 The infamous dog poop scene in "Pink Flamingos" was conceived for "anarchy, not sex", aiming to create something unforgettable and shocking.
• 🎭 He aimed to make "exploitation films for art theaters", drawing inspiration from both obscure art films and grindhouse cinema, and parodying genres like melodrama and dance movies.
• 💡 He believes in the "old school of three acts" and that "no comedy should be longer than 90 minutes," while twisting clichés by making his heroes the villains of other movies.

Navigating Hollywood

• 📈 Waters transitioned to working with bigger budgets and Hollywood studios for films like "Hairspray" and "Cry-Baby," learning to "play the business" to get his movies made.
• 🎬 He always wanted his movies to "make money" and look commercial, while simultaneously making fun of the commercial aspect.
• 🤝 Despite working with stars like Johnny Depp, he continued to include his "Dreamlanders" in Hollywood productions, and studios never objected.
• ⚠️ He noted that "Hairspray" initially tested badly with audiences, but he learned to listen to notes and cut subplots that strayed too far from the main characters.

Defining "Good Filth"

• 🎉 Waters defines "good filth" as celebratory, joyous, intrinsically offensive, and not trying too hard, contrasting it with "bad filth" which is mean-spirited or tries too hard.
• 😂 He makes fun of "things I love, not hate," including left-wing and liberal values, and always starts by making fun of himself.
• 💖 He believes that once you can "make fun of yourself," you earn the right to kid others, emphasizing that humor should not be mean for long.
• 📚 He mentioned an unproduced screenplay, "Flamingos Forever," which featured Divine as a cult leader and involved necrophilia, an underwater ballet, and flying on a giant turd.