FEMALE TROUBLE – December 12, 7:00PM @ Cinestudio

Queer Thursdays Presents: FEMALE TROUBLE

50th Anniversary Screening – Thursday, December 12, 2024, 7:00 PM @ Cinestudio 

John Waters’ saga of delinquency spans the wretched life of self-proclaimed “thief and shit-kicker” Dawn Davenport (Divine, who delivers an all-out powerhouse performance for the ages). Following Dawn’s voyage from her teenage flight from home after ruining her family’s Christmas (“I asked for cha cha heels—black ones!”) to her unholy rise filled with shocking glory, Dawn disrespects everyone in her path with a crooked smile. Whether chastising her unwanted daughter, taunting rival neighbors or becoming the face of the fascistic Lipstick Beauty Salon, Dawn claws and fights for some peace of mind throughout her hilariously loathsome journey through life.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, FEMALE TROUBLE remains a magnum opus for Waters—distilling the hallmark nasty retorts, outward hostility, flippant criminality and oddly earnest commentary we’ve come to expect from his perceptive, potty-mouthed legacy. And five decades later, this ultimately searing indictment of trash celebrity culture remains almost uncomfortably fresh.   [Description courtesy of Newfest]

Director John Waters | 1974 | USA | 92 minutes | Rated NC-17 | in English

Cast: Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole, Edith Massey

“John Waters’ trashterpiece is just as hilarious today as it was almost 50 years ago. Just bring your pearls with you in case you need to clutch them.” – Trace Thurman, Horror Queers Podcast

“This delectable trash from John Waters may not be quite as flagrantly tasteless as Pink Flamingos or Multiple Maniacs, but it’s still best to lock up your kids and hide your heterosexuals.” – Matt Brunson, Film Frenzy