Projectile Words

I want to scream 
Verbally explode 
Ejecting my thoughts 
My feelings 
Into the atmosphere 
Fiery and furious  
Repressing nothing 
Then I pause 
Knowing futility 
I’ve pulled this trigger 
Too many times 
Always failing 
To hit the mark 
Rage falling 
Upon deaf ears 
Or they make excuses  
Making me feel stupid 
Feel crazy 
Feel like my voice 
Doesn’t matter 
This time I bite 
My tongue 
Almost in half 
Next time though 
I’ll set the world 
Ablaze 
Calling out 
Hypocrisy
Even if I do so 
In vain 

~~~~~~~~~~~~
2026, John L. Harmon 

Freak Out, 
JLH 

P.S.  poetry can be repetitive, so click the pic for a similarly themed one… ⤵️ 

~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Poetic Happening is happening soon! 

freakboy on film: PINK FLAMINGOS (the Criterion edition)

 

Everything you’ve read in the tabloids is true! 

Divine is the filthiest person alive, but she’s not out to prove anything.  Using the alias Babs Johnson, she just wants to enjoy life in her secluded trailer alongside her dysfunctionally functional family.  There’s her traveling companion Cotton, her chicken-lovin’ son Crackers and her egg-obsessed mother Edie. 

Meanwhile across town, Connie and Raymond Marble are seething with filth-envy.  The Marbles kidnap young women, chain them up in the cellar, have their butler Channing impregnate them and then sell the babies to nice lesbian couples.  Surely this means they are far filthier than Divine and they are going to prove it! ~ 

Let the competition of filth commence! 

That is the plot of writer/director John Waters’ 1972 masterpiece of mess.  His first color feature film is a juggernaut of bad taste that will shock you, challenge you and make you howl in hysterics.  Well, unless you’re Peggy Gravel from Waters’ DESPERATE LIVING and have never found the antics of deviants one bit amusing.  (More about that later) 

photo from the 25th anniversary soundtrack album 

The acting is full throttle, but never really camp.  The characters are vividly realized with Divine leading the way, coming at the camera like gangbusters as Babs commits gleeful cinematic terrorism.  Mink Stole as red-haired Connie and David Lochary as blue-haired Raymond are perfectly delusional as the wannabe upper crust society couple wallowing in their gutter trash dreams.  Mary Vivian Pearce as Cotton and Danny Mills as Crackers make for an unsettling believable duo of sex and violence, of sorts.  Edith Massey is beyond memorable as Divine’s mentally ill mother, who is almost always in a playpen. 

I first experienced PINK FLAMINGOS on VHS back in the late 1990’s and was entertained and shocked, despite knowing all the crazy revolting incidents in advance.  The years have mellowed the initial jolt, but the chicken scene still makes me grit my teeth.  I’m not a fan of “animal humor,” but I guess I accept what happens in PINK FLAMINGOS because it’s supposed to be shocking and it doesn’t feel like a cheap joke or lazy writing.  The very real chicken’s very real death seems strangely important to the overall plot.  Yes, I’m keenly aware this makes me a hypocrite when I complain about other films or TV shows where (hopefully not real) animals are killed for the purpose of a supposed joke.  Anyhoo, enough about me and my contradictory mental trigger issues.

The Criterion blu-ray edition is chock full of truly surprising surprises!  Viewers are treated to the feature length documentary DIVINE TRASH, which is an insightful and hilarious look at the making of PINK FLAMINGOS.  Then John Waters takes us on a journey to a couple of key filming locations as they are now, 50 years later.  Another fascinating extra is a slew of deleted scenes which reveal a magical subplot that was thankfully cut and one character’s fluid sexuality! 

 

On top of all that, there’s the brilliant slipcase designed to resemble the very un-divine birthday gift for Babs.  Open up the blu-ray case and you will find, not a turd, but rather entertainingly informative liner notes written up as a tabloid rag seen in the film.  Last, but certainly not least, you will also receive the perfect item for a PINK FLAMINGOS viewing…a barf bag!  Honestly, this reproduction of the barf bag passed out at the film’s premiere made purchasing the Criterion edition totally worth it!  I openly laughed in delight at this fun bonus! 

In conclusion… 

John Waters’ PINK FLAMINGOS is a film that needs to be seen to be believed and the best way to see it is Criterion’s blu-ray edition.  I mean, eating dog shit has never looked more beautiful! 

SIDE NOTE (in case anyone from Criterion is actually reading this…)

Please begin working on a DESPERATE LIVING blu-ray edition!  It’s my favorite pre-HAIRSPRAY John Waters film.  

 

Oh, and the one thing your blu-rays and DVDs lack is a descriptive audio track for the visually impaired.  

Thankfully, I watched PINK FLAMINGOS and other Waters films multiple times before losing a chunk of my vision, but you can do better by being more inclusive in the future. 

Thank you. 

And thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words. 

 

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. my review of a different John Waters film…

click the pic 

freakboy on film: MONDO TRASHO (1969)

                            written & directed by John Waters 

I've been a fan of John Waters since I first saw his 1988 crossover hit HAIRSPRAY and I then devoured any film of his I could.  From MULTIPLE MANIACS to A DIRTY SHAME, I have seen all of his officially released cinematic creations.  A few years ago, thanks to a probably illegal upload on You Tube, I saw his short film THE DIANE LINKLETTER STORY.  Now, once again thanks to You Tube, I experienced John Waters' first feature-length film! 

MONDO TRASHO is a tale of a young woman ("The Bombshell" played by Mary Vivian Pearce) having a truly strange day.  She is stalked by a foot fetishist, hit by a car driven by Divine (looking more glam than serial killer), thrown into a mental hospital and finally receives a new pair of feet from a doctor with debatable credentials.  The crazy scenarios could be described  as a mash-up of Cinderella and The Wizard of OZ, with reverse echoes of future John Waters films. 

Divine imagines what a hitchhiker looks like naked, which is why she hits The Bombshell with her car. Sylvia imagines various people in their all-together in A DIRTY SHAME.  The Virgin Mary plays a part in the plot of MONDO TRASHO and She returns, in a different form, in PECKER.  Then there is several music cues we would hear in later films.  (SIDE NOTE: There was even a couple of Perry Como songs used in MONDO TRASHO, which put a wicked grin on my face.) 

There is a lot to take in and enjoy, but here are my three favorite moments in MONDO TRASHO...

1.). The Virgin Mary (Margie Skidmore) appears in the laundromat.  Divine prays to Mary to make her Divine and to heal The Bombshell.  I love the idea of a religious experience occurring in a dingy laundromat.  

2.). The asylum.  Only in a John Waters film does a mental hospital send men in white to round-up random potential lunatics with a large butterfly net.  Divine and the unconscious Bombshell experience a crazed burlesque show (performed by Mink Stole) and another appearance of Mary while incarcerated in the asylum.  I love it when the inmates are freed to run wild in the streets. 

3.  A visit to Dr. Coathanger (David Lochary).  First, a doctor with such a name is awesome and second, his nurse (Berenica Cipcus) is horror perfection as she enters the waiting room wearing a bloodied uniform, knife in hand.  The scene culminates in a bizarre foot transplant operation and a shoot-out, just like a real visit to the doctor's office nowadays.  I love the truly surreal nature of the operation and its results. 

Now I must mention the opening scene.  A masked executioner, standing in a muddy area, kills a few chickens.  Much like the infamous chicken scene in PINK FLAMINGOES, this is very real.  While that scene was a part of the plot, the executioner scene in MONDO TRASHO seems detached from the rest of the film, making it seem pointlessly cruel.  Yet, once again, John Waters reveals my hypocritical side.  I don't enjoy it when an animal is killed in a film, especially as a joke, but I still enjoyed MONDO TRASHO, even after this uncomfortable beginning.  As John Waters pointed out in an interview on the PINK FLAMINGOES DVD, he eats chicken and knows it didn't land on his plate from a heart attack.  I can't argue with that logic, so I overlook his animal atrocities.

Anyhoo...if you are a John Waters fan, and haven't experienced MONDO TRASHO, I recommend searching for this early film.  If you are not a John Waters fan, or just a casual one, I recommend avoiding MONDO TRASHO like the Snobs avoided The Bombshell at the end. 

Now I must wait for questionably legal copies of other early John Waters films to be uploaded toYou Tube. 

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind words. 

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. I'll be reviewing the cinematic musical version of HAIRSPRAY in June for 🎵THE THIRD BROADWAY BOUND BLOGATHON🎵, hosted by Taking Up Room!

https://takinguproom.wordpress.com/2020/05/05/the-third-broadway-bound-blogathon-is-one-month-away/ 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My books & blogs... http://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-collective.html 

freakboy on film: MYRA BRECKINRIDGE (The Second So Bad It's Good Blogathon Edition)

~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you to Rebecca of Taking Up Room for allowing me to participate in The Second So Bad It's Good Blogathon.

https://takinguproom.wordpress.com/2020/02/21/the-second-so-bad-its-good-blogathon-has-arrived/ 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Randolph...I believe the moment of truth has finally arrived."  - Myra Breckinridge 

1970

Screenplay by Michael Sarne & David Giler

               Directed by Michael Sarne 

Perfectly enough, I first heard of MYRA BRECKINRIDGE while reading a book about some of the allegedly worst movies ever made.  The shocking synopsis, the astounding cast and the fact it was released by a major studio (20th Century Fox, but I doubt it's streaming on Disney Plus) made me determined to see this potentially offensive, hot-mess of a movie.  It took me until it was released on DVD to finally experience this truly unique experience.

It was customary in the 1970's for a surgeon to smoke during a sex-change operation.

Myron Breckinridge (film critic Rex Reed, in his first role) has found a way to totally act out his fantasies, and oh what a fantasy he has dreamed up!  With a quick flick of the wrist from a surgeon (John Carradine at his most John Carradine), Myron becomes a woman.  

Myra Breckinridge is ready for her close-up.

Myra Breckinridge (Raquel Welch) is born like an atomic blast and her mission could prove equally life-altering.  She is planning the destruction of the American male by showing dominance over both genders.  Myra believes her plan will realign the sexes, thus decreasing the population and increasing human happiness.  Though he is dead, in a sense, Myron joins Myra on this mission, popping up like Brad Pitt in FIGHT CLUB. 

Uncle Buck Loner will never ride off into the sunset.

Posing as Myron's widow, Myra makes a beeline for her Uncle Buck's drama school, where the students find such contentment that they never want to leave.  Legendary actor-director John Huston goes all out with his portrayal of the greedy, shady, oversexed former Saturday matinee cowboy idol.  Myra cons her way into a teaching position at the school, where two students are roped into her ultimate counter-culture plan.  

Will Rusty Godowski and Mary Ann Pringle have a ball with Myra? 

Just when you think Farrah Fawcett as one of the delusional students is surprising, enter the incomparable Mae West (her first film role in 26 years) as talent agent Leticia Van Allen.  Even though she was probably too old for the role, Mae West is pun-perfection as Leticia interviews a steady stream of sturdy studs (including a young Tom Selleck) on her casting couch, which is literally a bed.  As an added bonus, or possible deterrent for some, Ms. West performs two memorable  musical numbers..

Is that a Magnum in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? 

Despite the mind-boggling cast, this is Raquel Welch's film.  She is absolutely mesmerizing as Myra.  According to a documentary on the DVD, Welch lobbied for the role to prove she was not just another pretty face.  I think she succeeded.  If you look beyond the crazy shenanigans, you'll see her performance contains layers.  Myra can say a lot with a single glance and that's all Raquel Welch. 

            Myra has a secret place, known to only her.

Will Myra Breckinridge succeed in her gender-bending mission?  My lips are sealed, so you'll have to watch to find out.  However, I feel I should include a trigger-happy warning.  This is a brazen film that is not afraid to offend or shock, possibly even more now in this politically correct century than it did 50 years ago.  Though keep in mind, much like Gore Vidal's original novel, the plot is all tied up in a satirical bow and sealed with a cheeky ruby red kiss. 

One question remains before I release you on a quest to locate and experience all I've just described and sooooo much more.  Do I enjoy MYRA BRECKINRIDGE because it's a "bad" film?  My gut answer is no.  I totally love this film because, despite its less than focused storytelling, its koo-koo bananas dialogue and its submersion into camp, the plot is brave, daring and possibly way ahead of it's time.  I am fully aware that I am probably in the minority with this opinion.

In conclusion, maybe a "bad" film is simply misunderstood by mainstream moviegoers or maybe it really is just bad.   Either way, strap on your cowboy hat, whip out your thermometer and enter at your own risk...

Once you've seen MYRA BRECKINRIDGE, you will never unsee her.

Thank you for reading or listening to my half-blind review. 

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. A connected post...

https://freakboyzone.blogspot.com/2020/02/freakboy-muses-music-joanna-original.html 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't forget to examine The Collective Eye for February!

👁

https://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-collective-eye-february-2020.html 

freakboy muses music: HAVE YOURSELF A SCARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS (Tales from the Crypt)

'Twas the fright before Christmas 

And all through the crypt 

Not a creature was stirring 

'Cept those being whipped 

('Twas the Fright Before Christmas) 

1994 

              (The Right Stuff Records}

For someone who doesn't really celebrate Christmas in a traditional way, I seem to have lots of Christmas traditions involving films, television and music.  Being a fan of E.C. Comics (even though I can no longer read them), who also enjoys potentially offensive festive offerings, this Christmas album was destined to be in my life.

The Crypt-Keeper 

a self-promoting cadaverous whore after my own decaying heart.

TALES FROM THE CRYPT was a notorious 1950's horror comic book that would, several decades later, be turned into an HBO anthology television series.  The Crypt-Keeper, literally a decaying corpse, would bookend each episode with morbid puns and ghoulish fun.  In hindsight, it's no stretch of the imagination that a sly, clever, gruesome Christmas album would happen.  

          Lizzie Borden lost her folks 

          Gave'em 40 whacks 

          She wants a brand new mom and pop 

          And, of course, an axe 

          (Christmas Rap) 

HAVE YOURSELF A SCARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS finds The Crypt-Keeper singing festive, ghoul-tide ditties to lift your holiday spirits from the dead.  That old bag of bones charms us with songs about decorating with body parts, poisoning his family, a horror-filled wish list and a New Year's Eve party for the recently and long-ago deceased, to name a few cheerful tuneful topics.  It's a heartwarming album for the entire Manson family and yours, if you're not part of the P.C. Police.  

Stockings stuffed with ears and fingers 

Fa-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la 

           Chopped from all those caroling singers 

Fa-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la 

(Deck the Halls with Parts of Charlie) 

This album is not for overly sensitive 21st Century ears.  Consider this your five-alarm trigger-happy warning.  With a few Santa fat jokes and one sly cross-dressing jab at J. Edgar Hoover, there is plenty of material for internet bots to be outraged over.  I could get on my soapbox in the town square to rant about how the human race is censoring itself into oblivion, but it's cold outside.

Anyhoo, before I bury my blog six feet under....Have a Merry Cryptmas and Horrific New Year!  

The champagne flows 

And bubbles pop 

Capote hugs Babe Ruth 

While Lincoln does the bunny hop 

With actor John Wilkes Booth 

(Should Old Cadavers Be Forgot) 

Thank you for reading or listening to my potentially offensive half-blind words.

Freak Out, 

JLH 

P.S. Ho Ho Ho...

~~~~~~~~~~

DARK EXCURSIONS 

(a modern take on gothic romance) 

The perfect gift for the soap nut in your life! 🎁😉 

https://thejlhcollective.blogspot.com/2018/03/dark-excursions-complete-set.html