The British Film Institute is set to celebrate the legacy of trash cinema with a season titled 'Trash! The Wildest Films You’ve Ever Seen' this April, highlighting the work of cult filmmaker John Waters. Waters, known for his transgressive and unapologetically bad-taste films, has long championed the genre, which he defines as underground cinema that defies conventional norms around sexuality, gender, and morality. His 2000 satire 'Cecil B DeMented' serves as a manifesto for this style, with its rallying cry: 'Death to those who support mainstream cinema!'.
Two of Waters' most iconic films, 'Multiple Maniacs' (1970) and 'Pink Flamingos' (1972), will be featured in the season. These films exemplify the genre's shock value, with scenes such as a drag queen being assaulted by a giant lobster in 'Multiple Maniacs' and the infamous dog faeces-eating scene in 'Pink Flamingos'. Waters has consistently used bad taste to challenge conservative mores, from glue-sniffing delinquents in 'Polyester' (1981) to a lesbian wrestler undergoing spontaneous gender reassignment surgery in 'Desperate Living' (1977).
Mink Stole, a key member of Waters' Dreamlanders troupe, has appeared in all of his feature films. Reflecting on the enduring appeal of trash cinema, Stole notes, 'I knew what we were doing was probably the most fun thing in Baltimore at the time.' She recalls that the cat-eye glasses she wore in 'Pink Flamingos' are now part of the Academy's permanent collection, and the film itself has been added to the Library of Congress. Stole acknowledges the impact of these films on audiences, saying, 'I’ve had so many people tell me that laughing at our movies got them through their friends dying of Aids.'
The BFI season will also feature a cabaret show with Stole and San Francisco drag performer Peaches Christ, celebrating their friendship and Stole's contribution to outsider cinema. Stole admits, 'I do occasionally feel like I’m travelling with my own eulogy, but it is wonderful.' The season underscores how trash cinema, despite its controversial nature, has found a place in prestigious institutions like the BFI, proving that even the most depraved films can achieve cultural significance.
