Polyester [1981] [Criterion] (DVD)
John Waters
Synopsis
For his first studio picture, filth maestro John Waters took advantage of his biggest budget yet to allow his muse Divine to sink his teeth into a role unlike any he had played before: Baltimore housewife Francine Fishpaw, a heroine worthy of a Douglas Sirk melodrama. Blessed with a keen sense of smell and cursed with a philandering pornographer husband, a parasitic mother, and a pair of delinquent children, the long-suffering Francine turns to the bottle as her life falls apart—until deliverance appears in the form of a hunk named Todd Tomorrow (vintage heartthrob Tab Hunter). Enhanced with Odorama™ technology that enables you to scratch and sniff along with Francine, Polyester is one of Waters’ most hilarious inventions, replete with stomach-churning smells, sadistic nuns, AA meetings, and foot stomping galore.
Special Features:
- New, restored 4K digital transfer, supervised by director John Waters
- Audio commentary featuring Waters from the 1993 Criterion laserdisc release of the film
- New conversation between Waters and critic Michael Musto
- New program featuring interviews with Waters collaborators Tab Hunter, Dennis Dermody, Pat Moran, Vincent Peranio, Mink Stole, Mary Garlington, and Greer Yeaton
- Interviews from 1993 with crew members Moran, Peranio, and Van Smith
- Archival interviews with Waters, Moran, and actors Divine and Edith Massey, featuring footage from the making of the film
- Twenty minutes of deleted scenes and alternate takes
- Trailer
- An essay by film scholar Elena Gorfinkel and a foldout poster of the cover
Product Details
- Format: Color, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Subtitles: English
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85.1
- Number of Discs: 1
- Rating: R
- Label: The Criterion Collection
- Release Date: 09/17/2019
- Run Time: 86 minutes
- Catalogue #: 3068
- Region: 1