The Criterion Collection will have something ready
for delivery on every street-date Tuesday during the month of September.
Leading the parade of new 2K and 4K film
restorations is auteur filmmaker John
Waters’ 1981 comedy classic, Polyester,
teaming Divine, as the always lovely Francine Fishpaw, with the late matinee
idol, Tab Hunter (making his “comeback” in this film as Todd Tomorrow).
This 4K restoration (supervised by Waters … this was
his first film shot on 35mm) will be available as both DVD and Blu-ray editions
for fans to enjoy on Sept. 17.
Francine Fishpaw, sexy, vivacious and cursed with a
keen sense of smell (yes, Criterion is including the famous scratch-and-sniff
Odorama card with the release), lives in Baltimore with her husband, Elmer (David
Samson) — who owns a porno house — and their two kids, Lu-Lu (Mary Garlington)
and Dexter (Ken King).
Her world slowly unravels as she finds that her
husband is having an affair with his secretary, Sandra (played by Waters’
regular, Mink Stole), her son is the infamous Baltimore “Foot Stomper” and her
daughter is seeing the local teen ruffian, Bo-Bo Belsinger (played by punk
rocker, Stiv Bators … who was the lead singer for The Dead Boys and The Lords
of the New Church).
Oh, it gets worse, she finds the man of her dreams —
Todd Tomorrow — but he is actually her mother’s lover (Francine’s mom is played
by Joni Ruth White) and they plan on ripping her off. Indeed, the only friend Francine has in the
whole world is Cuddles Kovinsky (another Waters’ regular, Edith Massey), a
cleaning lady-turned-debutante after inheriting a small fortune … she rides
around town in her limo driven by Heintz (Hans Kramm).
Will Francine ever find happiness? This much we can tell you, blood will be spilled
and not everyone survives … life can be rough on the streets of Baltimore!
Bonus goodies include a vintage commentary from
filmmaker John Waters (circa 1993), a newly-minted video session with John
Waters and film critic Michael Musto (“Manhattan on the Rocks,” “Fork on the
Left, Knife in the Back,” etc.) and a new untitled featurette featuring John
Waters’ “collaborators,” Tab Hunter, Dennis Dermody, Pat Moran, Vincent
Peranio, Mink Stole, Mary Garlington and Greer Yeaton.
Other goodies include deleted scenes, alternate
takes and a vintage (1993) video session with the cast and crew, including
Waters, Divine, Pat Moran, Vomcemt Peranio, Edith Massey, and Van Smith.
Also heading home as both DVD and Blu-ray product
offerings during the month of September from Criterion are: Fists in
the Pocket (Sept. 03), Cloud-Capped
Star (Sept. 10), Cluny
Brown (Sept. 17) The
Circus (silent-1928) and Local
Hero (both on Sept. 24)
No comments:
Post a Comment