Cinema Tuesdays {Hairspray}

Hairspray (in case you didn't already know) is the story of "pleasantly plump" Tracy Turnblatt who joins The Corny Collins Show as a keen teen dancer and successfully manages to integrate it in 1962's Baltimore. Hairspray is a parody of shows like American Bandstand and Baltimore's local version The Buddy Deane Show and it also shows the problem that Americans had when faced with the issue of segregation or integration.

I've gone with the original 1988 John Waters' (this was his first PG rated film) movie instead of the recent Broadway musical version, mostly because I find the sets here to be far more realistic. And this one has Ruth Brown and Debbie Harry. Plus I find Divine's version of Edna to be far more believable than John Travolta's turn, mostly because I kept expecting him to start singing "Summer Nights" in drag.

Also, the hair is much more hilarious in this version and it shows girls actually ironing their hair, which was done though an incredibly stupid thing to do.

I want that dress!

Cinema Tuesdays {Cry-Baby}

From 1990 and starring a young Johnny Depp, Cry-Baby is probably John Waters' most mainstream film to date. This is a parody of the juvenile delinquent films of the Fifties and teen musical films, like Grease, which I hate, there, I've said it.

In this film the delinquents, called Drapes, win out over the Squares, who don't understand the meanings of popular song lyrics (like Sh-Boom) and wear plaid cummerbunds and therefore had no chance.

Polly Bergen (who may remember her in Move Over, Darling) plays Allison's grandmother.

David Nelson (son of Ozzie and Harriet) and the infamous Patty Hearst play Wanda's oblivious parents.