Releasing on June 28th by Criterion Collection on Blu-ray for the first time, and just in time for Pride, Pink Flamingos has come home! This crown jewel of Waters career is so long overdue on Blu and brings us one disc closer to getting all the John Waters movies on Blu-ray. I’m not writing out a plot synopsis for this review for several reasons. First off, it wouldn’t make any sense, it would just be a gibberish of colors, fabrics, anatomy parts names, and unspeakable sex act slang. Then, there’s the fact that if you’re reading this, you’re most likely a Waters junkie who has not only seen the movie 30 times but has also contemplated what it would be like to reenact the end. Finally, if you don’t know what its about already, you should buy the movie and find out. Prepare to be delighted!
As far as the film quality goes, looking like trash has never looked so good. This was shot on 16mm and then blown up for 35mm release. For this Blu-ray release the movie is presented in 1.66 ratio like some European films with thin black bars on each side for most flat screen televisions. The film has received a new 4K digital transfer and has been cleaned nicely while keeping the image grainy AF, just as it was meant to be experienced. The colors here are so rich and saturated they pop out like candy for the eyes.
Criterion put plenty of great extras on this one, such as a feature-length documentary that itself won an award at Sundance. There are some older interviews, some featurettes, and footage from the 25th anniversary presentation. Then there is my favorite part, a full 25-minutes of outtakes and deleted material! With Flamingos, more is never enough and I loved every second and flubbed line of the extra footage and scenes.
Also want to call out the exquisite packaging of this release. It comes with a slip cover of a package being mailed to Divine. The inner cover is a gallery-quality work of art of the filthiest person alive. Inside the case are the Criterion liner notes, presented as the newspaper from the movie and, for you weak stomach types, your very own ‘Pink Phlegm-ingo Barf Bag’! See pictures above and below and then go buy Pink Flamingos lest you be found guilty of Assholism!
Adam Ruhl is a writer and life long Cinephile. He is the Executive
Cinema Editor of Pop Culture Beast’s Austin branch; covering festivals,
conventions, and new releases. When not filing reports, Adam can be
found stalking Alamo Drafthouse Programmers for leads on upcoming
DrafthouseFilms titles. Adam once blocked Harry Knowles entrance to a
theater until he was given extra tickets to a Roman Polanski movie.