POLYESTER (1981) | John Waters, Part 5

<p>On the heels of DESPERATE LIVING — and its disappointing box office — John Waters knew that he needed a hit, and that he needed his leading lady back.</p> <p>Once again teaming with Divine, Waters set out to make a film that was a little more palatable to mass audiences, one that wouldn't rely on shock value to get its laughs. The resulting film was POLYESTER, released in 1981. Co-starring 50s silver screen heartthrob Tab Hunter, the film would also utilize the infamous "Odorama" scratch-n-sniff card gimmick during its initial release.</p> <p>In this episode, we'll discuss just how Waters went from the subversive, abrasive DESPERATE LIVING to the Douglas Sirk-esque melodrama of POLYESTER, how he got Tab Hunter (and Debbie Harry!) involved, and how the film was received by audiences at the time. </p> <p>Theme Song: "There's Still a Little Bit of Time, If We Hurry and I Mean Hurry" by <a href='https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj8487dns3rAhXut1kKHWjpBtIQFjAAegQIBRAB&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fslasherfilmfestivalstrategy.bandcamp.com%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw3qXZCJdUiLORfY6MbQrpo5'>Slasher Film Festival Strategy</a>.</p> <p>This episode was written, produced and edited by Gary Horne, Justin Bishop, and Todd A. Davis.</p> <p>For episode archives, merch, show notes, and more, visit <a href='http://cinemashock.net/'>cinemashock.net</a></p>