Grossly Entertaining

When did John Waters become socially acceptable? It was Hairspray: The Musical that did it, right? Ah, he may be more popular than ever, but he's still a delightfully warped man. Mere weeks from now, an exhibition of Waters' artwork goes on display at Laumeier Sculpture Park (12580 Rott Road, Sunset Hills; 314-821-1209 or www.laumeier.org); but tonight, you can immerse yourself in the murky waters of, erm, Waters' early years with a free, double-bill screening of two of his classic films outdoors at Laumeier. First up is Hairspray, the one starring Ricki Lake and Divine. Next is Polyester, a zippy little comedy about a divorced woman (Divine again) and her awful children (the daughter's a little slutty, the son's the Baltimore Foot Stomper) coming to terms with each other and mom's coke-addled mother — it's not really a family film, you may have gathered. Great art — and make no mistake, Waters' work qualifies as great art — doesn't always please everybody. But the hip people in the crowd, you're gonna laugh . . . The show starts at 7 p.m., blankets and coolers are welcome, but no glass bottles and no dogs — if you've seen Pink Flamingos, you know why.
Fri., Sept. 19, 2008