Dreamland News

Holiday Update:

Every year, John Waters sends a personally signed Christmas card to a select list of friends and associates. Over the years, several of these cards have found their way onto the net. Click here.

Also this year, John's famous essay "Why I Love Christmas" has been selected by the Robert Benchley Society as the second most humourous holiday reading. (Although I think it should be first, their selection for number one is naturally Robert Benchley!)
Here's their review:

Blue collar Baltimore meets rainbow colored Provincetown when John Waters takes on American commercialized Christmas traditions. "Why hasn't Bloomingdale's or Tiffany's tried a fancy Santa. Deathly pale, this never-too-thin-or-too-rich Kris Kringle, dressed in head-to-toe unstructured, over-size Armani, could pose on a throne, bored and elegant, and every so often deign to let a rich little brat sit near his lap before dismissing his wishes with a condescending "Oh, darling, you don't really want that, do you?...".
To read the entire essay, get a copy of John Waters Crackpot, or read it at 2 Jealous Perverts.

The Robert Benchley Society was founded for the mutual enjoyment of the writings and motion pictures of American humorist Robert Benchley (1889-1945). Membership in the Robert Benchley Society is free. For more information click here.

This photo is from the wrap party for John Waters' newest flick A Dirty Shame. Pictured are Ann Hege Hughes, Baltimore Author and Publisher, John Waters, and Character Actor, Liam Hughes. Liam reports: "It was great being in the movie. I'm in one scene that takes place in a grocery store-like setting. An actress named Suzanne Shepherd (below left) played one of the key roles, "Big Ethel." She was terrific! My scene as "an elderly sex addict," was with her. She was the owner of the store."
		Here are two more photos from Liam: (Left) Liam the "Elderly Sex Addict," with Suzanne Shepherd, "Big Ethel." (Right) Liam Hughes and Joyce Flick Wendl. "We were both in Pecker together. I played the "Wild Man of 22nd St." in that film and Joyce was the "Street Lady." Joyce and her husband, Alan J. Wendl play parts A Dirty Shame"

Extra special thanks to Liam for the report from the front.
And with that, we now know the principal filming has been completed.

Several items of interest to Dreamland Fans have been donated to the "Auction for the American Way" to benefit free speech and civil liberties organization People For the American Way, including:
* Autographed Hairspray Playbill and poster
* Serial Mom DVD signed by Kathleen Turner [Turner is a PFAW Foundation board member]
The "Auction for the American Way" kicked off on eBay on Sunday 30 November. Visit their site for a link to the auctions.

Joe Blevins has unearthed an interesting curiosity... Have you ever seen a John Waters filmography which lists movies that our favorite director had NOTHING to do with? Finally, he's found a website which clears up the confusion:
http://www.theaussiejohnwaters.homestead.com/

Marc reports that he spoke with Jean Hill. She is in good spirits after being ill for a while. She told him that she has a small part in the new film. Also, her fan club has been restarted. Click www.misshill.com for information.

And finally, on a sad note this month, Joe reports that Michael Kamen, the talented and versatile film composer, has died at the age of 55, apparently of a heart attack. He had been battling MS for several years. Click here for an obit, or read Joe's words below . . .
Although best known for his work on action movies like Lethal Weapon and Die Hard, Michael Kamen will be remembered by Dreamland fans for his marvelous score for John Waters' Polyester. Waters was, in fact, one of the very first directors to work with Kamen. Kamen's Polyester score is really quite amazing -- an eclectic mix of punk, tango, new wave, country, avant-garde, 1950s soap opera music, and golden age Hollywood film scores, with nods to Ravel's Bolero and Dvorak's 5th Symphony thrown in for good measure. What Waters fan can forget "Be My Daddy Baby (Lulu's Theme)" or the woozy, off-kilter "foot stomper" theme or
the drunken waltz that plays as Francine sinks deeper into alcoholism? They're all the work of Michael Kamen.
A truly good one gone.

September:

It's official... Tracey Ullman is set to star in JW's next film, A Dirty Shame, along with Chris Isaak. These two stars were recently announced in The Hollywood Reporter as signing on, along with previously announced stars Paul Giamatti, Selma Blair and Johnny Knoxville. Thanks for the news, Paula!

Last month I asked readers to send me names of the person they'd like to see star as the sex crazed suburban woman in Waters' next film, so here's the big list...

Chesty Morgan Madonna Genevieve Bujold Frances McDormand Linda Fiorentino Amanda Plummer Peggy Lipton P.J Soles Sean Young Candy Clark Karen Black Victoria Principal	Anjelica Huston Farrah Fawcett Holly Hunter Catherine Keener Nancy Allen Isabella Rosellini Sandra Berhnard Meryl Streep Shelley Duvall Tuesday Weld Joan Allen Cate Blanchett Joan Cusack	Mia Farrow Pam Grier Susan Sarandon Catherine Deneuve Marilyn Chambers Mary Woronov Cybill Shepherd Melanie Griffith Sissy Spacek Stockard Channing Geena Davis Margot Kidder Emma Thompson
and my absolute favorite suggestion... Amy Sedaris.

Thanks to everyone who emailed me. And here's to Tracey. I'm sure she'll make a great Dreamlander.

In other news, John was featured in VH-1's program Totally Gay and he has also recently directed a commercial for more.com.

And check out this link to learn more about transforming Bruce Villanch into Edna Turnblad for the touring production of Hairspray: The Musical.

And finally this month, be sure to check out the latest addition to the Dreamland Fans, Daniel Diamond!

August:

Sorry to start this busy news month on a sad note, but ...
Buddy Deane, the television host who's 60's dance show inspired Hairspray died on July 16. He was 78. Read his obit in the New York Times.

On a somewhat related note, it seems Cry Baby may be turned into a staged musical in the hopes of repeating the success of Hairspray. Read more in The Baltimore Sun, The Advocate and Playbill.com. It has also been reported that Cry Baby will finally be released on DVD in a special director's cut edition.

Traci Lords' autobio Underneath It All is in stores, and there are several chapters devoted to her work with Waters on Cry-Baby, and dirt on her first husband, Brook Yeaton (Pat Moran's son). Thanks to Devon for the news. Get your copy from Amazon.com .

Waters releases a new book this fall. Art: A Sex Book, co-authored with critic and curator Bruce Hainley, discusses sex and it's relation to contemporary art. Read the press release at Thames & Hudson.

On a stranger note, feel like collecting some of John's art for yourself? Then check out his new plates. Weird, huh?

As rumoured earlier this year, Bruce Villanch, the notorious Hollywood writer, will fill in for Harvey Fierstein in the touring company of Hairspray The Musical. He recently shaved his beard for the part on Live with Regis and Kelly! And there are further cast changes on Broadway. Read about them at Playbill.com.

Two interviews with Divine from the early 80s have recently been posted at darkneon.com. One is an in-depth interview about Divine's career and personal life. The other is a more tongue-in-cheek feature on Divine's Beauty Tips.

Dreamland contributor Mike Morton has made some video compilations you might be interested in. Mike is in the UK so the tapes are in PAL format. Check them out here.

July Sighting 1: John thumbing a ride on Cape Cod wearing all white, carrying a cardboard sign that read ''P-town'' on one side and ''Long Nook'' on the other. He was with a handsome (and much younger) man.

July Sighting 2: Pat Moran, Susan Lowe, George Figgs (Dribbles) and Vincent Peranio in an open discussion after a Female Trouble screening. Hosted by Baltimore's Creative Alliance, who's exhibit Trash to Treasure: The Production Design of Vince Peranio includes the FT electric chair, sets from Hairspray, Cecil B Demented, Cry Baby and more. It's up thru Aug. 9.

And finally, Flashbacks in Fells Point already has a poster for A Dirty Shame that reads "coming to theatres in summer 2004." But JW has yet to cast the female lead. Rob Anglin wrote to suggest Amy Sedaris or Deborah Rush as ideal candidates. What are your thoughts? Email me your suggestions and I'll post them next month.

July:


Variety Magazine reports that John Waters is indeed directing the long rumoured A Dirty Shame. Jackass Johnny Knoxville, Legally Blonde's Selma Blair and American Splendor's Paul Giamatti are attached to star. No actress has yet been cast in the leading role of a blue-collar convenience store owner-turned-sex addict, suffering from a concussion and uncontrollable sexual urges. The filmmakers are considering casting an unknown.

"I wish Meryl Streep would do it but I don't think she would," Waters told Daily Variety. "It has to be somebody real, who looks like they could belong in a convenience store, and in Hollywood these days, women in their forties who look real are hard to find."

"It's a sex education film that asks the question, 'Can tolerance go too far?'," he continued. "It's also based on a really true fact, and I've of course exaggerated it. But there are a tiny percentage of concussion sufferers who have a carnal lust they cannot control. Of course in this film, they take over a whole neighborhood."

This is That, Killer Films and City Lights Productions are all attached to the film as is indie producer goddess Christine Vachon!
Thanks to everyone who wrote in and confirmed the reports including Kathryn, Keith, Joe and Jim.
You can read more an interview with Waters about the film (and porn) at Unzipped.net.

On a "how did that happen" note... Jim Whittaker reports that there is a legal battle over the Odorama trademark because Nickelodeon Movies Executive Producer Julia Pistor decided to do a "tribute" to Waters by releasing the new movie Rugrats Go Wild with "Odorama"cards. Nickelodeon's parent company, Viacom, did some checking, and apparently found that the "Odorama" name and logo were never properly trademarked (despite the cards being labeled "TM"). Viacom now has a trademark application pending for Odorama, and this could cause some embarassing and costly problems for Waters and New Line Cinema.

Apparently larger theater chains aren't interested in buying the Rugrats Odorama cards, and they are now being given away (or used in promotions) at Burger Kings and Blockbuster Video stores! This all adds up to a very pointless way for Waters to lose control of something he created.

If you want to get involved, write a letter to:
Julia Pistor c/o Nickelodeon Movies, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
Just remember it is illegal to send a turd through the mail.

And finally, John was sighted recently at the Provincetown Film Fest awards / panel discussion honoring Todd Haynes. Thanks to Adrianne for the news.