Mondo Trasho

Starring Mary Vivian Pearce, Divine, David Lochary, Mink Stole

John's first full-length feature film, Mondo Trasho, was produced for only $2000 (which isn't so suprising once you've seen it). Like many of his early films, this money was borrowed from his dad. Although there is no dialogue, there is a soundtrack of scratchy rock-n-roll records and a few choice voiceovers.

Mary Vivian Pearce is the lead, although she is dead through most of the film. While on a walk, she is run-down by a car driven by Divine (who isn't such a bad driver, she just got distracted by the naked man hitch-hiking). Divine then takes it upon herself to care for the dead girl. For her good deeds, Divine is visited by the Virgin Mary. The girl is brought to a mad-doctor, played by David Lochary, who replaces her feet with very ugly feet.

"Back then I didn't know you had to have location scouts. In the film's last scene, when Divine is in a pigsty, dying in pig shit, I never asked the farmer if we could shoot there. I don't even know if anyone was home. We just pulled over, jumped out, shot the scene, and ran." - John Waters

Trivial note: at the premiere in a local church, Cookie Mueller, who had just been released from a mental hospital, won the doorprize of a free hamburg dinner at the Little Tavern. And she was a part of Waters' world forever after.

1969, 16mm, black and white, 95 minutes

Released through New Line Cinema