Although status of John Waters’ hopeful, long-in-development next movie Liarmouth remains in limbo, his back catalog continues to receive extras-packed restorations and re-releases.
This month sees a souped-up, brand new 4K UHD and Blu-ray version of 1990’s Cry-Baby featuring both theatrical and director’s cuts of the homage to 1950s rock-n-roll musicals starring Johnny Depp as the tear-shedding title character who leads a group of teenage delinquents while attracting a “square” played by Amy Locane.
Padding out the crisp, new 4K transfers are tea-spilling commentaries with Waters, featurettes and interviews with the stars (including Iggy Pop, Patricia Hearst, and Ricki Lake), and deleted scenes, while Cry-Baby stans can find merchandise related to the film at the Academy Museum Store, where a comprehensive Waters retrospective exhibition, Pope Of Trash, is running until August 4th.
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Despite a recent car accident—which Waters says his lawyer has instructed him not to discuss in interviews—the subversive and always cuttingly funny icon joined Queerty for a catch-up to discuss revisiting Cry-Baby for the re-release, other films he’d love to see restored next, who he dreads being reincarnated as, and the specter of another Trump term.
QUEERTY: What’s the biggest difference between the theatrical and director’s cut of Cry-Baby? I was only sent the former to watch in preparation.
WATERS: I couldn’t remember, because we did so many versions. One of them has the chicken song at the end during the battle of the bands, and that might be in the extras. We had a lot of test screenings and reshoots. One doesn’t have the race and song. That scene got cut, but you can see all the scenes, just in different order.
How did restoring Cry-Baby for this release rate on the gratifying scale of all the home entertainment re-releases of your films so far?
High! Because you can see every version, it’s beautifully done, they found every person in the cast to interview, and some of them I hadn’t seen in years and they all said such lovely things, so it was like the best high school reunion I’ve ever been to.
Was there anything you forgot about in Cry-Baby and was surprised by while revisiting it?
I’m still surprised that David Nelson—who I grew up watching on Ozzie And Harriet—was in my movie playing Patty Hearst’s husband and [former adult film star] Traci Lord’s father. I have to give Tracy Nelson great credit, she was the music supervisor for Cry-Baby and Universal and she was somehow related to him and maybe talked him into it. He was into making fun of his image, too!
How do you feel about the Johnny Depp you worked with versus the Depp of 2024 and all the news about him?
I talked to him a couple of days ago and he was exactly the same Depp I knew then. I’m friendly with Winona Ryder, with Kate Moss, with the girlfriends I knew. But I don’t comment on it. I wasn’t there. It’s his personal life and, I guess, we’ve all had bad relationships.
The theatrical cut’s commentary is fantastic and so packed with details and behind-the-scenes tea. Is there any story you didn’t share but would want to throw in now?
I never listen to my own commentaries, I’m not that crazy! But anything I held back was for some reason I wouldn’t tell you! I don’t regret the confederate flag being in [the film] because that was completely historically correct at the time. What wasn’t historically correct was having the Black gang in there partying with everybody to make up for that, but it couldn’t have happened at the time.
Have you ever had a production fly off the rails like Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte, which they dramatized in the first season of Feud? Joan Crawford hijacked it and basically held herself hostage, so they needed to fire her and reshoot with another actress.
No. Cry-Baby’s Susan Tyrell and I got along. She was drunk during the whole movie and we had some problems, but she still gave a great performance. I got along with everyone I worked with, even some of the people they said I wouldn’t. Like, “Oh Kathleen Turner is gonna be a nightmare,” but she was lovely—I got along with her great, we’re still friends. It just depends. All movie stars want a director who knows what he wants. They don’t like it when you say, “I don’t know, what do you think?” I certainly respected Kathleen and Melanie Griffith and Tracey Ullman. They just made everybody better through their complete professionalism.
Do you see Cry-Baby as a sort of John Waters version of a Grease movie?
No, we used to say it was the anti-Grease. If anything we were making fun of Elvis movies in a way, which I loved, so I was parodying a genre of movies I love like Rock Baby Rock and Bill Haley movies and The Girl Can’t Help It. Those were the big influences on me instead of Grease.
If you hadn’t been born in Baltimore would you be a filmmaker—and, hypothetically, how different would your films be if so?
Yes! I would have praised whatever the city I was born in’s faults. I would have exaggerated them and their inferiority complex. If I had been born in Paris or New York I wouldn’t have had that issue, but I still would have become a filmmaker. I was a puppeteer when I was 12, which didn’t have that much to do with Baltimore, and I was on the Howdy Doody show in New York when I was 10 or something, so I would have been in show business.
Which film are you most dying to do a restoration of next?
Either Desperate Living—because it’s probably the one people would least expect and is getting a whole new audience of young trans people who are for it—or Cecil B. Demented, which is one of my favorite later ones and I feel is under-appreciated.
Related*
John Waters gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame: “Closer to the gutter than ever!”
And he suggested a much-missed star who featured in many of his movies also deserved one.
Is Liarmouth still likely to happen?
I don’t know the answer. Regarding the money, everybody’s said “No,” so far. But Aubrey Plaza is who we want to star and, if it gets made, it’ll be her.
Would you like to direct a biopic and if so, who would it be about?
If I did a biopic, I’d have to go back to the people that people forget all the time. Who was that gay [adult film] star who claimed he invented verbal abuse? That really made me laugh that he was angry when anyone else did that. As if he had a copyright on it! There’s a biography of him out that’s really shocking.
What about an installment of a franchise?
Well, I could do another Hairspray. It feels like a franchise. I’ve written four sequels that didn’t get made. It became three different musicals. It’s already been a franchise. And my book Mr Know It All told the plot of all of the sequels.
Would you like to do a season of Feud?
I don’t like to celebrate anyone’s feud because it takes so much out of you to have a feud. I would never give anyone the power to say I hated them—it is a power. I don’t know. I’ll let Ryan Murphy come up with that one. But I was in the Joan Crawford versus Bette Davis season of Feud, I played William Castle and I met Jessica Lange dressed as Joan Crawford and I said, “God, I’m still scared of you from Frances!”
That was fun casting!
But William Castle was quite a big man, and I said I’m not big! They said, “That’s alright, you’ve talked about him so long you can play him!” He was fat, basically—you’re not allowed to say the “f-word” anymore, so he was ample, I guess, but his daughter told me I did a great job and that was the only review that I needed.
Is there a chance your Academy exhibition will tour other museums?
Probably not. It’s not a contemporary art show at all, I keep those worlds very separate, and there aren’t any other film museums in America, really. There’s nothing the art world hates more than somebody coming in from show-business. There has been talk but, as of now, there’s nothing definite and it would have to be real soon to be definite because it closes in August.
Do you like social media like TikTok and Instagram?
I don’t dislike it. Sometimes people show me stuff but I’m not on TikTok. I don’t really care what you had for lunch.
What’s something funny you saw on social media?
I think that Nina West music video of “Cha Cha Heels” was very good and clever. I give RuPaul great respect for making drag respected all over—it’s amazing what he’s done. Divine was the first drag queen who was hip in a way. All drag queens today on [RuPaul’s Drag Race,] there’s some Divine in them because they’re not square like drag queens used to be. They all have an edge.
Related*
John Waters on his unique friendship with Divine and the deep-seated “rage” that fueled her
“He was an overweight, kind of feminine nerd. And the rage he built up from being abused so much by the students and the teachers led to Divine.”
You’ve exposed some very niche sexual fetishes and terms to the world. Have you heard of gooning?
I haven’t, but do you know what a “strag” is? It’s a straight guy who only f*cks f*g hags. They’re needed! There are a lot and they do quite well in Provincetown.
Do you ever wish you were 21 today or are you relieved you’re not?
Neither. I’m happy where I am in my life. Thank god I’m not a Buddhist and it’s never over! I could be reincarnated and live the life of Marjorie Taylor Greene and not know it, which would be worse than any hell I was taught in Catholicism.
Do you ever feel you’re a barometer of how much society has changed? They used to do anything they could to censor you or stop your films from being seen and now you’re celebrated by the Criterion Collection and Academy Museum!
No, I’m more humble than that. I just keep going and read a million newspapers a day and remain interested in what young people are doing. That’s the only way you get through life and stay relevant.
What are your thoughts on AI?
I’m against it, but then I think if I could see a photo of Barron Trump and Greta Thunberg making out at a “Gays Against Guns” rally, I’d be all for it. Barron’s 18 now. I am obsessed with him because he’s 6’7” and no one knows [where he falls politically] but I guess he agrees with [his father]. I am obsessed with what’s going to happen to him. He hasn’t shown his hand. Yesterday was the first time I heard his voice even.
I don’t think his father likes that he’s taller than he is.
Probably not.
It’s not clear yet if Melania is more Eva Braun collaborator or Leni Reifenstahl opportunist.
I wouldn’t say either, because she’s not even that villainous to be exciting. I’m against all of them.
Is there any upside to a Trump win and the Christian theocracy that would follow? Some keep insisting it will lead to a liberal revolution and be awesome.
No. I already voted in the primary here. We have to vote. What I don’t get is people who say they’re undecided. How can you possibly be undecided? Even if you like Trump or are a right-wing lunatic, how can you be undecided? You must really be stupid to be undecided. You’re stupider than the crazy right -ing people! Undecided. You never make your enemy feel stupid but the undecided I don’t care, they are stupid.
What are you reading lately?
I’m reading [about] the life of Marilyn Chambers, and it’s quite good. Also the Candy Darling biography is really, really good.
That would be a good biopic!
But I’m not the one to direct it. I want Jayne County’s biopic!
What might people be surprised to learn that you enjoy? Do you listen to K-pop?
No, I don’t. I like water pics. I use them twice every night! [Laughs.] Who wants to give a gum job when you’re older?
Finally, who would you most love to have dinner with?
The only person who probably wouldn’t want to have dinner with me, Eminem. I’ve said that kind of thing for years and nobody’s reached out.
Related*
John Waters says gay people can’t do this one simple thing
Apparently he agrees with Oscar Wilde.
KyleMichelSullivan
He is a treasure, and amazingly sweet, in person.