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liebo84's review
3.0
Uneven but overall enjoyable. The best portions were his reflections on his film career and the chapter on his summers in Provincetown. Other chapters felt like bad standup sets just riffing on stuff like how annoying air travel is. Not a huge Waters fan but I appreciate what he has contributed to film and thought this was a worthwhile read.
emannuelk's review
3.0
Eu sou dessas pessoas que acha decepcionante que em algum momento ali pela virada do milênio a ideia de "politicamente incorreto" foi apropriada pela direita. E que, mesmo com a ascensão do conservadorismo nos últimos anos, a esquerda não voltou a reclamar esse campo que é seu por direito. Pois a ideia de rebeldia, de ir contra o stablishment, é muito poderosa. John Waters vem de um tempo no qual o politicamente incorreto estava intrinsecamente associado às políticas progressivas. E ele traz essa posição para os dias de hoje. É só mostrar qualquer das obras de Waters para os protofascistas que acreditam em coaching e empreendedorismo para essa pessoa ter um choque com o que realmente é o politicamente incorreto. E não é só essa galera que ficaria chocada com as obras do diretor e escritor. Embora os religiosos e carolas provavelmente vomitariam na maior parte dos filmes ou capítulos imaginados por Waters, tem muito aqui que deixe desconfortável mesmo os progressistas pouco radicais de hoje em dia. A primeira parte do livro é uma atualização na autobiografia do artista, com capítulos voltados para seus últimos filmes. Mas isso ocupa apenas cerca de um terço do livro. Depois disso, passam a ser temáticos, com altos e baixos. O capítulo sobre música ou como até mesmo o mercado de arte feita por macacos é afetado pela misoginia são ótimos. O sobre comida, nem tanto. Alguns dos capítulos quase parecem contos. Mas o ponto forte é o espírito desafiador. Que une toda a estética de Waters em um ato político. Sim, o autor é ativista pelos direitos LGBTQIA+ há décadas, e a maior parte de seus filmes protagonizava pessoas trans já nos anos 1970, então não é uma surpresa. Mas é um lembrete do valor que o choque tem enquanto ação política. Muitas pessoas duvidam da capacidade política da arte de mudar o mundo real. Acho que é porque, para conseguir isso, a arte precisa ser audaciosa como a de John Waters.
chuckyinspace's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
willjacks's review against another edition
4.0
This is the book you read and you hope that in the future, a younger cousin or deadpan family member comes across its interesting title and wonders what lurks inside. Only to be shocked and horrified that it not only exists but its on my bookshelf.
I don't think there are any family members I would be comfortable to recommend it to, but the internet will suffice. It was so hilarious at times, and gratuitously gruesome in others, that it felt weirdly endearing and wholly genuine. Almost like Pink Flamingoes.
It makes me want to see his films I haven't viewed yet like Serial Mom and Cecil B. Demented.
Going from Oliver Stone's book to this was a real shock to the system, but a welcome one.
I don't think there are any family members I would be comfortable to recommend it to, but the internet will suffice. It was so hilarious at times, and gratuitously gruesome in others, that it felt weirdly endearing and wholly genuine. Almost like Pink Flamingoes.
It makes me want to see his films I haven't viewed yet like Serial Mom and Cecil B. Demented.
Going from Oliver Stone's book to this was a real shock to the system, but a welcome one.
mrkeynyones's review
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
John Water's has a very colorful life that is fun to live vicariously through in this book, he does tend to ramble though, particularly in the latter half of the book. Some of it is fun, others feel like padding.
spaceman5000's review
4.0
A fun if uneven collection of the musings of John Waters. The first third was pretty straightforward as each chapter told a breezy tale of one of his later movies. The rest was pretty much a collection of essays regarding many diverse (and I do mean diverse) topics. Most hit, some miss but all are entertaining. Well worth the read if you are a fan. Hell, if you're a fan you've probably already read it.....
carrieleaharris's review
2.0
Unpopular opinion, I know. This is a classic warning tale of entering giveaways for books you have absolutely no interest in reading. Initially i thought, " Hey, heres a guy I dont know from Adam, but what the hell... I'll get to know him through his book." And the first couple of chapters, I enjoyed. It was getting to know him a bit. And I liked the hairspray chapter, probably because it's actually a movie I've seen. (Yes, even the original) but after that I completley fell off the train and just couldnt hop back on. I got lost in all the melodrama of this movie pitch and that, and this actor or actress (which I didnt know any of them). So heres the thing. I like how real it is, but if you dont know Hollywood, if you aren't already a fan, this book probably isn't it for you.