49 years after it was made, I finally watched John Waters’ Multiple Maniacs

Tonight was my first time to see John Waters’ 1970 film “Multiple Maniacs.” What a wild ride!

There was a long, bizarre (and pretty vile) scene that involved traditional prayers, summarized bible stories, and the stations of the cross...what amazed me was the accuracy. Often when film makers reference religion, they get a lot wrong. This was hardly devotional, but neither was it ignorant. Of course all of that happened during a pretty gross misuse of a rosary, so there’s that. Oh, the Infant of Prague gets a cameo as well. Why not?

Of course there was shocking violence (so JW), and drugs and lots of sex (so 1970), and random creativity (a lobster monster that just shows up and then just leaves - after doing terrible things), as well as mediocre performances (there are times when you can see people struggling to remember lines, and other times when dialogue is recited without rhythm or feeling like a public school student being forced to recite the preamble to the constitution in front of the class), but then in the midst of all that there is real potential and raw talent being expressed by Mink Stole and Divine.

In the end, after discovering that her beloved daughter (of whom she is super proud for dropping out of school, supporting herself as a sex worker, and dating a domestic terrorist) has been killed, Divine completely loses her shit (she was pretty well on her way before then), acts blindly out of her pain and rage, and is hunted by a system that values punishment over rehabilitation, healing, and restoration.

It was haunting and beautiful and chaotic and disturbing and nauseating and creepy and profound and political and even spiritual...all at once (or at least in quick turns). It’s the kind of thing that was probably better to see alone (As I did), late at night, without so much as a glass of wine. This one requires all senses to be at the ready, including revulsion.

I don’t know why it took me so long to watch it (I’m a John Waters fan and even had the joy of meeting him a couple of years ago), but I’m glad I finally did. A young Waters certainly wasn’t afraid to explore any idea and cross any number of boundaries in doing so.

MM is not humorless, but is far less comical than most of Waters’ films. And in several Divine flix, Divine gives us a wink as the large queen camping it up for laughs...but in Multi-Maniacs, Divine is real in an implausible way...She is simply the lead character, not a comic, but a “maniac.” The character is a woman who is played by a man...not schtick as much as just one more transgressive element in the picture. That may be the most genius part of it.

MM is a thinker. I like that, even if now I have post low-budg Indy horror-slasher flick insomnia. And I may never again be able to enjoy lobster. Don’t worry...I’ll pray through that one! Prayer works...I’m already craving a wood grilled lobster tail dipped in butter. Hmmmmmmm.

Black Panther: A Truly GREAT Film (and here's why)

Of course I LOVED Black Panther. 
We got to see the glory of what could be without the evils of colonialism. 
We got to see the struggle with understanding the difference between serving and saving a nation. 
We got to see the struggle with the tempations of isolationism (and the possible dangers of openness, but still, we are left with the supremacy of bridges over barriers). 
We got to see the mixture of tradition and inovation. 
We got to see the complicated dance of fighting oppression without emulating the oppressor. 
We got to see the difficulties of being a good leader while also being a good person, a person whose values inspires the leadership rather than being sacrificed in the name of leadership. 
And we got to see the pain caused by even well intentioned dishonesty. 

A high regard for science and technology was featured. 
An almost all Black cast, no white savior (though the importance of being an ally was featured), the beauty of shamanic religion, and super bad-assed women warriors were all part of the mix. 

The governing council was gender balanced and age diverse. 
And, the message that war should always be a last resort was unambiguous. 

We also saw the danger of having an unprepared, illegitimate ruler fueled by hate and anger assume power. 

To Queer eyes, there was even a moment for LGBTQ people...a child was left behind/sacrificed to protect a lie (how many children have been abused, rejected, psychologically tormented to protect the lie that heteronormativity is sacred and anything else is damnable?)..the pain that caused impacted him and others for years thereafter. 

The film was beautiful and sophisticated and the social, philosophical, theological, psychological, and political messages artistically communicated could fuel a graduate level academic project (and probably will). All of that with breath taking vistas and thrilling action (and a sweet love story). And miraculously, with all of that going on, it wasn't scattered; it wasn't too much. It remained coherent, focused. The film was entertaining and empowering at the same time. By almost every measure, it is a truly great film.

Please, Leave Behind "Left Behind"

Don't know how the Left Behind business got the funding for a major picture release with a real and for true film star, but I so hope that everyone knows that however much this may be improved from a cinematic standpoint over the original dreck, the fact remains that its bad science fiction based on superstitious understandings of ancient apocalyptic literature. The resistance literature meant to provide hope and catharsis to those oppressed by imperialism in antiquity was never meant as an oracle for 19th/20th/21st century Americans. The hope that the world of empire would be destroyed and replaced by a better and more equitable world was not meant as Halloween horror tales about futuristic (but still somehow immanent even though it never comes to pass) planetary destruction. I will not be paying a single cent to see the new release and I really hope parents don't torment their children by taking them to see the damaging threats of doom and destruction. Here endeth the rant.

Do Real Horror...Not Silly Left Behind Stuff...

It all started for me with Bewitched...following that was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood, Charmed, American Horror Story (Asylum), American Horror Story (Coven), and every incarnation of Dracula...and as disturbing as some might find my taste in entertainment to be, its still no where near as yucky or ridiculous as the Left Behind Series! If you're going to do dark and edgy, just do it; don't try to make it "religious" by wrapping it in a psuedo-literalistic reading of the ancient and highly metaphorical book of Revelation!!!

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Sometimes there is a simple, unexpected moment that proves to be magical, even sacred. The miracle of such a moment touched my life once again last night.


I have often called the multiplex cinema the secular cathedral of our time. The “congregation” gathers faithfully at the time of the film showing, and shares not only the experience of laughing, crying, and sometimes even applauding in response to the activity on the screen, but also shares a ritual feast (“communion”) of soda and popcorn as they sit reverently in the dark, allowing their minds and emotions to be engaged by the work of actors, directors, screenwriters, and other such “ministers.”

But Cathedrals offer not only corporate worship opportunities, but also moments of personal reflection. Side chapels, prayer gardens, and moments of centering before worship are also part of Cathedral life. Those moments of reflection can sometimes transport us to higher dimensions of peace, hope, and life.

Imagine my delight when I strayed into such a reflective space last night at a nearby “secular cathedral.”

I knew almost nothing about the film, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel; but I did know that it featured a cast of titans and any film that features both Judy Dench and Maggie Smith is sure to be almost life-changing!

The cast included:
Dame Judy Dench – 77 (TV: As Times Goes By; Film: Mrs Brown, Shakespeare in Love, Last of the Blonde Bombshells, Notes on a Scandal, Mrs Henderson Presents, Tea With a Mussolini, Chocolat, Nine, My Week With Marilyn, Ladies in Lavender, and James Bond movies)

Bill Nighy – 62 (Film: Pirates of the Caribbean movies as Davy Jones), Notes on a Scandal, Harry Potter films

Penelope Wilton – 66 (granddaughter of theatre owners; TV: Downton Abbey)

Dame Maggie Smith – 77 (TV: Downton Abbey, guest on Carol Burnett Show; Film: California Suite, Gosford Park, Sister Act, Harry Potter films, Ladies in Lavender, Tea With Mussolini, First Wives Club)

Tom Wilkinson – 64 (Film: Green Hornet, Wilde, Full Monty, Priest)

Dev Patel – 22 (Film: Slumdog Millionaire)

So, after a long and busy day, I went to the nearest cinema offering a late show of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

When I arrived at the theater, there weren’t many cars – not surprising for a rainy Thursday night at 10:30 pm. I happily walked in to discover no line, so I walked right up to the ticket booth, but my heart sank when I couldn’t find the name of the film on the board behind the teller. I asked her about it, and she said, “Oh, yeah, it’s showing tonight, but I’ve already taken the sign down.” I just made it to the last showing of the movie at that particular theater. Whew.

Next, there was my communion chalice of sacramental wine (aka a small paper cup filled with fountain soda) and then on to the show.

I walked in and was surprised to find the room completely empty. Previews were playing, but no one was there to watch them. I thought, “how kind of them to show this movie just for me!” And they did. No one else came into the movie for its entire duration. Fine! I get Judy and Maggie all to myself!

And that’s when the magic began. Dame Judy Dench and Dame Maggie Smith gave the brilliant performances we have come to expect from them. And they were joined by other great actors as well.

The story is about retirees in the UK responding to an ad for a retirement community in India. Affordable elegance for the elderly is what is promised, and the first residents of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful all arrive in India on the same flight from England, and all arrive at the hotel together. The ancient palace is almost in ruins, and it is managed by a very young man with very big dreams.

These first adventurous retirees are there for a variety of reasons:
Evelyn (Dench) is recently widowed and her late husband has left her in debt. She sells their flat to pay off their debts, moves to India to live in an affordable retirement hotel, and takes a job at a local company for income. She not only finds purpose in India, but also a second chance at love.

Douglas (Nighy) & Jean (Wilton) have reached retirement age, but have invested their life savings into a scheme of their daughter’s which hasn’t yet paid off. So, rather than living in a retirement home in England, they move to India to live in luxury on their pension. Douglas loves the adventure and falls in love with his new community and country (and more); Jean is disappointed that the promised luxury is not yet a reality and she does not adjust well to the new environment.

Muriel (Smith) is a former housekeeper and self-trained bookkeeper who moves to an assisted living facility after being let go by the family she has faithfully served for decades. She has racist tendencies and is generally misanthropic. When she breaks her hip, her care provider tells her that her surgery has been “outsourced” to a clinic in India that can give her excellent care at a fraction of the cost. While she is recovering, she can stay at the Marigold. During her recuperation, she makes friends and takes an interest in the hotel itself. When the hotel’s survival is threatened, it’s Muriel who actually devises a plan to save it.

Graham (Wilkinson) is a high court judge with a health condition and a life-long regret. The closure that will bring him peace is in India, and he finds that peace just in the nick of time.

Norman (played by Ronald Pickup - 77) sees himself as a lover, but he’s having a lot of difficulty finding someone with whom he can share his love. He tells a younger woman who rejects him at a speed dating event, “I’ve still got it; but nobody wants it.” For a change of pace he relocates to India, and continues his search for romance.

Madge (played by Celia Imrie - 59) has been married repeatedly and has looked for love between marriages as well. When she finds that her life is becoming an extended experience of babysitting her grandchildren, she decides to make a drastic change and moves to India in search of a rich widower.

Even Sonny (Patel), the young hotel manager learns that love is worth risk, that dreams can come true for those who will learn, seize opportunity, and be open to change, and that success is possible but usually requires help along the way.

Some of these late in life adventurers find what they are looking for, others find something else (and possibly better), and at least one finds very little other than a chance to return to a life in Europe. What those open to it discover is that it’s never too late to enjoy the present and navigate the future if one is willing to release the past and move forward. And for those who can find such courage, other wonderful discoveries can also be made.

Aging, class, adventure, discovery, human sexuality, romance, grief, regret, hope, health, and personal growth are among the topics addressed not in a preachy way, but in the unfolding of human lives and relationships depicted on the screen.

And that wonderful experience was something I got to have in the sacred dark, alone, or perhaps in communion with the wisdom of ages, the power of poetic insight, the limitlessness of imagination, and the life- giving energy produced by good art. I was on holy ground and emerged whole and full of joy as a result.

If you’ve not yet seen The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel yet, find it wherever it is and make seeing it a priority.

Streep May Be Best Film Actor of Our Time!

I beseech all deities and benevolent cosmic beings to secure an Oscar for Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady. Great film. And while my politics are very different from someone I used to refer to as Reagan in drag, the film showed a very sincere and human side of Lady Thatcher and I may be forced to refer to the former PM with only respect and even a little admiration from now on (even while still disa...greeing with many of her political views). Her political philosophy might not have been my cup of tea, but her leadership skill and courage are pretty undeniable. When an actor (Streep) can make you love a character that in real life you have not cared much for (Thatcher), an Oscar is definitely in order!!!