Ménage Á Pop is a three times a week intimate discussion between two people and a piece of pop culture.
Ménage Á Pop exists to explore our intimate relationships with pop culture. So when fellow podcaster Heidi Bennett (VIBRANT VISIONARIES) brought up John Waters, Tim expected a life-altering ode to cult cinema. And while it definitely had its impact, her story reveals a different type of temperament in regards to nostalgia. So kitsch it into high gear as they share some deep thoughts on 1972's PINK FLAMINGOS.
Today’s guest HEIDI BENNETT hosts the weekly podcast VIBRANT VISIONARIES available on APPLE PODCASTs and GOOGLE PODCASTS. She is a Certified Professional Coach who assists creatives in achieving their dream projects at www.heidibennett.com.
POP NOTES
The film had its official premiere at the third annual Baltimore Film Festival in 1972.
Acquired by New Line Cinemas, the film did not have a traditional nation-wide release. Instead, it screened seven days a week as the “midnight movie in residence” at the Elgin Theater in Manhattan, New York. It’s nightly showtime was previously held by Alejandro Jodorowsky’s acid western EL TOPO (1970).
The film was produced on a final budget of $12,000. It filmed weekends in 1972, allowing writer/director John Waters the week to secure necessary props, locations and increments of funding. .
Waters never gained proper music rights for the film’s soundtrack of 50s and 60 hits. New Line Cinema subsequently licensed the majority of the soundtrack for both its late 80s VHS release and 25th Anniversary re-release ( April 11th, 1997). Due to legal issues, alternate selections replaced The Crest’s “Sixteen Candles” and an orchestral performance of Stravinsky’s “Rites Of Spring.”
The film’s central star, Divine, was first named as such by filmmaker John Waters.
Divine performed live theater with the THE COCKETTES, a San Francisco theater group whose past members include singer Tomata duPlenty (of THE SCREAMERS) and playwright Martin Worman (co-author of 1977’s CRIMES AGAINST NATURE).
John Waters authored a sequel entitled FLAMINGOS FOREVER set 15 years following the 1972 original. It was optioned by b-movie studio TROMA PICTURE but the deaths of Divine and fellow cast member Edith Massey, coupled with Water’s unease over the Troma editing facilities, led to the production’s cancellation. The script has since been printed in Waters’ 1996 screenplay anthology TRASH TRIO.
Tune back on Wednesday when Heidi hit and runs one of her favorite albums, LOS ANGELES BY X. .
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MUSIC FEATURED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:
“Three Ways To Do That” (opening theme) composed and performed by The Madeline Prior. All rights reserved with Not A Holograms podcasts.
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