Pecker
I was introduced to the John Waters experience back in college. I was attending a journalism conference at U.S.C. over the weekend, and the midnight show at the campus theater was “Female Trouble,” “Pink Flamingos” and some old Army venereal disease training films.
Who could resist? I had heard a lot about “Pink Flamingos,” but until the advent of videotape, it never made it to my neck of the woods (a mere 55 miles outside Los Angeles). I managed to coerce several other students to accompany me. They still don’t talk to me this day. I guess they just don’t get John Waters. Or maybe John Waters had gotten to them. I mean, you have to have a cast iron constitution and a sick sense of humor to fully appreciate the decadence of “Pink Flamingos.” “Female Trouble” was a little more mainstream. I liked the VD films too.
How campy. I’ve been a fan of John Waters ever since. I still have my scratch and sniff cards from “Polyester.” I have every one of his films in my video library. Was I the only critic who liked “Cry Baby“? Or “Serial Mom“? Am I the only person who almost wet himself when mom-turned-serial killer Kathleen Turner picked up that phone and made an obscene phone call to her demure neighbor? Or when Turner killed Patty Hearst (yes, Patty Hearst) for wearing white after Labor Day? I mean, she was wearing white after Labor Day!
Who else but Waters would give former teen porn queen Tracy Lords a role where the only orifice she had to open was her mouth? Waters is a product of Baltimore, and that’s where all of his films take place. You might say Waters is Baltimore’s official native son, or the devious stepchild who likes to create mischief. Even at their most raw, you can’t deny that Waters’ films aren’t watch-able. During one Halloween party I played “Pink Flamingos” in the bedroom. The place was packed, and then about twenty minutes into the video the room was empty.
Thirty or so people couldn’t handle it. Or so that’s what I thought. As the party was rolling to a close, I started to make a sweep of the house, and found about twenty people in the bedroom watching a video. It was “Pink Flamingos!” It seemed during the course of the evening the first thirty talked about the film and everyone else had to see for themselves. Of course it also helped that these late nighters had enough alcohol in them to service a fraternity. Waters has that affect on you. His latest film, “Pecker,” is also his most accessible.
It’s pure Waters, but it comes in a more user friendly package. When I first heard that Waters was making a film called “Pecker,” you know what popped in to my mind. I thought, only Waters could or would be audacious enough to make a film called “Pecker.” True to his word, “Pecker” arrived in late 1998 to little fanfare. Even though it has a higher-profile cast than most Waters films, it still failed to cross over to the mainstream. Too bad, because America missed a wonderful little morality comedy about small town versus big city outlooks.
Edward Furlong is excellent as Pecker, a Baltimore teenager who works in a sandwich shops when he’s not busy capturing the world on his 35mm camera. Pecker has a sometime girlfriend named Shelley (Christina Ricci, always a delight), who works at the local Laundromat. He got his nickname as a kid when he would peck at his food. Yeah, right Mr. Waters. Anyway, Pecker decides to have a show of his photographs, and attracts the attention of a New York art dealer (Lili Taylor). Before he can say Kodak, Pecker is the flavor of the month within the New York art circle. Of course the attention begins to affect Pecker, who begins to lose the trust of his friends. Instead of getting lost in the make-believe world of the New York chic, Pecker decides to turn the tables on his patrons. Just how he accomplishes this task is left to those willing to pick up this delightful comedy.
I loved “Pecker,” especially Waters’ ability to flesh out the cast with familiar and interesting actors. Pecker lives at home with his mom (Mary Kay Place), the owner of a thrift shop who doesn’t mind giving away the goods; his dad Jimmy (Mark Joy), the owner of a failed bar; his older sister Tina (Martha Plimpton), who delights in working in a gay male strip club; his younger sister Little Crissy (Lauren Huilsey), whose sugar addiction leads to her being placed on downers; and his grandmother (Jean Schertler), who sells hot sandwiches from the front yard and talks to her statue of the Virgin Mary. It’s one weird, dysfunctional family, but at least they love each other, and stand by each other through good times and bad.
A lot of Waters films deal with the sanctity of family, even if it’s a bit skewered. There isn’t a bad performance in the bunch. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea (or tea-bagging for that matter), “Pecker” is a lot of fun for those who like their comedy off the beaten path.
COMPLETE CHECK-UP
VISION: [ X ] 20/20 [ ] Good [ ] Cataracts [ ] Blind
Maybe it’s Baltimore. Maybe it’s John Waters. Whatever, every Waters film has a unique look, a style all its own, and that style has been masterfully transferred on DVD. Presented in the film’s original 1.85:1 widescreen ratio (enhanced at 16:9 for widescreen televisions), the digital transfer takes advantage of a pristine original negative to deliver a stunning, compression artifact free image. Nice attention to detail and depth of field, plus warm, muted colors with excellent saturation. The flesh tones are warm and natural, while the blacks seem impenetrable. Clean whites and distinctive shadows add up to an impressive and sharp picture.
HEARING: [ X ] Excellent [ ] Minor Hearing Loss [ ] Needs Hearing Aid [ ] Deaf
Playful 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround track isn’t definitive by any means, but more than gets the job done. Every John Waters score features an eclectic blend of catchy tunes and musical score (Stewart Copeland here), and each and every note comes through with assured clarity. The stereo surround effects are limited but impressive, while the spatial split is okay but not overwhelming. Overall, the sound is clean and crisp with no noticeable hiss or distortion. The basses are tame, but the middle and high ends are vibrant and alive. The dialogue mix is strong and center. You can choose from either a 5.1 Surround or Stereo Surround track, and except for a minute difference, there wasn’t much to distinguish the two.
ORAL: [ ] Excellent [ X ] Good [ ] Poor
Subtitles in English.
COORDINATION: [ X ] Excellent [ ] Good [ ] Clumsy [ ] Weak
For a standard issue DVD, “Pecker” arrives with some nifty extras. Who better to explain a John Waters movie than Waters himself, who delights with his every word and quip in an animated director’s commentary. You don’t have to hang on his every word but you’ll want to because Waters is the ultimate party guest. He shows up with lots of great stories and observations about life and his work, and he loves to share. There’s also a “Snapshot Gallery” with an on-camera interview with photographer Chuck Shaccochis, who shot Pecker’s photos in the film. So you have the director explaining the meaning of life behind the film, and the actual photographer discussing his motivations and observations. What more could you want? Well, there’s the usual array of cast and crew bios and filmographies, plus the original theatrical trailer. All this delivered in a fine-tuned widescreen presentation.
PROGNOSIS: [ X ] Excellent [ ] Fit [ ] Will Live [ ] Resuscitate [ ] Terminal
Smile and say “Cheese!” A big grin of a movie from cheek to cheek.
VITALS: $24.99/Rated R/86 Minutes/Color/20 Chapter Stops/Snapcase/#N4731
ATTENDING RESIDENT: John Larsen
PATIENT: PECKER
BIRTH DATE: 1998
HMO: New Line Home Video
