Saturday, February 24, 2007

Saturday Night at the Movies

Saturday Night at the Movies is my opportunity to chat about my favourite films. Fun, serious, noisy, violent, good or terrible - my tastes are most eclectic.

This week's choice is definitely a 'Saturday night movie'. A couple cartons of popcorn, a few beers and this is the movie you would shove onto the DVD player.......


Right up there with my All-Time Favourite Movies, Cry-Baby was Johnny Depp's (JD to his bloggerfans) first starring role. He was chosen by unorthodox film-maker John Waters to star alongside his regular actors Mink Stole, Troy Donohue, Ricki Lake and Traci Lords. Also in this fantastic rock and roll film is Iggy Pop, Susan Tyrell, Willem Dafoe and Polly Bergen.

Wade 'Cry Baby' Walker is the leader of a gang of Drapes in 50's small town America, with his sister Pepper (Ricki), and their friends Hatchet Face, Milton and Wanda. Baldwin is the defacto leader of the Squares (mainly his singing group The Whiffles), but his girlfriend Allison is bored of being a Square and dreams of being with Cry Baby. Allison gets the chance when Cry Baby sweeps her off her feet to a Drape night out, but heartbreak ensues when the police swoop and arrest the Drapes. Allison is let off because her grandmother (Polly Bergen) is 'a good and beautiful woman' [chuckle] but Cry Baby goes to juvenile detention.

Allison has to choose between sneaky Baldwin (an extremely cute Stephen Mailer) and the juvenile jailbird Cry Baby.

Sit back, put this on the DVD player. Enjoy the unusual take on Romeo and Juliet, the performances and the fabulous soundtrack....

Ah, an excellent opportunity for another photo of JD....


'Just one single salty tear is all they'll suck out of this Cry Baby'

In answer to Carli, this is not hardcore Waters. And yes, Patty Hearst was in this movie, playing Wanda (Traci Lords) Woodward's mother.

cq

14 comments:

Jennifer said...

I've never seen that one. I like him in Pirates, but otherwise am not a big fan...call me strange ;) Your movie night sounds wonderful, though...I have a wedding reception to go to...I would rather have my teeth pulled...enjoy yourself!
Michele sent me! :)

Carli N. Wendell said...

Not a huge John Waters fan.
Doesn't Patty Hearst have a small role in this film?

Enjoy.

Shephard said...

We loved this movie! Hilarious! (esp. Hatchet-Face, lol). And the music (we have the soundtrack).
Did you know it's being made into a Broadway Musical (by the same duo who did Hairspray on Broadway)?

I hadn't thought of this movie in a while. Thanks for the reminder.
Michele says hello!
~S

Bobkat said...

Quelle surprise! It's just an excuse to look at pictures of JD isn't it? :-)

The best evenings are often spent with a favourite film, a bottle of wine (in my cae anyway) adn some choccies!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Is this when you fell in love with JD? He sure was cute back then...Well, that hasn't changed, has it?

You haven't been by The Hill lately...hope everything is okay, my dear.

Unknown said...

I love Jon Waters, anything by him is guaranteed to be funny. But Cry Baby is one of my favorites because of the gorgeous visage of JD. He's just a baby in this, but god, he is so beautiful!

Here via michele today.

utenzi said...

I saw that movie when it came out, CQ. I think I was fresh out of college at that point. I didn't see it for Depp--more likely I saw it for Lords who had quite the rep after that bombshell she made a few years before about being underage. I remember early Depp more for that FOX show he was on, 21 Jumpstreet, I think it was called.

Michele sent me over!

Jean-Luc Picard said...

Haven't heard of this one!

Michele sent me here.

rashbre said...

Great choice for Saturday viewing. It was difficult to get this film on DVD in the UK for ages, but I've seen it around recently, so I wonder if they re-released it?

I shall also dig it out to watch again!

best!

rashbre

Unknown said...

Hey CQ,

JD is fine, I mean he's just got form ;)

Thanks BTW ;)

O

Walker said...

Its been awhile since i saw that mivie but last night which was Saturday I did watch another JD movie, Pirates of the Caribbean P2 Dead Mans Chest which was a fun movie.

rashbre said...

cq thanks for dropping by. Re your Region 2 comment, my version was also Region 1. I did that thing where you press all the buttons on the DVD player to make it friendly.

chosha said...

One of the few Depp movies I haven't seen.

I must remedy this.

Andi said...

I vaguely remember that movie. I know that I enjoyed it.