130 - I Am Divine

    A documentary about Divine, an actor who utilized a transvestite persona and worked with John Waters quite a bit.
    I’ve never been a big fan of Divine.  I’ve heard two of the songs she’s recorded.  I’ve seen Desperate Living, Hairspray… I like John Waters though, and I think he fills a unique niche in movies.  But this movie gave me a better appreciation for the man behind Divine, for John Waters, and for the bizarre movies they made together.
    The movies were made around 1965-1970, and they were cheap, mostly no-budget movies.  Strange stories, outlandish behavior.  But it’s easier to appreciate them when you see some of the behind-the-scenes pictures of John Waters handling what looks like a Super-8 camera, shooting guerrilla-style on the street.
    The background for Divine is fascinating, and he comes across remarkably well.  He was gay, but it’s hard to say how aware of it he was.  He discovered drag balls as a way of getting attention, and it went from there.  His interest in getting attention seems to be his motivating force, but he doesn’t seem willing to step on other people to accomplish it.  He wants to outshine his competition.