Review: 'Pink Flamingos' from Criterion is the Filthiest Blu-ray Alive

You ever think about how mortified people were to see Divine eat freshly-excreted dog poop on the big screen? Hell, that's just one of the many shocking moments in John Waters' 1972 underground masterpiece "Pink Flamingos." Even though that moment is the perfect ending to an entire film filled with grotesque, gross-out moments, it makes one fondly reflect on a time when movies felt so dangerous that it doesn't just feel wrong to watch it, it also coats you in filth that feels as radical as it does dirty.

The Criterion Collection brings John Waters' 1972 trash classic "Pink Flamingos" to Blu-ray with a brand-new 4K restoration of the 16mm Ektachrome positive stored in Waters' attic for the past five decades. The positive is also the same source that Waters used to hot-splice and edit the movie. I expected some thick film grain inherent to the 16mm source and some instability just because of the equipment used at the time, but this new transfer really impresses with every frame. The restoration is true to the source, with those hard cuts and sharp music cues intact. We had to wait years for the film to get this treatment, but luckily the end result is about as stellar as possible.

"Pink Flamingos" follows the travails of Divine (a.k.a. Babs Johnson), who lives in a trailer park with her hippie son, Crackers (Danny Mills), and her 250-pound, egg-obsessed mother Edie (Edith Massey). It's Divine's intention to become "The Filthiest Person Alive," and when she does, a sleazy couple of con artists and murderers – Raymond (David Lochary) and Connie Marble (Mink Stole) – set out to steal her title. The result is a battle of the filthiest people alive.

Although "Pink Flamingos" is frequently brought up as John Waters' premium slice of sleaze, what struck me on this re-watch is just how infectious the cast is all together. These are people playing out absolute nastiness with a sort of perturbed grace that pervades them all. Even when disgusting acts are being performed onscreen, it's euphoric because you care for these misfits. To many (at least to me), they're heroes.

As for special features, the feature-length 1998 documentary "Divine Trash" about Waters and the making of "Pink Flamingos" is included, which should be more than enough to win you over. Although it's standard talking-heads fare, you're hearing stories about the production straight from the source. There's a terrific new 30-minute discussion between Jim Jarmusch and Waters included as well. "Pink Flamingos" on Blu-ray should have you running for the hills (and to pick it up immediately).

Other special features include:

� Two audio commentaries featuring Waters, from the 1997 Criterion laserdisc and the 2001 DVD release
� Tour of the film's Baltimore locations, led by Waters
� Deleted scenes and alternate takes
� Trailer
� English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
� Plus: An essay by critic Howard Hampton and a piece by actor and author Cookie Mueller about the making of the film, from her 1990 book "Walking Through Clear Water in a Pool Painted Black"

"Pink Flamingos" is now on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection.