Our monthly residency at CULTUREPLEX continues after Knife + Heart at Halloween we had to do a queer Christmas special and we chose Female Trouble as an anti Christmas anarchist classic!
“Crime is beauty” in this John Waters classic that features the iconic Christmas tree toppling scene. “Nice girls don’t wear cha cha heels” teenage delinquent Dawn Davenport (Divine) is told when she doesn’t get the shoes she wants for Christmas and so begins her descent into crime and debauchery.
This isn’t a Christmas film per se but it does include one of the best Christmas scenes this side of Meet Me In St Louis as Divine throws a Christmas tree on her mother, stamps on her presents like a brat and leaves the house to get high and hang out at the Lipstick Beauty Salon. The fascist owners of the beauty salon, recruit Dawn to prove “crime and beauty are the same” getting her to commit crimes by promising her fame, supplying her with drugs and photographing her crimes to stoke her vanity – a scheme befitting a film dedicated to the Manson Family.
Divine has never been so divine and the Pope of Filth John Waters, post Pink Flamingos has clearly honed his craft of poking societies buttons and celebrating the underbelly of America. This isn’t a Christmas film but it’s perfect to watch with the queer family.
Come, drink, be merry in the gorgeous surroundings of CULTUREPLEX at Christmas (have you seen their blow up Christmas tree?)...there'll be free mince pies and we might even let you throw a tree on Gary!
Make A Scene Film Club Christmas Special - Female Trouble screening 19:30 for 20:00 screening at Culturplex Friday 13th December.
