On the 17th March 1972, ticket holders attending the Annual Baltimore Film Festival became the first people to ever bear witness to one of the move depraved and disgusting movies ever put to film - and that film was John Water's Pink Flamingos. So here, enjoy a bunch of wee facts that will hopefully give you some insight into just what an absolute oddball odyssey Pink Flamingos was to create.
- The film cost Waters $10,000 to create, which still wasn't enough to fully realise his vision, leading to some "creative" choices to be made in order to limit spending. The film's entire soundtrack was used without obtaining the rights to use it, and wouldn't be obtained until the film's 25th anniversary, and David Lochary resorted to colouring his hair with Magic Markers. Amazingly of all though, the production designer Vincent Peranio has stated that once the art department's $200 budget was depleted they resorted to stealing whatever additional supplies they needed
- On the subject of criminal behaviour, Divine was arrested for theft during the filming of Flamingos, claiming to the police that in her defence she was currently playing a criminal, and was simply method acting. The defence was not a success.
- Divine, as you can imagine, was the subject of most of the film's most outrageous behind-the-scenes anecdotes. There's of course the infamous dog shit scene at the film's climactic end, but what you may not know is the turd in the box earlier in the film is actually Divine's - she'd squeezed it out into the box unbeknown to her co-stars the previous night, intending to get a more authentic reaction of disgust from them.
- Speaking of the dog shit scene, Divine stated that following the shooting of the scene she used a toothbrush of somebody she didn't like to clean her teeth, and after fearing any side-effects of eating dog muck, rung the local hospital claiming to be a "concerned mother" who's child had eaten dog shit to find out if there was any cause for alarm. The dog was allegedly fed a diet of steak for three days straight prior to the shitting.
- While the dog became a movie star with little to no repercussion, the same cannot be said for an unfortunate chicken featured in one of the film's more controversial sex scenes. Waters has stated although he'd never film something like it now, he has no regret over his decision to shoot it for Flamingos, arguing that the chicken had been bought from a farm where it was destined to be killed that day, and in his opinion it had a better end to its life as it "got to be in a movie, got fucked...", and following the wrapping up of the scene, the cast cooked and ate it, too.
- There is actually one single scene Waters says he regrets filming, and that is of the blowjob scene between Divine and her son Crackers. Waters has stated the filming of the scene made him feel very awkward, as both actors were good friends in real life.
- Waters has also made it his duty to keep the identity of the "singing asshole" a secret after the actor requested he remain un-credited, understandably too, given the nature of his role.
- The "chick with a dick" actress Elizabeth Coffey had her penis for just one week following the filming of her scene, having finished her hormone therapy. She would then make a penis-less appearance in Water's next film, Female Trouble.
- As with anything that's a bit out there, many have claimed that Waters must have been high when he made Pink Flamingos - this is grossly incorrect Waters has claimed, as he has stated multiple times that although he was high when writing the film, he was not when it came to filming. At Divine's birthday party however, the cast are all inhaling amyl nitrate.
- There were plans to create a sequel named Flamingos Forever, set 15 years after the events of the first film, and would feature Divine's 8-year-old transvestite grandson, and relatives of Connie as the new antagonists. Troma Films had even offered to fund the film, however with the death of Divine and Edith Massey all plans for the sequel were shelved.
- The film was banned in Switzerland, Australia, and in some parts of Norway and Canada. The UK release also featured some heavy cuts, however it has since been released in full, in all its disgusting glory.
- Due to the nature of its shocking and filthy content, some cinemas began distributing "Pink Phlegm-ingo Barf Bags" for patrons of weak stomachs.
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