This Filthy World and F@%k - A Documentary

I give you a documentary week two-fer. One filmed night of the delightfully self-indulgent John Waters lecture series This Filthy World and the achingly political F@%k: A Documentary. At their heart, these are both pieces about limits, taboos, self-expression, and independence. Both tackle subjects which shock and inspire.

Waters took to stages nationwide, discussing his youthful delinquency, homosexuality, landmark films, and the little nuggets of autobiography which help chart his unique talents and joys. Even for those yet to sample the work of this self-proclaimed "Filth Elder", the delight he takes in his ability to shock is endearing. Whether discussing his favorite heroine, Divine, or the glee with which he took to the absurdity of Waters' obsession with cult cinema (or crapping in a box for shooting the next day), Waters' emotional response to all who made him feel comfortable with himself and his work moves and grounds the piece. Reknowned for popularizing "bad-taste cinema", the almost stand-up style suits his brand of stories, story-telling, and the hysterical underpinnings of each.

On the other end of the spectrum is the slightly aging, F@%k. A traditional, political documentary, F%$k pits hyper-conservative "pro-censorship" figureheads against the supposedly avant-garde "free speech is inherently uncensorable" liberals (Hunter S. Thompson appears, so does Ron Jeremy).
I say traditional documentary because it delves into the history, syntax, and social ramifications of the most infamous word. Fortunately, the range and views of the cast keeps the train rolling. There is some porn, there is creative editing, there is a cartoon by Bill Plympton, and there is an obvious agenda - to shock or illuminate. Again, traditional documentary. It is a bit dated, but for an interesting view of an increasingly popular word, it holds its own.

Two Go's for the price of one review.