The man, the myth, the makeup: Jeffrey Schwarz’s “I Am Divine” is a fond celebration of the late Harris Glenn Milstead, AKA the big and bawdy provocateur and muse to John Waters, “Divine.” Schwarz’s uniformly admiring interviewees testify that the “World’s Filthiest Person” was persona, through and through, and not the man himself, whose untimely death at forty-two, in 1988, cut a promising career short, just as he was beginning to be cast in roles as a man. Interviewees include Waters, Ricki Lake, Mink Stole, Holly Woodlawn, Bruce Vilanch, Michael Musto, Tab Hunter and, most endearingly, his late mother Frances. 85m. (Ray Pride)
Ray Pride is Newcity’s Senior Editor and Film Critic. He is a contributing editor of Filmmaker magazine.
Ray’s history of Chicago Ghost Signs is planned for publication next year. Previews of the project are on Twitter and on Instagram. More photography on Instagram.
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
Fine Line: A Review Of Shortcomings It's a season for the comeuppance of a curmudgeon in Randall Park's smart, biting "Shortcomings," adapted by Adrian Tomine from his graphic novel of the same name.
Spawn Sacrifice: A Review Of The Creator "The Creator" is richly detailed, punchy, pulpy, punkish entertainment that still has highly serious subjects in mind, without growing didactic and with substantial heart.
A Drag Getting Old: A Review Of Indiana Jones 5 In the protracted opening couple of reels, a very young, computer-crafted Harrison Ford plays a younger cultural marauder who first encounters the dull MacGuffin of the title.
Heart of Darkness: A Review of The Batman The three-hour film noir unfolds briskly, an intensive study in the pervasive interplay of power, money and corruption in what seems like perpetual rainy night.
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