mdblist.com logo The Best John Waters Movies. Go to The Best Shows


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poster
Apple TV
82
7.3
/6029/
74
/325/
67
/114/
3.9
/33897/
98
/135/
79
/18/
87
/31/
cc age 15+

The Velvet Underground (2021)
Experience the iconic rock band's legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.
poster
Kanopy
80
7.4
/1895/
71
/122/
64
/25/
3.6
/4797/
94
/101/
98
/25/
81
/19/

Little Richard: I Am Everything (2023)
The story of the black, gay origins of rock n' roll. It explodes the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator – the originator – Richard Penniman. Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings us into Richard's complicated inner world, the film unspools the icon's life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions.
poster
78
6.7
/144276/
70
/4004/
67
/2563/
3.5
/351677/
92
/216/
84
/63404/
81
/37/
cc age 11+

Hairspray (2007)
Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad auditions to be on Baltimore's most popular dance show - The Corny Collins Show - and lands a prime spot. Through her newfound fame, she becomes determined to help her friends and end the racial segregation that has been a staple of the show.
poster
77
7.3
/435/
70
/23/
78
/9/
3.6
/3376/
100
/21/
74
/6/

Scala!!! (2024)
This feature-length big screen documentary tells the riotous inside story of the infamous sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll repertory cinema which inspired a generation during Britain's turbulent Thatcher years.
poster
76
7.0
/24882/
70
/716/
68
/432/
3.6
/62853/
98
/47/
79
/4091/
77
/14/
cc age 14+

Hairspray (1988)
'Pleasantly plump' teenager Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show. Now a teen hero, she starts using her fame to speak out for the causes she believes in, most of all integration. In doing so, she earns the wrath of the show's former star, Amber Von Tussle, as well as Amber's manipulative, pro-segregation parents. The rivalry comes to a head as Amber and Tracy vie for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963.
poster
Amazon Prime Video
76
7.5
/3646/
75
/128/
72
/57/
3.5
/2680/
89
/38/
96
/30/
60
/13/

Tab Hunter Confidential (2015)
Throughout the 1950s, Tab Hunter reigned as Hollywood’s ultimate male heartthrob. But throughout his years of stardom, Tab had a secret. Tab Hunter was gay, and spent his Hollywood years in a precarious closet that repeatedly threatened to implode and destroy him. Tab Hunter himself shares first hand, for the first time, what it was like to be a studio manufactured movie star during the Golden Age of Hollywood and the consequences of being someone totally different from his studio manufactured image.
poster
MGM Plus
75
6.9
/23159/
68
/509/
66
/373/
3.8
/43509/
92
/49/
69
/254/
73
/14/

Something Wild (1986)
A free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-con husband shows up.
poster
75
7.4
/28932/
73
/816/
71
/364/
3.6
/14324/
84
/115/
81
/2249/
75
/33/
cc age 17+

This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)
Kirby Dick's provocative documentary investigates the secretive and inconsistent process by which the Motion Picture Association of America rates films, revealing the organization's underhanded efforts to control culture. Dick questions whether certain studios get preferential treatment and exposes the discrepancies in how the MPAA views sex and violence.
poster
Amazon Prime Video
74
7.2
/37902/
69
/502/
67
/532/
3.6
/19497/
77
/60/
81
/510/
70
/33/

Sweet and Lowdown (1999)
In the 1930s, jazz guitarist Emmet Ray idolizes Django Reinhardt, faces gangsters and falls in love with a mute woman.
poster
Kanopy
73
7.1
/865/
72
/34/
71
/14/
3.6
/1541/
82
/45/
73
/24/
70
/13/

Blank City (2011)
In the years before Ronald Reagan took office, Manhattan was in ruins. But true art has never come from comfort, and it was precisely those dire circumstances that inspired artists like Jim Jarmusch, Lizzy Borden, and Amos Poe to produce some of their best works. Taking their cues from punk rock and new wave music, these young maverick filmmakers confronted viewers with a stark reality that stood in powerful contrast to the escapist product being churned out by Hollywood.
poster
Kanopy
70
6.9
/1718/
66
/91/
69
/26/
3.4
/13183/
84
/74/
58
/4/
62
/18/

Lynch/Oz (2023)
Victor Fleming’s 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is one of David Lynch’s most enduring obsessions. This documentary goes over the rainbow to explore this Technicolor through-line in Lynch’s work.
poster
HBO Max Amazon Channel
69
6.8
/1144/
69
/63/
61
/23/
3.3
/1870/
74
/38/
67
/4/
65
/11/

Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn (2019)
Legendary and controversial attorney Roy Cohn was a power broker in the rough and tumble world of New York City business and politics. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy’s top counsel during investigations into Communist activities in the 1950s, Cohn is also known for being Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, fixer and mentor.
poster
Kanopy
77
69
7.5
/3241/
73
/108/
73
/91/
3.7
/8055/
96
/53/
83
/63/
70
/13/

I Am Divine (2014)
Harris Glenn Milstead, aka Divine (1945-1988) was the ultimate outsider turned underground hero. Spitting in the face of the status quos of body image, gender identity, sexuality, and preconceived notions of beauty, Divine succeeded in becoming an internationally recognized icon, recording artist, and character actor of stage and screen. Glenn went from the often-mocked, schoolyard fat kid to underdog royalty, standing up for millions of gay men and women, drag queens and punk rockers, and countless other socially ostracized misfits and freaks. With a completely committed in-your-face style, he blurred the line between performer and personality, and revolutionized pop culture.
poster
Hoopla
69
7.0
/82490/
69
/3057/
65
/1210/
3.5
/120186/
66
/101/
80
/16926/
66
/23/
cc age 17+

Jackass Number Two (2006)
Jackass Number Two is a compilation of various stunts, pranks and skits, and essentially has no plot. Chris Pontius, Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Bam Margera, and the whole crew return to the screen to raise the stakes higher than ever before.
poster
Kanopy
68
6.6
/568/
63
/16/
58
/19/
3.4
/583/
100
/12/
50
/3/
69
/6/

The Sarnos: A Life in Dirty Movies (2013)
A love story about the legendary sexploitation director Joe Sarno and his loyal wife and business partner Peggy. The film relates their part in the history of sex film, their lives between New York and Sweden, and their struggle to produce one last erotic film.
poster
68
6.7
/7205/
64
/290/
64
/141/
3.3
/3699/
83
/120/
67
/347/
64
/38/

Inside Deep Throat (2005)
In 1972, a seemingly typical shoestring budget pornographic film was made in a Florida hotel: "Deep Throat," starring Linda Lovelace. This film would surpass the wildest expectation of everyone involved to become one of the most successful independent films of all time. It caught the public imagination which met the spirit of the times, even as the self-appointed guardians of public morality struggled to suppress it, and created, for a brief moment, a possible future where sexuality in film had a bold artistic potential. This film covers the story of the making of this controversial film, its stunning success, its hysterical opposition along with its dark side of mob influence and allegations of the on set mistreatment of the film's star.
poster
66
6.8
/37257/
71
/1210/
67
/739/
3.8
/92597/
63
/56/
72
/1360/
64
/24/
cc age 18+

Serial Mom (1994)
Beverly is the perfect happy homemaker, along with her doting husband and two children, but this nuclear family just might explode when her fascination with serial killers collides with her ever-so-proper code of ethics.
poster
Hoopla
65
6.1
/26404/
62
/1001/
62
/584/
3.2
/37049/
85
/26/
60
/331/

Excision (2012)
An outcast teenager, Pauline, practices surgical skills and harbors increasingly violent psychosexual fantasies.
poster
Kanopy
78
64
7.6
/1777/
74
/77/
76
/43/
3.9
/2887/
92
/24/
85
/144/
68
/6/

This Filthy World (2006)
In this filmed version of cult film director John Waters' popular one-man show, the Pink Flamingos and A Dirty Shame director takes the stage to discuss everything from his early influences, fondest career memories, and notorious struggles against the MPAA rating system. Part endearing memoir and part hilarious lecture, This Filthy World touches on everything from the insanity of contemporary pop culture to the director's unforgettable early collaborations with inimitable Pink Flamingos star Divine.
poster
76
60
7.6
/1784/
74
/98/
73
/71/
3.7
/1894/
75
/12/
85
/48/

These Amazing Shadows (2011)
Tells the history and importance of The National Film Registry, a roll call of American cinema treasures that reflects the diversity of film, and indeed the American experience itself.
poster
60
6.3
/17764/
67
/327/
63
/287/
3.9
/39920/
53
/81/
67
/561/
57
/32/

Cecil B. Demented (2000)
A young lunatic director and his devoted cult of cinema terrorists kidnap a Hollywood movie goddess and force her to star in their radical underground movie.
poster
Starz
73
56
7.3
/1723/
66
/24/
63
/88/
3.6
/1796/
90
/10/
78
/88/

Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream (2006)
From 1970-1977, six low budget films shown at midnight transformed the way we make and watch films.
poster
55
53
5.5
/5516/
60
/318/
54
/142/
2.9
/14198/
70
/10/
42
/41/
49
/4/

Suburban Gothic (2014)
An awkward, unemployed man who can talk to the dead teams up with a rebellious bartender to find the vengeful ghost that's been terrorizing their town.
poster
77
51
7.7
/1234/
77
/17/
71
/36/
3.7
/1674/
80
/5/
85
/29/

Divine Trash (2000)
The life and times of Baltimore film maker and midnight movie pioneer, John Waters.
poster
72
51
7.1
/1284/
74
/47/
64
/30/
3.5
/1342/
88
/17/
76
/35/
63
/12/

William S. Burroughs: A Man Within (2010)
A riveting and emotional journey into the world of writer William S. Burroughs, a man considered as cold as an iceberg on a winter night.
poster
48
4.9
/53656/
55
/2540/
55
/1713/
2.6
/126455/
36
/80/
43
/3531/
46
/17/

Seed of Chucky (2004)
This time around, Chucky and his homicidal honey, Tiffany, are brought back to life by their orphan offspring, Glen. Then the horror goes Hollywood as Chucky unleashes his own brand of murderous mayhem!
poster
47
4.9
/25150/
67
/4514/
60
/1721/
2.1
/91462/
16
/67/
51
/490/
33
/21/
cc age 6+

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip (2015)
Through a series of misunderstandings, Alvin, Simon and Theodore come to believe that Dave is going to propose to his new girlfriend in New York City - and dump them. They have three days to get to him and stop the proposal.
poster
Amazon Prime Video
66
45
6.7
/981/
64
/92/
65
/46/
3.4
/4322/
74
/27/
75
/9/
50
/5/

Living with Chucky (2022)
A filmmaker who grew up alongside Chucky the killer doll seeks out the other families surrounding the Child's Play films as they recount their experiences working on the ongoing franchise and what it means to be a part of the, "Chucky" family.
poster
Kanopy
81
44
7.6
/732/
75
/8/
78
/15/
3.5
/799/
100
/6/
89
/34/

Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007)
Chronicles the last great American showman, filmmaker William Castle, a master of ballyhoo who became a brand name in movie horror with his outrageous audience participation gimmicks.
poster
76
43
7.3
/715/
76
/16/
65
/9/
3.5
/373/
96
/52/
86
/38/
72
/8/

Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea (2006)
The Salton Sea: An inland ocean of massive fish kills, rotting resorts, and 120 degree nights located just minutes from urban Southern California. This film details the rise and fall of the Salton Sea, from its heyday as the "California Riviera" where boaters and Beach Boys mingled in paradise to its present state of decaying, forgotten ecological disaster.
poster
Fandor
76
41
7.4
/655/
74
/13/
65
/17/
3.5
/687/
91
/44/
85
/17/
77
/22/

The Cockettes (2002)
Documentary about the gender-bending San Francisco performance group who became a pop culture phenomenon in the early 1970s.
poster
Kanopy
69
41
7.3
/928/
71
/37/
56
/16/
3.4
/1469/
75
/12/
76
/16/
69
/7/

Beautiful Darling (2010)
James Rasin's documentary “Beautiful Darling” honors American Transgender actress and best-known Warhol Superstar, Candy Darling, and her all-too-brief life and career, with a combination of current and vintage interview material, rarely seen archival photos and footage, and extracts from Darling's movies.
poster
42
35
5.4
/2973/
60
/161/
49
/66/
2.7
/1608/
24
/34/
23
/108/
35
/14/
cc age 14+

Mansome (2012)
From America's greatest beardsman, to Morgan Spurlock's own mustache, Executive Producers Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Ben Silverman bring us a hilarious look at men's identity in the 21st century. Models, actors, experts and comedians weigh in on what it is to be a man in a world where the definition of masculinity has become as diverse as a hipster's facial hair in Williamsburg. The hilarious follicles of men's idiosyncratic grooming habits are thoroughly combed over as men finally take a long hard look in the mirror.
poster
76
34
7.4
/194/
74
/5/
66
/8/
85
/20/
86
/10/
72
/11/

Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis (2007)
In this entrancing documentary on performance artist, photographer and underground filmmaker Jack Smith, photographs and rare clips of Smith's performances and films punctuate interviews with artists, critics, friends and foes to create an engaging portrait of the artist. Widely known for his banned queer erotica film Flaming Creatures, Smith was an innovator and firebrand who influenced artists such as Andy Warhol and John Waters.
poster
72
34
7.2
/336/
64
/11/
70
/9/
3.5
/462/
89
/18/
76
/17/
67
/10/

It Came from Kuchar (2009)
It Came from Kuchar is the definitive, feature documentary about the legendary, underground filmmaking twins, the Kuchar brothers. George and Mike Kuchar have inspired two generations of filmmakers, actors, musicians, and artists with their zany, "no budget" films and with their uniquely enchanting spirits.
poster
70
34
7.0
/437/
73
/14/
62
/13/
93
/14/
60
/7/
64
/8/

That Man: Peter Berlin (2006)
He slept with Sal Mineo, was photographed by Andy Warhol, and he was lusted after by millions of men around the world. Model, photographer, filmmaker, clothing designer, and porn icon Peter Berlin is his own greatest creation. Berlin is front and center in this bio documentary from director Jim Tushinski, and featuring interviews with director John Waters, novelist Armistead Maupin, 70s porn director Wakefield Poole and more, all with Berlin as the subject. This intimate film reveals the legendary man with the white saran wrapped pants, undersized leather vests, and Dutch-boy haircut
poster
60
31
6.1
/1203/
60
/183/
54
/103/
3.3
/236/
63
/20/

Thinking XXX (2004)
For a book project, photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders took photographs of 30 stars of adult movies, each pair of photographs in the same pose, clothed and nude. This film records the photo shoots and includes interviews with the performers and commentary from eight writers (and John Waters). The actors and writers discuss economics, nudity and exhibitionism, careers, and private lives.
poster
Kanopy
76
30
7.1
/178/
65
/9/
3.5
/414/
100
/7/
78
/12/

Jingle Bell Rocks! (2013)
In JINGLE BELL ROCKS!, director Mitchell Kezin delves into the minds of some of the world’s most legendary Christmas music fanatics and hits the road to hang with his holiday heroes – including hip hop legend Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons of RUN-D.M.C., The Flaming Lips’ frontman Wayne Coyne, filmmaker John Waters, bebopper Bob Dorough, L.A. DJ and musicologist Dr. Demento, and Calypso legend The Mighty Sparrow. In his search for the twelve best, underappreciated Christmas songs ever recorded, Kezin both asks and answers the question, “Why, when Christmas rolls around, are we still stuck cozying up with Bing Crosby under a blanket of snow?”
poster
59
30
6.1
/515/
66
/27/
48
/12/
3.2
/1078/
76
/21/
47
/5/
54
/5/

Mansfield 66/67 (2017)
About the last two years of movie goddess Jayne Mansfield’s life and the speculation swirling around her untimely death being caused by a curse after her alleged romantic dalliance with Anton LaVey, head of the Church of Satan.
poster
Amazon Prime Video
71
29
7.5
/169/
41
/5/
65
/4/
3.8
/758/
100
/5/

Fragments of Paradise (2022)
For over 70 years, Jonas Mekas, internationally known as the "godfather" of avant-garde cinema, documented his life in what came to be known as his diary films. From his arrival in New York City as a displaced person in 1949 to his death in 2019, he chronicled the trauma and loss of exile while pioneering institutions to support the growth of independent film in the United States. Fragments of Paradise is an intimate look at his life and work constructed from thousands of hours of his own video and film diaries-including never-before-seen tapes and unpublished audio recordings. It is a story about finding beauty amidst profound loss, and a man who tried to make sense of it all... with a camera.
poster
51
29
5.5
/1519/
45
/38/
47
/36/
3.0
/723/
50
/70/

Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat (2002)
A cannibal caterer kills various young women in preparation for a ritual feast for a long-dormant Egyptian goddess that has him under its control.
poster
43
26
5.0
/2262/
26
/6/
37
/13/
60
/74/

Welcome to Hollywood (2000)
A film director decides to chart the course of a young actor as he tries to make it in Hollywood...
poster
51
25
5.3
/2163/
51
/52/
55
/55/
3.0
/586/
38
/7/

Homer and Eddie (1989)
A mentally disabled man gets help from a sociopath when he tries to reunite with his dying father, who years earlier disowned him.
poster
63
25
7.1
/416/
70
/32/
59
/22/
3.4
/787/
60
/5/
55
/3/

Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore (2010)
Take an outrageous ride through this wild world of exploitation films with this thoroughly entertaining documentary, HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS – THE GODFATHER OF GORE! Featuring cult director John Waters, Drive-In Movie Critic Joe Bob Briggs, Herschell Gordon Lewis himself and a “cast of thousands,” you’ll witness the innocent bare-naked era of Nudie-Cuties before Lewis schocked the world with “Blood Feast,” the first ever gore film!
poster
69
24
7.0
/230/
66
/3/
60
/10/
85
/12/
66
/6/

Pie in the Sky: The Brigid Berlin Story (2000)
Documentary about American artist and former Warhol superstar, Brigid Berlin.
poster
AMC+
74
20
7.6
/381/
74
/30/
70
/1/
3.8
/1594/

Doc of Chucky (2024)
The story of the cult horror empire through interviews with cast, crew, and horror icons such as Don Mancini, Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, Catherine Hicks, Chris Sarandon, John Waters, Fiona Dourif, Perrey Reeves, Gerrit Graham, David Kirschner, and dozens more.
poster
Kanopy
68
19
6.8
/309/
72
/17/
70
/14/
3.5
/1425/
60
/1/

Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution (2017)
A documentary on Queercore, the cultural and social movement that began as an offshoot of punk and was distinguished by its discontent with society's disapproval of the gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender communities.
poster
64
18
7.0
/855/
66
/19/
54
/21/
3.4
/393/

Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)
A chronological look at films by, for, or about gays and lesbians in the United States, from 1947 to 2005, Kenneth Anger's "Fireworks" to "Brokeback Mountain". Talking heads, anchored by critic and scholar B. Ruby Rich, are interspersed with an advancing timeline and with clips from two dozen films. The narrative groups the pictures around various firsts, movements, and triumphs: experimental films, indie films, sex on screen, outlaw culture and bad guys, lesbian lovers, films about AIDS and dying, emergence of romantic comedy, transgender films, films about diversity and various cultures, documentaries and then mainstream Hollywood drama. What might come next?


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