DVD Review: Cry-Baby (Director's Cut)

Cry-Baby (Director’s Cut)
written and directed by John Waters

DVD extras are pretty excessive at times, particularly when added to movies that nobody cares about. Aside from those bored enough to watch a self-congratulatory behind-the-scenes look at every movie they buy, a lot of commentaries and supplements are strictly for the fan-boys, movie-geeks and film scholars. For the rest of us cineastes who typically just want to watch the feature, extras can take up time better spent watching more movies.For myself, though, there is an exception with John Waters. I’ve never really enjoyed the man’s style even while appreciating and understanding its appeal. He isn’t a director that I dislike and ignore. Rather, he makes films that I won’t watch but have great enthusiasm for. He comes from a long line of artists more interesting than their work, and thanks to the DVD he may avail his films to those of us who have no desire to view them. Universal’s new Director’s Cut release of Cry-Baby includes two items for the Waters fan who isn’t a Waters-movie fan. The reflective docu-special, “It Came From Baltimore”, is a bit long and too inclusive thanks to its abundant remarks from dull cast members, but when it showcases the excited Waters with his relating of biographical inspirations and Baltimore histories, it is easy to forget that his films are some of the silliest tributes captured on celluloid. Without the awareness of his animated personality and glowing passion, it might be difficult to discern how Cry-Baby overcame an association with the soulless camp of Back to the Beach or the thrifty aloofness of most modern B-movies. His solo commentary track is little more than a sedate extension of the special; there is more trivia offered but also a lot of repeated info better experienced with Waters’ physical expressions and visual aids. Plus the commentary doesn’t feature other highlights of the featurette like David Ehrenstein’s discussion of ‘50s teen movies and a lively trio of Waters’ crew-members.As for the actual movie, you can do much worse for sampling Waters. Cry-Baby was his first major studio picture and it was also PG-13 (this cut is not –only because of some previously bleeped language), so there’s less crass material than usual. Combining homages to Elvis musicals, teen-idol showcases and juvenile delinquent dramas in his tacky-trashy tone, Waters shows evidence that he’d be perfect to adapt Grease were it not for an adoring acceptance of the less-than-faithful Randal Kleiser version. The film is steeped in self-mocking importance, having elevated the esteem of infamous bad girls Traci Lords and Patricia Hearst and it is also credited by Johnny Depp as the monument from which he built his film career around, claiming that were it not for “Cry-Baby” Walker there’d be no Edward Scissorhands. Plus the dance numbers display some of the most priceless choreography you’ll ever see. Hopefully John Waters is aware of his charm since it is such a necessary accompaniment to his oeuvre. I mean, how many DVDs have the appeal of going straight to the interviews without ever having seen the movie? And then, thanks to the extras, the feature becomes more appealing as well. Now if only Cecil B. Demented included a commentary track, I might be able to appreciate the worst John Waters film of all.

Article Author: Film Cynic

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