You never forget your first Waters. This throwback Fifties feature was mine, shown to me by my self-proclaimed “weird mom.” A spoof – as John Waters loves to do – of juvenile delinquent tales and Elvis film vehicles, I remember being mesmerized specifically by Traci Lords’ tough-talking Wanda; her red-lips in a perpetual sneer triggered a lifelong love for mean girls. Obviously, there’s a lead-character-shaped elephant in the film whose more recent legal troubles make his bad-boy performance feel … odd, but your mileage may vary vis-à-vis Depp perception. Alamo Drafthouse screens the cult classic through the weekend with an extra drop on Tuesday. – James Scott
Feb. 21-23 & 25
