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Polyester (film)
Encyclopedia
Polyester is a 1981 comedy film
directed, produced, and written by John Waters
, and starring Divine, Tab Hunter
, Edith Massey
, and Mink Stole
. It was filmed in Waters' native Baltimore, Maryland, and features a gimmick
called "Odorama", whereby viewers could smell what they saw on screen through scratch and sniff
cards.
The film is a satirical look
at suburban life involving divorce
, abortion
, adultery
, alcoholism
, foot fetishism
, and the Religious Right
.
protesters to picket the Fishpaws' house. She also states that "All the neighborhood women spit at me" whenever she is at the Shopping Mall. Francine's children are Lu-Lu (Mary Garlington), her spoiled, slut
ty daughter, and Dexter (Ken King), her delinquent, glue-sniffing son who derives illicit pleasure from stomping on women's feet. Also adding to Francine's troubles is her snobby, class-conscious, cocaine
-snorting mother, LaRue (Joni Ruth White), who robs Francine blind and only cares about her "valuable shopping time."
Francine seeks solace in her best friend, Cuddles Kovinsky (Edith Massey
), an independently wealthy, simple-minded woman and the world's oldest debutante
. Cuddles was once the Fishpaws' housekeeper, but she inherited a large sum of money from a very affluent family that she used to work for and befriended Francine. This infuriates LaRue, who admonishes Francine, "She was a scrubwoman. Give her... car fare...a ham at Easter
, but for God's sake, don't hang around with her!" Cuddles tries to cheer up Francine with "seize-the-day" bromide
s, to no avail.
Francine discovers that her husband is having an affair with his secretary
, Sandra Sullivan (Mink Stole
), and later confronts them during a tryst at a motel and demands a divorce
. Francine then falls into alcoholism
and depression, exacerbated by her children's behavior: Lu-Lu becomes pregnant by her delinquent boyfriend, Bobo (Stiv Bators
), and announces to her mother, "I'm having an abortion
, and I can't wait!"; and after Dexter is arrested at a supermarket for stomping on a woman's foot, the media reveal he's the "Baltimore foot stomper".
Lu-Lu goes to family planning clinic for an abortion, but is harassed by anti-abortion picketers. She flees, goes home, and tries to induce a miscarriage, causing Francine to call an unwed mothers' home. Two nun
s (Mary Vivian Pearce
and Sharon Niesp) arrive, cart Lu-Lu out of the house, lock her in the trunk of a car, and whisk her off to a Catholic home for unwed mothers. Meanwhile, on Halloween
evening, LaRue is shot by Bo-Bo and his friend, who have come to trash the Fishpaw house. La Rue manages to retrieve the gun and shoots Bobo dead. Lu-Lu comes home from the unwed mothers' home and, upon discovering her dead boyfriend, tries to commit suicide by sticking her head in the oven. Francine comes home, sees her daughter's suicide attempt, and faints. After this, Francine's life begins to change. Dexter is released from jail, completely rehabilitated. Lu-Lu suffers a miscarriage from her suicide attempt and sees the error of her ways, turning from a high-school harlot to an artistic flower child who enthuses, "Look mother, I've discovered macramé
!". Francine finally summons the strength to tell off La Rue. A beacon of light arrives in the form of lounge-suit-wearing, Corvette-driving Todd Tomorrow (Tab Hunter
), lifting Francine's spirits. Todd proposes marriage to an elated Francine, who accepts.
However, it is soon revealed that Todd is romantically involved with LaRue and they are conspiring to embezzle Francine's divorce settlement and drive her insane. Meanwhile, Elmer and Sandra break into the house to kill Francine, but are felled by Dexter and Lu-Lu—Dexter steps on Sandra's foot, causing her to accidentally shoot Elmer; Lu-Lu uses her macramé to strangle Sandra. Cuddles and her German chauffeur/fiancé Heintz (Hans Kramm) arrive on the scene and strike LaRue and Todd with their limousine. The film concludes with a happy ending for Francine, her children, and Cuddles and Heintz.
Waters' usual troupe of actors, the Dreamlanders
, played minor roles in Polyester compared to Waters' previous films Desperate Living
, Female Trouble
, and Pink Flamingos
, which starred several Dreamlanders in major roles. Only two Dreamlanders, Divine and Edith Massey
, received top billing in the film. Dreamlander perennials Mink Stole
, Mary Vivian Pearce
, Cookie Mueller
, Sharon Niesp, Marina Melin, Susan Lowe, and Jean Hill each played small roles in Polyester. While their parts are integral to the plot, they are much smaller compared to their earlier roles.
Polyester was the first of Waters' films to skirt the mainstream, even garnering an R rating
(his previous films were all unrated or rated X). The film was set in a middle-class suburb of Baltimore instead of its slums and bohemian neighborhoods (the setting of Waters' earlier films).
that was popular from the 1950-60s and typically featured bored, unfulfilled, or otherwise troubled women, usually middle-aged suburban housewives
, finding release or escape through the arrival of a handsome younger man. “Women’s pictures” were typically hackneyed B-movies, but Waters specifically styled Polyester after the work of the director Douglas Sirk
, making use of similar lighting and editing techniques, even using film equipment and movie-making techniques from Sirk's era.
and the 1960 film Scent of Mystery
, which featured a device called Smell-O-Vision
. Special cards with spots numbered 1 through 10 were distributed to audience members before the show, in the manner of 3D glasses. When a number flashed on the screen, viewers were to scratch and sniff the appropriate spot. Smells included the scent of flowers, pizza, glue, gas, grass, and feces. For the first DVD release of the film the smell of glue was changed due to, as Waters states, "political correctness". The gimmick was advertised with the tag "It'll blow your nose!"
After being prompted to scratch and sniff the bouquet of flowers, a quick swap was made substituting old ratty sneakers, resulting in a joke on the audience.
A video release omits the numbers flashing onscreen as well as the opening introduction explaining Odorama. This version, created by Lorimar Telepictures, was shown on cable TV in the United States.
In 1999, the Independent Film Channel
released reproduction Odorama cards for John Waters film festival
s.
In the commentary track on the film's 2004 DVD release, Waters expressed his delight at having the film's audiences actually "pay to smell shit".
Producers of Rugrats Go Wild (Paramount
) used the Odorama name and logo in 2000, somewhat upsetting Waters when he learned that New Line Cinema
had let the copyright lapse.
The 2011 film Spy Kids: All the Time in the World uses a scratch & sniff card now called "Aromascope", which is advertised as providing the 4th dimension in its "4D" format.
The film currently holds 88%, and an 81% Audience rating, on Rotten Tomatoes
.
" by The Avalanches
. The opening of the song has sound from one scene between a mother and a school principal, that starts with the latter asking "Is Dexter ill today?", and continues as follows:
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
directed, produced, and written by John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
, and starring Divine, Tab Hunter
Tab Hunter
Tab Hunter is an American actor, singer, former teen idol and author who has starred in over forty major films.-Background:...
, Edith Massey
Edith Massey
Edith Massey was an American actress and singer. Massey was best known for her appearances in a series of movies by director John Waters...
, and Mink Stole
Mink Stole
Nancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date...
. It was filmed in Waters' native Baltimore, Maryland, and features a gimmick
Gimmick
In marketing language, a gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. However, the special feature is typically thought to be of little relevance or use. Thus, a gimmick is a special feature for the sake of having a special feature...
called "Odorama", whereby viewers could smell what they saw on screen through scratch and sniff
Scratch and sniff
Scratch and sniff technology generally refers to things that have been treated with a microfragrance coating. When scratched, the coating releases an odor that is normally related to an image being displayed under the coating...
cards.
The film is a satirical look
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
at suburban life involving divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
, alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, foot fetishism
Foot fetishism
Foot fetishism, foot partialism, foot worship, or podophilia is a pronounced sexual interest in feet. It is the most common form of sexual preference for otherwise non-sexual objects or body parts.-Characteristics:...
, and the Religious Right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
.
Plot
Polyester tells the story of housewife Francine Fishpaw (Divine), whose life is crumbling around her in her upper middle class suburban Baltimore home. Her husband, Elmer (David Samson), is a polyester-clad lout who owns an X-rated theater, causing anti-pornographyPornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
protesters to picket the Fishpaws' house. She also states that "All the neighborhood women spit at me" whenever she is at the Shopping Mall. Francine's children are Lu-Lu (Mary Garlington), her spoiled, slut
Slut
Slut or slattern is a pejorative term applied to an individual who is considered to have loose sexual morals or who is sexually promiscuous...
ty daughter, and Dexter (Ken King), her delinquent, glue-sniffing son who derives illicit pleasure from stomping on women's feet. Also adding to Francine's troubles is her snobby, class-conscious, cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
-snorting mother, LaRue (Joni Ruth White), who robs Francine blind and only cares about her "valuable shopping time."
Francine seeks solace in her best friend, Cuddles Kovinsky (Edith Massey
Edith Massey
Edith Massey was an American actress and singer. Massey was best known for her appearances in a series of movies by director John Waters...
), an independently wealthy, simple-minded woman and the world's oldest debutante
Debutante
A débutante is a young lady from an aristocratic or upper class family who has reached the age of maturity, and as a new adult, is introduced to society at a formal "début" presentation. It should not be confused with a Debs...
. Cuddles was once the Fishpaws' housekeeper, but she inherited a large sum of money from a very affluent family that she used to work for and befriended Francine. This infuriates LaRue, who admonishes Francine, "She was a scrubwoman. Give her... car fare...a ham at Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
, but for God's sake, don't hang around with her!" Cuddles tries to cheer up Francine with "seize-the-day" bromide
Bromide (language)
A bromide is a phrase or platitude that, having been employed excessively, suggests insincerity or a lack of originality in the speaker employing it....
s, to no avail.
Francine discovers that her husband is having an affair with his secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
, Sandra Sullivan (Mink Stole
Mink Stole
Nancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date...
), and later confronts them during a tryst at a motel and demands a divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
. Francine then falls into alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and depression, exacerbated by her children's behavior: Lu-Lu becomes pregnant by her delinquent boyfriend, Bobo (Stiv Bators
Stiv Bators
Stiv Bators , was an American punk rockvocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.- Music and film career :...
), and announces to her mother, "I'm having an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, and I can't wait!"; and after Dexter is arrested at a supermarket for stomping on a woman's foot, the media reveal he's the "Baltimore foot stomper".
Lu-Lu goes to family planning clinic for an abortion, but is harassed by anti-abortion picketers. She flees, goes home, and tries to induce a miscarriage, causing Francine to call an unwed mothers' home. Two nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
s (Mary Vivian Pearce
Mary Vivian Pearce
Mary Vivian Pearce is an American actress. She has worked primarily in the films of John Waters.Pearce is the childhood best friend of John Waters and has appeared as an actress in all of his films. Because of her work with Waters, she is considered one of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of...
and Sharon Niesp) arrive, cart Lu-Lu out of the house, lock her in the trunk of a car, and whisk her off to a Catholic home for unwed mothers. Meanwhile, on Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
evening, LaRue is shot by Bo-Bo and his friend, who have come to trash the Fishpaw house. La Rue manages to retrieve the gun and shoots Bobo dead. Lu-Lu comes home from the unwed mothers' home and, upon discovering her dead boyfriend, tries to commit suicide by sticking her head in the oven. Francine comes home, sees her daughter's suicide attempt, and faints. After this, Francine's life begins to change. Dexter is released from jail, completely rehabilitated. Lu-Lu suffers a miscarriage from her suicide attempt and sees the error of her ways, turning from a high-school harlot to an artistic flower child who enthuses, "Look mother, I've discovered macramé
Macramé
Macramé or macrame is a form of textile-making using knotting rather than weaving or knitting. Its primary knots are the square knot and forms of "hitching": full hitch and double half hitches...
!". Francine finally summons the strength to tell off La Rue. A beacon of light arrives in the form of lounge-suit-wearing, Corvette-driving Todd Tomorrow (Tab Hunter
Tab Hunter
Tab Hunter is an American actor, singer, former teen idol and author who has starred in over forty major films.-Background:...
), lifting Francine's spirits. Todd proposes marriage to an elated Francine, who accepts.
However, it is soon revealed that Todd is romantically involved with LaRue and they are conspiring to embezzle Francine's divorce settlement and drive her insane. Meanwhile, Elmer and Sandra break into the house to kill Francine, but are felled by Dexter and Lu-Lu—Dexter steps on Sandra's foot, causing her to accidentally shoot Elmer; Lu-Lu uses her macramé to strangle Sandra. Cuddles and her German chauffeur/fiancé Heintz (Hans Kramm) arrive on the scene and strike LaRue and Todd with their limousine. The film concludes with a happy ending for Francine, her children, and Cuddles and Heintz.
Cast
- Divine as Francine Fishpaw
- Tab HunterTab HunterTab Hunter is an American actor, singer, former teen idol and author who has starred in over forty major films.-Background:...
as Todd Tomorrow - David Samson as Elmer Fishpaw
- Edith MasseyEdith MasseyEdith Massey was an American actress and singer. Massey was best known for her appearances in a series of movies by director John Waters...
as Cuddles Kovinsky - Ken King as Dexter Fishpaw
- Mary Garlington as Lu-Lu Fishpaw
- Mink StoleMink StoleNancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date...
as Sandra Sullivan - Joni Ruth White as LaRue
- Stiv BatorsStiv BatorsStiv Bators , was an American punk rockvocalist and guitarist from Youngstown, Ohio. He is best remembered for his bands, The Dead Boys and The Lords of the New Church.- Music and film career :...
as Bo-Bo Belsinger - Hans Kramm as Heintz
- Susan LoweSusan LoweSusan Lowe is an American actress and artist who has appeared primarily in the works of John Waters for most of her career...
as Mall victim - Cookie MuellerCookie MuellerDorothy Karen "Cookie" Mueller was an underground American actress, writer and Dreamlander, who starred in many of filmmaker John Waters' early films, including Multiple Maniacs,...
as Betty Lalinski - George HulseGeorge HulseGeorge Hulse was a British actor. Born in Liverpool, England, he later moved to Baltimore, Maryland with his wife. He starred in several acclaimed John Waters films....
as Principal Kirk - Mary Vivian PearceMary Vivian PearceMary Vivian Pearce is an American actress. She has worked primarily in the films of John Waters.Pearce is the childhood best friend of John Waters and has appeared as an actress in all of his films. Because of her work with Waters, she is considered one of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of...
and Sharon Niesp as Nuns - Jean Hill as Gospel bus hijacker
- George FiggsGeorge FiggsGeorge Figgs is an American actor and projectionist. He began his career portrayingcharacters in the early films of John Waters. Because of his work with Waters, he is considered one of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of regular cast and crew members.Figgs is a film historian interested in...
as Abortion picketer
Dreamlanders
Dreamlanders
Dreamlanders refers to the cast and crew of regulars whom John Waters has used in his films. The term comes from the name of Waters' production company, Dreamland Productions...
, played minor roles in Polyester compared to Waters' previous films Desperate Living
Desperate Living
Desperate Living is a 1977 American crime comedy fantasy horror film directed, produced, written, and photographed by Baltimore, Maryland filmmaker John Waters starring Liz Renay, Jean Hill, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, and Mary Vivian Pearce.-Plot:...
, Female Trouble
Female Trouble
Female Trouble is a 1974 dark comedy film co-composed, filmed, co-edited, written, produced, and directed by John Waters starring Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Michael Potter, Cookie Mueller, and Susan Walsh....
, and Pink Flamingos
Pink Flamingos
Pink Flamingos is a 1972 transgressive black comedy film written, produced, composed, shot, edited, and directed by John Waters. When the film was initially released, it caused a huge degree of controversy and thus became one of the most notorious cult films ever made. It made an underground star...
, which starred several Dreamlanders in major roles. Only two Dreamlanders, Divine and Edith Massey
Edith Massey
Edith Massey was an American actress and singer. Massey was best known for her appearances in a series of movies by director John Waters...
, received top billing in the film. Dreamlander perennials Mink Stole
Mink Stole
Nancy Paine Stoll better known by the stage name Mink Stole, is an American actress from Baltimore, Maryland. She began her career working for director John Waters, having appeared in all of his feature films to date...
, Mary Vivian Pearce
Mary Vivian Pearce
Mary Vivian Pearce is an American actress. She has worked primarily in the films of John Waters.Pearce is the childhood best friend of John Waters and has appeared as an actress in all of his films. Because of her work with Waters, she is considered one of the Dreamlanders, Waters' ensemble of...
, Cookie Mueller
Cookie Mueller
Dorothy Karen "Cookie" Mueller was an underground American actress, writer and Dreamlander, who starred in many of filmmaker John Waters' early films, including Multiple Maniacs,...
, Sharon Niesp, Marina Melin, Susan Lowe, and Jean Hill each played small roles in Polyester. While their parts are integral to the plot, they are much smaller compared to their earlier roles.
Polyester was the first of Waters' films to skirt the mainstream, even garnering an R rating
MPAA film rating system
The Motion Picture Association of America's film-rating system is used in the U.S. and its territories to rate a film's thematic and content suitability for certain audiences. The MPAA system applies only to motion pictures that are submitted for rating. Other media may be rated by other entities...
(his previous films were all unrated or rated X). The film was set in a middle-class suburb of Baltimore instead of its slums and bohemian neighborhoods (the setting of Waters' earlier films).
"Women’s pictures"
Polyester was meant as a send-up of “women’s pictures,” an exploitative genre of filmExploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
that was popular from the 1950-60s and typically featured bored, unfulfilled, or otherwise troubled women, usually middle-aged suburban housewives
Housewife
Housewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
, finding release or escape through the arrival of a handsome younger man. “Women’s pictures” were typically hackneyed B-movies, but Waters specifically styled Polyester after the work of the director Douglas Sirk
Douglas Sirk
Douglas Sirk was a Danish-German film director best known for his work in Hollywood melodramas in the 1950s.-Life and work:...
, making use of similar lighting and editing techniques, even using film equipment and movie-making techniques from Sirk's era.
Odorama
Odors, especially Francine's particularly keen sense of smell, play an important role in the film. To highlight this, Waters designed Odorama, a "scratch-and-sniff" gimmick inspired by the work of William CastleWilliam Castle
William Castle was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Castle was known for directing films with many gimmicks which were ambitiously promoted, despite being reasonably low budget B-movies....
and the 1960 film Scent of Mystery
Scent of Mystery
Scent of Mystery is a 1960 mystery film that featured the one and only use of Smell-O-Vision, a system that timed odors to points in the film's plot. It was the first film in which aromas were integral to the story, providing important details to the audience...
, which featured a device called Smell-O-Vision
Smell-o-vision
Smell-O-Vision was a system that released odor during the projection of a film so that the viewer could "smell" what was happening in the movie. The technique was created by Hans Laube and made its only appearance in the 1960 film Scent of Mystery, produced by Mike Todd, Jr., son of film producer...
. Special cards with spots numbered 1 through 10 were distributed to audience members before the show, in the manner of 3D glasses. When a number flashed on the screen, viewers were to scratch and sniff the appropriate spot. Smells included the scent of flowers, pizza, glue, gas, grass, and feces. For the first DVD release of the film the smell of glue was changed due to, as Waters states, "political correctness". The gimmick was advertised with the tag "It'll blow your nose!"
After being prompted to scratch and sniff the bouquet of flowers, a quick swap was made substituting old ratty sneakers, resulting in a joke on the audience.
A video release omits the numbers flashing onscreen as well as the opening introduction explaining Odorama. This version, created by Lorimar Telepictures, was shown on cable TV in the United States.
In 1999, the Independent Film Channel
Independent Film Channel
The Independent Film Channel is an American cable TV network that airs independent film and related programming. IFC programming includes commercially interrupted feature-length films, original documentaries, shorts, animated series, original series, acquired series, and content exclusively for...
released reproduction Odorama cards for John Waters film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s.
In the commentary track on the film's 2004 DVD release, Waters expressed his delight at having the film's audiences actually "pay to smell shit".
Producers of Rugrats Go Wild (Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
) used the Odorama name and logo in 2000, somewhat upsetting Waters when he learned that New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
had let the copyright lapse.
The 2011 film Spy Kids: All the Time in the World uses a scratch & sniff card now called "Aromascope", which is advertised as providing the 4th dimension in its "4D" format.
Critical response
Polyester received some good reviews from the mainstream press. Said Janet Maslin of the New York Times:The film currently holds 88%, and an 81% Audience rating, on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Songs used in film
These are the only known songs for being in the film:- "Polyester" - Tab HunterTab HunterTab Hunter is an American actor, singer, former teen idol and author who has starred in over forty major films.-Background:...
- Words and music by Chris SteinChris SteinChristopher "Chris" Stein is co-founder and guitarist in the New Wave band, Blondie. He is also a producer and performer for the classic soundtrack of the hip hop film Wild Style....
and Debbie HarryDebbie HarryDeborah Ann "Debbie" Harry is an American singer-songwriter and actress, best known for being the lead singer of the punk rock and new wave band Blondie. She has also had success as a solo artist, and in the mid-1990s she performed and recorded as part of The Jazz Passengers... - "Be My Daddy's Baby (Lu-Lu's theme)" - Michael KamenMichael KamenMichael Arnold Kamen was an American composer , orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, song writer, and session musician.-Background:...
- Words and music by Debbie Harry and Michael Kamen - "The Best Thing" - Bill MurrayBill MurrayWilliam James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
- Words and music by Debbie Harry and Michael Kamen
Use in song
Samples from the film have been used in the song "Frontier PsychiatristFrontier Psychiatrist
"Frontier Psychiatrist" is a song by Australian group The Avalanches, released as the second single from their debut album Since I Left You.-Background:The song is a mix of audio samples of music, dialogue and sound effects....
" by The Avalanches
The Avalanches
The Avalanches are an Australian electronic music group formed in 1997 with mainstays Robbie Chater on keyboards, Tony Diblasi on keyboards, bass and backing vocals, and Darren Seltmann on vocals and keyboards. They are known for their live DJ sets and their debut album Since I Left You , which was...
. The opening of the song has sound from one scene between a mother and a school principal, that starts with the latter asking "Is Dexter ill today?", and continues as follows:
- "Francine Fishpaw: Why Mr. Kirk - I'm as upset as you to learn of Dexter's truancyTruancyTruancy is any intentional unauthorized absence from compulsory schooling. The term typically describes absences caused by students of their own free will, and usually does not refer to legitimate "excused" absences, such as ones related to medical conditions...
- but surely expulsionExpulsionExpulsion may refer to:*Expulsion , removing a student from a school or university*Expulsion from the United States Congress*Deportation, the expulsion of someone from a country*Population transfer, the forced migration of people by the state...
is not the answer? - School Principal: I'm afraid expulsion is the only answer. It is the opinion of the entire staff that Dexter is criminally insane... "