Hairspray (2007)

Good Morning, Baltimore

The original film was some of John Waters' best work. The musical stage adaptation was wonderful. The filmed version of the musical was dreadful.

The young people seem to have glommed onto this version, so the original will probably fade into obscurity. They're missing out on the superior product.

I fucked Adam Shankman once.

I thought the remake and musical was awful because they missed John’s parody and satire and made it too literal and serious. The people who remade it didn’t understand the original.

It’s like if they took “Polyester” and made it into a real drama.

I loved Michelle Pfeiffer’s crabs scene on this,

R2 is right, the 1988 film is much better. The 2007 version of Hairspray does stand well enough on its own virtues, in that its still a fairly good film, but John Waters 1988 original is a masterpiece

John Travolta (nee Revolta) is the absolute worst part of the movie. Divine's interpretation of Edna was so wonderful. His transformation after visiting the Hefty Hideaway is a delight.

Love Nikki Blonsky who played Tracy in the movie. Last I heard she was working as a cosmetologist on Long Island. And she's gay!!!

Yeah, Travolta ruins the movie.

[quote]I fucked Adam Shankman once.

Did he enjoy it?

Loved this version

The original is a perfect film. I saw the musical in NYC about a week before it opened. It remains one of the finest shows I’ve ever seen. It was sensational.

The movie of the musical is garbage. It’s absolute crap.

[quote]The original is a perfect film.

Yes, it is.

Here is a thread about the original

[quote]I fucked Adam Shankman once.

Once. For reasons that are well known to you.

It was a lot of fun. I'm surprised Elijah Kelley (Seaweed) hasn't had a better career. I thought he was one of the best things about the movie.

Michelle Pfeiffer is beautiful

I want a Desperate Living Broadway musical.

Can you imagine the songs?

"Communist Daycare Center"

"Hey White Man (Don't Be Lookin' At My Tampax!)"

"Six Bucks (Hey You Are Rich)"

"Welcome To Mortville"

"Backwards Day Blues"

"I Want A WANG!!!"

"You Are Now The Proud Owner....of RABIES!"

"Welcome To Mortville (Reprise)"

John Travolta’s horrible accent and unconvincing fat suit were awful. Christopher Walken was too damn old and creepy; Queen Latifa was bland and boring (Ruth Brown in the original was excellent); Amanda Bynes looked like she wandered on set, into hair and make-up, and thought she was filming another movie; Zac Efron, still green after High School Musical, looked lost; and the girl who played Little Inez was not cute and couldn’t dance. Nikki Blonsky, as Tracy, was good, but she was just too short, squat, and round. The only bright spots were James Marsden, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Elijah Kelley.

I love the original movie. Everyone is perfectly cast, and the low budget makes is grittier and edgier than the full-blown musical, which, I must admit, does have some fun dance numbers.

The original had Sonny Bono and Pia Zadora! Try and top that!

I refuse to watch this as I am the lesbian equivalent of John Waters. Not only is he 34 years older than me to the day, he was also an only child born prematurely to a family who loved him and raised him well. I wish I was trolling but I'm dead serious.

Does anyone know how to get in touch with him somehow? I've wanted to write him a letter.

You can write to John in care of Atomic Books in Baltimore. They hold it for him until he drops in. Address at link.

That's awesome! Thank you r23!

I agree about Little Inez. I don’t like how they changed the ending from the stage musical to her winning instead of Tracy because, as R20 pointed out, she wasn’t cute and couldn’t dance.

And “You’re Timeless to Me” is one of those Act Two numbers that plagues Broadway- the song that stops a show dead in its tracks. I’d rather they excised it and kept “Mama, I’m A Big Girl Now” in the main story.

You can tell Michelle Pfeiffer is having a blast

Here too

I love all four — I think they’re all great in separate ways.

Saw it multiple times opening week in New York, at the Ziegfeld, then New Jersey and Pa and I can attest Travolta got closing credit applause and huge laughs.

I'm just glad the musical gives John Waters the cash hw deserves to live the life he wants. He's a treasure

[quote] Amanda Bynes looked like she wandered on set, into hair and make-up, and thought she was filming another movie

Knowing Amanda Bynes, this is quite possibly what actually happened.

I've never seen a Millennial. This 2007 version came out when I was in High School and wanted to drop a load deep into Zac Efron's ass. So, I was 100% gonna watch this and I loved it. Michelle Pfeiffer was serving. The outfits were peak, early-60s. I adore those 1950/1960s dresses on women, so pretty. The wigs and hair serve. Music was solid. It's colorful and fun.

I love "Welcome to the 60s".

Funny how The Academy ignored Kathleen Turner's laugh out loud funny performance in "Serial Mom", and then ignored Hairsprays great costumes, production design and terrific new song because they were associated with John Waters. Now that they need money to support that lousy museum, they have honored John Waters complete with merch.

We watched this movie as a family when it came out on DVD.

I remember my stepfather, a former teacher who was in high school in the early '60s, commented that no one wore backpacks back then, as portrayed in this musical.

He said that kids didn't begin doing that until the '70s.

But it did not become mainstream until the '80s.

And by the '90s, it was an industry.

[quote]I remember my stepfather, a former teacher who was in high school in the early '60s,

Tracy Turnblad was a rebel.