Little White Lies #94 - The Pink Flamingos Issue

Little White Lies launched in 2005 with the sole aim of creating a magazine that captures the excitement of talking about movies with good friends by bringing together impassioned, intelligent writing with striking illustration. The magazine has since become renowned for its independent ethos and iconic covers.

Each issue of the magazine dedicates its entire front section to an upcoming theatrical release, drawing inspiration from the themes and visual tone of the carefully selected film. The back section features essential reviews of the latest movie releases, plus exclusive interviews, festival reports and more.

In this issue:

Lead Review: Pink Flamingos

On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, Aimee Knight praises John Waters’ transcendent trash opus.

The Gospel According to St John

Juan Barquin enters into a lewd discourse with Baltimore’s finest, John Waters.

John Walters: An Oeuvre

A spry dash through the Pope of Trash’s gross cinematic output.

The Dreamlanders: A Who’s Who

Charles Bramsco offers an index of John Waters’ regular collaborators.

The Divine Right of Queens

Lillian Crawford unpicks the representational evolution of the late drag icon Divine.

What a Swizz!

Is Pink Flamingos a muck-smeared one-off? Or is it a template for more middle-brow auteurs? Soma Ghosh investigates.

A World of Filth

Kat McLaughlin is MC and organiser for a world championships of sicko filmmakers.

The Little Blockbusters That Could: A Dossier

Five essays on weird movies from across the globe that have struck box office gold against all the odds.

Threads #21: Blue Eye Shadow

Christina Newland explores how Divine’s makeup style influenced a generation of strong screen women.

In the back section

Essay: Raising the Dead

Marina Ashioti meets filmmaker Charlie Shackleton to explore the broad and poetic implications of his conceptual 35mm feature film, The Afterlight.

Mia Hansen-Løve

David Jenkins speaks to the French Bergman Island writer/director about the sublime intricacies of the creative process.

Ninja Thyberg

Hannah Strong meets the director of Pleasure, an glassy-eyed and provocative exploration of the modern porn industry.

Daryl McCormack

Steph Green meets the star of tomorrow today – who’s currently headlining Good Luck To You, Leo Grande.

Udo Kier

The iconic German-born bit-parter finally gets a lead in Swan Song, and Anna Bogutskaya speaks to him.

Baz Luhrmann

Ella Kemp chats to the maximalist-and-proud Australian auteur who’s new film, Elvis, is a biopic of The King himself.

In review

Mia Hansen-Løve’s Bergman Island
Ed Perkins’ The Princess
Wawrick Ross and Robert Coe’s Blind Ambition
Ninja Thyberg’s Pleasure
Jacqueline Lentzou’s Moon, 66 Questions
François Ozon’s Everything Went Fine
Martin Bourboulon’s Eiffel
Michelangelo Frammartino’s Il Buco
Jessica Beshir’s Faya Dayi
Pietro Marcello, Alice Rohrwacher and Francesco Munzi’s Futura
Jonas Carpignano’s A Chiara
Jim Archer’s Brian and Charles
Todd Stephens’ Swan Song
Damien Odoul’s Theo and the Metamorphosis
Justin Kurzel’s Nitram
Lucile Hadžihalilović’s Earwig
Baz Lurhmann’s Elvis
Panah Panahi’s Hit the Road
Sophie Hyde’s Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

Plus, Matt Turner selects six key home ents releases for your consideration. And Hannah Strong sends a postcard from the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, highlighting some of her favourite titles and musing on the messy subjectivity of taste.