John Waters's Top 10 of 2016
Thursday, December 1, 2016 at 10:00PM 
Chris here. One of the most interesting curiosities every year in Best Of kudos is the list from trashcamp grandmaster John Waters. The provcateur always delivers a list that is surprising in its inclusions both for the purely unexpected (like last year's Cinderella) and for title or two you probably haven't heard of. Rest assured no matter how many films you have seen in a given year, Waters has seen more and his taste is more expansive. Eat your heart out, critics groups.
This year his top choice goes to a film getting lots of breakthrough love this week - Trey Edward Shults's Krisha. The film is quite a fitting choice for the filmmaker - with nonactors on a microbudget, Krisha is all taught social mores, fraught observations of family structures, and psychosis. Sounds somewhat like his own fascinations, albeit with much more inhibitions. Here's what he says of the film, with the rest of his list after the jump:
This hilariously harrowing portrait of a family reunion ruined by an alcoholic relative and too many dogs is told with verve and lunacy and features a top-notch performance by Krisha Fairchild, the director’s own aunt. Other people’s hell can sometimes be so much fun.
The rest of the list (and some of his observations):
2. Tickled
3. Everybody Wants Some!! ("the best accidentally gay movie ever")
4. Roar
5. Wiener-Dog ("the funniest dog movie since Godard’s Goodbye to Language")
6. Elle
7. Julieta (a "hellodrama")
8. Like Cattle Towards Glow (an "Eric Rohmer–like porno")
9. Valley of Love ("Even dead Pasolini would love this film")
10. A Quiet Passion
Have you caught up to Krisha? (Hint: it's currently on Amazon Prime!)
Reader Comments (25)
John Waters is a treasure. I bumped into him one summer in P-town, and even after my sloshed girlfriend said (to his face), "Who the fuck is that?!", he still smiled and took a picture with me. Xoxo...
He is sooo wright about "Wiener dog" such a good movie John Water is my HERO!!!
Damn, four 2016 releases I still need to see.
And is he talking about the bizarre-sounding Roar (1981), with Tippi Hedren and Melanie Griffith?
FINALLY! Someone else (and so god that it is someone of the stature of Waters) appreciates VALLEY OF LOVE as much as I did. A great addition to The Year Of Huppert (along with ELLE, THINGS TO COME and MACADAM STORIES).
Maybe John Waters is a fan of anything Huppertiana. Love to check out his choices even if it brings me to uncharted / uncomfortable territories.
Waters mentioning these movies immediately elevates them and gives them relevance. It does not matter if they're good. They're interesting !
John Waters's list is the ONLY Top 10 list that matters. Just about all other lists look interchangeable. So far I've only seen three - Tickled, Everybody Wants Some! and Wiener-Dog - but I'll be tracking down the rest for sure. Tickled really is one of the best of the year, Everybody Wants Some! I found loathsome (but his take on it is pretty hilarious) and Wiener Dog an interesting near- miss - but that's secondary, his list is uniquely his own. I'd still love to see his #1 of 2015 - a documentary of Helmut Berger that climaxes, so to speak, with Berger masturbating on camera and inviting the director to join in - and perhaps he does! Berger comments "yours looks like Burt Lancaster's"!!! If not for Waters I might never even heard of it! Just like this year's #9, or have pretty much passed it by (#4 & 10).
Totally reminded me I need to watch Everybody Wants Some!! The Helmut Berger documentary from last year sure was something.
John Waters is one of the true greats.
LIKE CATTLE TOWARDS GLOW is available for rental online. hmmm
"Best accidentally gay movie ever" is exactly what I thought watching Everybody Wants Some!!. Proud to share Mr. Waters' sick mind.
Awesome! The anti-Peter Travers, which not coincidentally matches the Critic's Choice's tastes. Predictable and oscar-friendly.
I am a bit surprised he went for Julieta for his top 10, and also surprised he didn't enjoy enough "Deadpool", which has John Waters influence all around.
Yeah, I still vindicate "Deadpool" as one of the year's essential films.
Roar is really good actually - not good in the traditional sense of the word - but it's exciting seeing it, knowing how crazyand dangerously irresponsible the shoot was - you actually fear for the actors' safety the whole time you're watching it - really tense viewing experience. And I do love a young and cute Melanie Griffth.
Julietta - I found it to be so stale and boring - unengaging.
And I don't think I can recall one exciting image in the entire movie, save for the stag outside the train window.
Loved Everybody Wants Some!! - I'm not gay, but I did catch the homoerotism!
Hated Wiener-Dog - Solondz' worst movie to date. Why is Solondz content with making something so slight? How long did it take him to write the script? A couple of days? Couldn't taken him more than that.
Even though Megan Ellison's got money to burn, bless her, she shouldn't have spent her daddy's hard-earned money on that dogshit of a movie - PT. Anderson could've used that money for his Fashion-movie - so excited for that one!.
I'm happy he didn't include The Neon Demon!
Good taste!
I watched Krisha last night. It's an impressive debut for sure on such a small, micro budget. It's lean, simple and harrowing. I'm curious to see how Shults does with a larger palette.
I'm not sure how it's "accidentally" gay. It depicts an explicitly homosocial environment and I would be surprised if Linklater wasn't fully aware of those undercurrents.
Krisha is still in my top 5 for the year. I have been to that family dinner, so it was intense to see such a realistic portrayal of terrifying family dinners. I nearly broke my partner's hand from stress. I love emotional reaction to a movie!
John Waters has impeccable tastelessness.
I'm happy he didn't include The Neon Demon!
Good taste!
He represents the opposite of good taste.
I always look forward to his top ten, he has such fun and unexpected cinephile-specific taste.
Surprised ELLE isn't far and away his fave of the year, all of its elements are entirely right up his alley.
Wiener-Dog was entirely overlooked and contains some great work from Danny DeVito, Our Greta and Ellen Burstyn so I'm glad he gave it a shoutout.
I forgot Tickled was a thing. It seems so... MTV doc/Catfish/Undercover.
I knew he'd eat up Everybody Wants Some!! and his write-up is perfect lol.
Krisha -- I keep hearing all these great things but I don't think I can sit through something like that, ugh.
oh and WHEN IS HE MAKING ANOTHER MOVIE FOR GAWD'S SAKE.
Just watched Tickled. Amateurish journalistically/cinematically speaking, but fascinating nonetheless. And David Farrier is adorable.
owl - Waters IS a fan of Huppert - have you seen the interview he did with her for Film Society of Lincoln Center?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4tfymk5Y2s
worth a watch!
@ Ulrich
Wow thanks a lot for sharing this video. It was fun to watch Isabelle and John Waters talking to each other. From tone of voice to body language to the actual things he said about her, Waters is not just a fan but has seen most of her films. There was one occasion when I think Isabelle hinted she is open to working with him. It would be thrilling to see what a Waters-Huppert collaboration will be like.
I had to chuckle at the part when Waters had to explain to Isabelle what "getting laid" means. I don't think I have heard John Waters speak before and he reminded me so much of my professor in grad school. The look, the voice, the manner of dressing and the sensibility.
The last part where Waters told Isabelle about the Lily Tomlin-David O'Russell freakout in I ♥ Huckabees led me to investigate that link on Youtube and indeed it was great to see Isabelle looking calm, composed and checking herself in the mirror while Lily Tomlin was ranting. That clip was worth watching even if I am not a fan of public meltdowns like that one but I had to laugh at what Isabelle did in 2:15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8NztyYiFxQ
@ owl
I had to laugh at what she does throughout, clearly indicating her boredom and disgust with little looks and gestures.
@Paul Outlaw
So true! I re-watched the video 4 more times after my post. Hilarious to hear Naomi Watts let out a giggle/snicker, and Dustin Hoffman's calm response to Lily Tomlin's cuss. And yes, Isabelle was hilarious in that uncomfortable situation. Her sideways look towards the camera seem to indicate "Let's get this scene wrapped, I still have a philosophical thing about nihilism and pure being to say to Jason Schwartzman".