Updated with new material: “Demented but endearing, hilarious but never mean-spirited” rants and reviews by the incomparable filmmaker (Bret Easton Ellis, New York Times–bestselling author of The Shards).

Crackpot, originally released in 1986 and now updated and expanded, is John Waters’s brilliantly entertaining litany of odd and fascinating people, places, and things. From Baltimore to Los Angeles, from William Castle to the Independent Spirit Awards, from the National Enquirer to Ronald Reagan’s colon, the explores the depths of our culture. And he dispenses useful advice along the way: how not to make a movie, how to become famous (read: infamous), and of course, how to most effectively shock and make the public laugh at the same time. Loaded with bonus features, this special edition is guaranteed to leave you totally mental.

“John Waters has done more than any living American to give bad taste a good name.” —Interview

“The sweetness of the auteur’s alleged perversity shines through on every page. Whether discussing the life story of Pia Zadora or the success of Hairspray on Broadway (“The real reason I’m praying that Hairspray . . . succeeds is that if it’s a big hit, there will be high school productions, and finally the fat girl and the drag queen will get the starring parts”), Waters exhibits a moral heart buried in the garbage of celebrity culture.” —Publishers Weekly

“John Waters writes about low-brow subjects in terms that high-brows can appreciate . . . His breezy mock-indignant style makes this book an easy read in the best sense of the word.” —Baltimore Sun