Hairspray (1988)

Very best movie i ever watch

Purely Joyful Movie!

Great Film overall

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Thanks for the opportunity to say, Hairspray, the John Waters version shows the most accurate portrayal of 60's life anywhere, let alone Baltimore. Racism and how John Waters handled it with such humor makes him a King in my book. The Stephen King of comedy. Meanwhile much of the cast has went on to stardom and recognition in other venues. Right Riki Lake? One of my favorite cast members from the show Holter Graham, Mr. "two out of sight years" is currently staying busy appearances on soap operas, detective series etc. You know how you could just swear that your seeing someone familiar on a show but access to the cast? Well there you go, because I always thought I was seeing him here and there.I'm glad to have just found out, thanks to todays modern technology (you tube)! Keep rocking! I love you for it!Alex Frazier

This is a great film that is so much better than the awful remake they did with John Travolta. The remake lacks all the things that males this version so brilliant. The humour, the great music and dancing and the underlying message about race and segregation in the 50's and 60's in the USA. There are so many good performances that it is hard to single out any. The script and direction are both brilliant and this is a rare combination of a feel good film with a serious message. it is comedy and drama, it is one of the only musical films I like and is one of those films I would happily watch over and over again. I am surprised that the remake was in fact so bad, missing all the elements that made this a great film, so in my opinion, give the remake a miss and buy this version on DVD!

It is hard to believe that we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of this film this week. It is even harder to believe that just one week after it opened Divine left the world's stage forever.But, the star of the show was Ricki Lake in her first year as a film actress. She camped up John Water's script and delivered an enjoyable musical movie with a message that is just as important today as it was 20 years ago.It was really interesting seeing people like Sonny Bono, Blondie, Jerry Stiller, Pia Zadora, and, of course, writer/director John Waters himself.A goofy satire that is just as good today as it was then.

John Waters acolytes will hate me for this, but I saw the recent movie musical version of "Hairspray" before I saw Waters' original, and I couldn't get over the feeling that the original fails in comparison.Ricki Lake does not have what it takes to play Tracy Turnblad, the chubby girl with the big hair who lands a spot on a teen dance show and becomes a Baltimore sensation. Tracy should be so engaging and lovable that no one can help but root for her, and Lake is definitely not that girl. It doesn't help that the rest of the cast acts like they're reading their lines off of cue cards, or that Waters lost all ability (or interest) in bringing his movie to a coherent conclusion. It's like Waters sets out to make his film too weird for the mainstream, but the directing and acting are too pedestrian to elevate it to the level of camp. So by the end it's just sort of boring.I'm vaguely turned off by John Waters movies. They're always so cheap looking and lazily directed, like no one, not Waters, the actors or the film artists, could be bothered to take anything very seriously. My question is: why should I expend the energy in watching this movie if the people who made it weren't even interested in the project to begin with? Grade: C