(All images by Matthew Rettenmund)
Earlier this month, I finally had an opportunity to tour the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in L.A., the long-awaited marquee tribute to filmmaking that opened in 2021. (Special thanks to my pal Michael Michaud, whose books you need to check out!)
It wasn't exactly what I expected — I know that I, like some, expected more of a costume institute — but it certainly has a wealth of interesting objects from across Hollywood history that help tell the story of the industry that eventually filled the imagination of the world.
Thank ya, Easta Bunny — buk buk!
A special movie-makeup exhibition
No water, no bright light, no feeding after dark ...
A special hall display acknowledges trailblazing actresses.
Most interesting to me was the current exhibition, John Waters: Pope of Trash.
When they go high culture, we go low culture ...
Out of all the filmmakers, how interesting that the one who made the most shoestring films wound up being his own best archivist?! When I tell you that Waters kept everything, I'm underselling it. The exhibition has an avalanche of costumes, receipts, notes and other ephemera from all of Waters's films, and includes such curiosities as Divine's birth certificate.
A special screening room has mock stained-glass windows devoted to Waters's greatest icons.
Divine would be 78 — a peer of Cher's and Dolly Parton's.
I felt so happy for Waters that he gets to be honored so lavishly by such a legit institution in his lifetime — there's a whole room for the relatively obscure Pecker! — even if it was a bit unsettling to see that Serial Mom is already museum-worthy.
I wish it were an auction, not an exhibition.
Every Waters flick is represented.
Female Trouble (1974) — Electric chair
Desperate Living (1977) — Jean Hill's (1946-2013) tutu
Hairspray (1988) — Clapboard & prop button
Hairspray (1988) — Ricki Lake's (b. 1968) & Ruth Brown's (1928-2006) frocks
Hairspray (1988) — Clayton Prince (b. 1965), Divine (1945-1988), Ricki Lake, Debbie Harry (b. 1945) & Cyrkle Milbourne's (b. 1970s) ensembles
Hairspray (1988) — Pretty mind-blowing to see Ricki Lake & Divine's looks in person
Serial Mom (1994) — Kathleen Turner (b. 1954) dress & prop letters
Cry-Baby (1990) — Johnny Depp's (1963) leather jacket
A Dirty Shame (2007) — prop Husky Bathroom Tissue with tongue hole
I swear the HOLLYWOOD sign is visible in there.
Before we left, we checked out the view up top from across the Barbra Streisand Bridge. While it was a clear day, we could not see forever. Still, we could see the HOLLYWOOD sign.
Unlike most dessert trays, they hand you the one you pick — it's not just for show.
If you have time, check out Fanny's, the beautiful restaurant on site, branded to Fanny Brice. The food is amazing, even if the punny names of some of the dishes reallllly didn't work for me. For example, Gone with the Caesar Salad. Where is the artistry?!
Kudos to the Academy for the beautiful structure. What a dream job to be surrounded by artifacts all day.
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