I was a fan of the 2007 remake, so I was very eager to watch this movie. The best part is the main character, Tracey. I really find myself rooting for her and her boyfriend. I think the only reason I didn't give this a higher rating is because I find the 2007 version to be superior. It seems to have better songs and actors. I mean, I was blown away by all the stars that appeared in that film. Sadly, I don't know that many people here. It's also a little too short. That being said, it's still a good movie done in great spirits with a lot of energy. This was actually filmed at Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom! I used to go there all the time I lived in Pennsylvania! Glad to end Cult Month with a good movie and now we're onto TV Month! ***

'Hairspray' to me is one of John Waters' best. It is also his most accessible films, where Waters tones things down compared to most of his other films and stylistically and such it doesn't fall prone to excess.As a Waters film, 'Hairspray' is a delight and splendidly kitsch, a classic if you will. It has its minor flaws, a few scenes and strands are resolved a little too easily and Michael St Gerard is a bit bland compared to the rest of the cast. These minor flaws are far outweighed by the numerous elements that 'Hairspray' does right.One thing that 'Hairspray' particularly excels in is the casting. Divine, in his last film before his premature death shortly after, gives a performance of sheer brilliance, and Waters regulars Sonny Bono and Mink Sole are similarly electric. 'Hairspray' was the film that rose Ricki Lake to stardom and she does a wonderful job and more than holds her own against the more experienced cast members, just for the record am not a fan of her talk show but her performance may have initial non-fans being converted. The rest of the cast are great too.It's a good looking film too, well photographed and colourfully designed. The soundtrack is another highlight of 'Hairspray', delighting constantly. The script has some lovely black humour and there is a lot of wit.While not the busiest of stories, the story in 'Hairspray' has a lot of heart and has a darker undercurrent too with the exploration of racism. Waters' direction is wisely restrained in a film that called for a toned down and less excessive approach.Overall, a classic. On a side note, a few people have been less than charitable towards the 2007 musical remake and one being pretty insulting towards anybody who liked it better. Count me in as someone who loved the 2007 film, while loving both versions in their own ways for different reasons. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Hairspray (1988) *** (out of 4) An overweight teen (Ricky Lake) must battle a skinny teen to win a local TV dance show as well as teach people that integration is a good thing. I've been wanting to see this film for quite some time now and while I found the film to be entertaining I think Waters scored better with Cry-Baby when it comes to his throwbacks to the 60s. There's a lot of great stuff here including Waters ability to make the film feel like the 1960s and the performances are all very good. I'm not a fan of Lake but she steals the show as the teen with a heart to do whatever she wants. Sonny Bono is also good in his role as is Divine as Lake's mother. All the stuff dealing with integration is handled very well, although I think it takes away from Lake's story so I think it should have been cut back some or it should have played a part in the film from the very start.

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