Filthy Business

Ahead of "John Waters: Pope of Trash," at LA's Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the auteur dishes on three memorable items.

THE ODORAMA CARD

Polyester,1981

This film, starring Divine and Tab Hunter, came with scratch 'n' sniff cards, a gimmick borrowed from Hustler's lilac-scented spreads. "I found out that 3M had a library of smells," Waters says. "People paid me money to smell a fart!"

THAT ROACH DRESS

Hairspray,1988

"Rats and roaches have been in all my movies," he says, including his ode to '60s dance shows. Ricki Lake's Tracy Turnblad triumphs in a bugged-out gown. "You celebrate what other people think is negative, you make it your own, and you win."

THOSE KILLER HEELS

Serial Mom,1994

Kathleen Turner, who shines as a deliciously unhinged murderer, cannot abide a woman wearing white after Labor Day. "My mother taught me that," says Waters. "It's the only thing I'm right-wing about."

Laura Regensdorf