Every December since 1966, filmmaker John Waters has hosted a huge Christmas party at his Baltimore home. Christmas is an obsession for Waters, and this year he released a holiday compilation -- featuring such titles as "Here Comes Fatty Claus" -- on a new CD, A John Waters Christmas.
NPR's Scott Simon visited Waters as he and a team of friends prepared to decorate every room of his four-story 1928 home. Everything gets the holiday treatment, from the fireplace mantel to the electric chair (from his movie Female Trouble) that sits in his foyer.
But don't call Waters sentimental: To him, the word usually means badly written. He's not a fan of It's a Wonderful Life, and you might want to cover the ears of any children in the vicinity before listening to his idea of what a good seasonal film would be.
The holidays are a time of giving and receiving. And in Waters' world, there is much exchanging of fakes: fake excrement, a fake humping dog, fake pie, fake butter. Enjoy a Christmas house tour with Waters and some of his most prized possessions.
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