Monday, February 23, 2026
This Monday, February 23rd, Sacrilegious Cinema: Menagerie of Madness takes a reprieve from romance and dives headfirst into sleazy cinema, erecting the legendary John Waters and his trashy film repertoire into the spotlight. This edition of movie night zooms in on the controversial catalogue of the scandalous writer and director, sampling both a mainstream masterpiece as well as a cult favorite to provide audiences with a varied palette. This curated duo features two sides of the same coin pertaining to the violation of social norms, proving transgressive in both narrative and delivery lampooning the customs of fame and the glamorization of immoral individuals. Known for landmark flicks including Pink Flamingos, Cry Baby, Polyester, and the original Hairspray, Waters earns his salacious street cred in the annals of the silver screen. Join us at Hot Wax Coffee Shop in Ybor City for an evening of black comedy tinged horror. 
At 8PM, we acquaint ourselves with Beverly Sutphin and her seemingly white picket fence family in the Baltimore suburbs- boasting a veneer of perfection to guise a grisly predilection towards murder- summoned by the slightest provocation to stir up a spree. SERIAL MOM (1994) presents a scathing critique on the public’s infatuation with true crime and idolization of serial killers- effectively satirizing suburban life, exploiting and subverting the norms embedded in “polite” society, utilizing absurdity to ridicule the warped ideology of the American Dream. The visuals and wardrobe serve as a caricature for the 1950’s in its wholesome facade, hammering in the hypocrisy wedged within the accompanying values in a morbid mockery, complete with offbeat humor in John Waters fashion.
This homicidal housewife, embodied by Kathleen Turner- the same actress responsible for the sultry voice behind Jessica Rabbit- beams as the titular Serial Mom, dispatching her victims with the utmost glee in the same manner she performs motherly duties. Moreover, Matthew Lillard, of Scooby Doo and Scream stardom, portrays the horror-obsessed Sutphin son in his first major film role of many, elevating the atmosphere with his charming quirks. Heavily inspired by the works of the “Godfather of Gore”, Herschell Gordon Lewis- particularly Blood Feast (1963)- Waters funnels splatter elements, as well as a degree of ‘hagsploitation’, into his foray with Serial Mom, materializing among his more commercially successful entries, and of which he claims he is most proud of. 
Then, at 10PM, we follow CECIL B. DEMENTED (2000) and his perverse posse of pariahs and fellow underground filmmakers known as the “Sprocket Holes”, seeking to kidnap Hollywood starlet Honey Whitlock with intention to force her to act in their maniacal movie. As the cameras roll, this gang of terrorist cinephiles unleash havoc upon Baltimore, pushing an anti-establishment angle in this politically charged revolt, utilizing Guerilla tactics and disrupting the tranquility of the town. Starring A-List Melanie Griffith as Honey herself, in addition to Alicia Witt (Twin Peaks, Longlegs), Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Secretary, Donnie Darko) and Stephen Dorff as the eponymous rogue director, this indie cult flick submits a diverse cast of talents for audiences to savor. Loosely influenced by the abduction of heiress Patricia Hearst by the Symbionese Liberation Army in 1974— wherein she later became dedicated to their cause in a case of suspected Stockholm Syndrome— Hearst makes a cameo in a nod to her unique situation.
Cecil B. Demented parodies celebrity culture in its radical execution, mocking Tinseltown’s biggest hits in favor of raw, gritty pictures under a meta lens, exercising a measure of self-awareness in the war between show business, poking fun at some of the pretension that comes with the realm of the art films. To solidify its utter defiance, Waters implements a punk rock soundtrack to match the misfit mood of the movie. 
Aid our insurrection and reject against imposed mores for a night of mischief 
No cover charge and FREE POPCORN with purchase. (In addition to psychological insight accompanied by behind the scenes information and observations by your horror hostess).