“Made the disgusting beautiful!” – Yang was impressed after watching Multiple Maniacs
From SNL to Wicked, Bowen Yang handpicked cinema’s pop-punk rebels with unapologetic flair and fearless pride! At the Criterion Closet, he called John Waters “my favorite director of all time.” Yang said while taking Waters’ Multiple Maniacs home – “He made what was disgusting beautiful and cinematic.”
“What Divine and Mink Stole did in that church? Hands down, the most jaw-dropping shocker cinema’s ever seen!”
“I’m not easily shocked. But John Waters? He is a timeless shocker.”
He also added: “I don’t drop pearls, but Waters does… and that too in art.”
Classic fanboy moment – Yang says, “All About Eve is etched in my soul”
Bette Davis’ dialogue – “For example, you” indelible in Yang’s heart
Bette Davis’ dialogue in 1950’s All About Eve is still the most profound for Yang – “I can never forget the moment when she turns and says – ‘For example, you.’”
Yang says – “After all, I am a gay man—owning it, living it, celebrating it!”. Those lines are tied to my identity.”
“It’s not easy to bring nightlife to the screen” – Yang pays tribute to The Last Days of Disco
“We don’t appreciate this film as much as we should”
Yang calls this 80s club-culture film starring Kate Beckinsale and Chloë Sevigny an “underrated gem.”
“It’s very difficult to make nightlife movies and make them look authentic,” he said.
Bonus picks? Jarmusch’s Mystery Train and Jackie Chan’s high-octane classic Police Story—Yang’s taste packs a punch!
“My cinema will always be inspired by rule-breakers“
Yang’s Criterion Closet Tour is a tribute to filmmaking’s rebel icons – where grime became art, and rules became freedom.