The most recent offering from the "Prince of Puke," John Waters, comes as a much welcomed breath of fresh air. After a relentless assault on the senses, by empty-headed clangers such as Godzilla and Armageddon, it is a delight to revel in a small film with small actors, set in a small town with minuscule production values and not a single computer-generated image in sight.

Edward Furlong stars as Pecker, so named because of his bird-like eating habits, lest you jump to any other conclusion. He struts around town with his bargain basement camera, snapping photographs of the town's wonderfully eclectic and totally insane inhabitants. His work catches the eye of a New York art dealer and he suddenly becomes a raving success. But Pecker's rise to fame and fortune coincides with his alienation from his Laundromat-worshipping girlfriend (Christina Ricci) and everyone who means anything to him. Ultimately, it is the stern remarks issued by the statue of the Virgin Mary, which belongs to his grandmother that remind him of what is truly valuable in life.

Waters, who gave us such stomach-turning masterpieces as Pink Flamingos and the deliciously demented Female Trouble, has returned to his roots - Baltimore and its numerous certifiable inhabitants - for inspiration. In many ways, Pecker is a semi-autobiographical movie through which Waters relates his own experience of stardom and fame and how it alienated him from those who really mattered.

This movie is typically quirky and off-the-wall, but does not contain any of the gutter tactics used in his first few amazing works. Those expecting another Pink Flamingos might be rather disappointed with Waters' inability to offend this time around, but they can still admire the eccentricity which has remained a hallmark throughout his career.

Waters has single-handedly introduced the world to the joys of everything and everyone belonging to the wonderful city of Baltimore, for many the cultural capital of the Western world. All is not lost when American cinema can still churn out delightfully offbeat stuff like Pecker, along with mega-budget, mega-boring movies such as Godzilla and Armageddon.

However, a word of warning - you may not want to use tea bags or eat anything cooked in a Dutch oven after watching this movie.

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