VIDEO OF THE WEEK
The Cockettes (2002)
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Born from the sexually liberated late '60s San Francisco,
the gender-bending, singing and dancing hippie troupe The Cockettes
composed of both gay men and women became a local sensation with their
flamboyant stage performances. They reached their height of fame in 1971
when the whacked-out gang was invited to play New York. Using The Cockettes'
NYC bow as its kickoff, Weissman and Weber's impeccably archived film then
backtracks to the group's 1969 founding by "Hibiscus," the handsome,
charismatic member of a commune called KaliFlower. First mounting audacious
impromptu performances at movie screenings, they evolved to a full-fledged
troupe, concocting super-campy, nudity-laden shows like "Tinsel Tarts
in a Hot Coma," "Journey to the Center of Uranus" and "Tropical
Heatwave/Hot Voodoo." They even appeared in several underground films,
including Elevator Girls, Tricia's Wedding and Luminous
Procuress. Word of the Cockettes' kooky and crazed productions spread
-- gay celebrities Sylvester and Divine joined and the productions grew
more organized and lavish. Unfortunately clashes between the troupe's homegrown
purists and aspiring professionals flared high, leading to a bittersweet
dissolution with the final performance in 1972. Incorporating a wealth of
priceless archival material and interviews with surviving Cockettes, friends
and fans (including John Waters), the directors transport us back to this
magical, queer and freewheeling past. And, more importantly, insure the
vibrant troupe whose glittery spectacles inspired Bowie, Bette Midler
and The Rocky Horror Picture Show -- are remembered in the future.