June 7 - The Cockettes: The Original Gender Revolutionaries (2002), 99 minutes, directed by David Weissman and Bill Weber, starring Hibiscus and the Cockettes.
In the fall of 1969, an avant-garde hippie performer named Hibiscus formed a theater company out of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Though queer men predominated, all were welcome, with no restrictions on gender or gender identity.
The Cockettes mixed sex, psychedelics, political and pop cultural satire, thrift store feather boas, and lots of glitter into frothy, fun, one-of-a-kind theater. David Weissman and Bill Weber's documentary The Cockettes traces the troupe’s complete arc, using archival footage and interviews. The film captures not only the history of the Cockettes but the spirit of the special place and time that was San Francisco in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
Co-Director/Producer David Weissman and original Cockettes Scrumbly and Sweet Pam will introduce The Cockettes and answer questions in a post-screening discussion.
June 2024 CinemaLit - Documentaries: The Real and Surreal
June at CinemaLit features four outstanding and eclectic documentaries. Together they represent the great range of subjects available to the genre. Join us for The Cockettes (2002), Spellbound (2002), Umberto Eco: A Library of the World (2022), and Television Event (2020).
Matthew Kennedy, CinemaLit’s curator, has written biographies of Marie Dressler, Joan Blondell, and Edmund Goulding. His book Roadshow! The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s, was the basis of a film series on Turner Classic Movies. His most recent book, On Elizabeth Taylor: An Opinionated Guide, examines the screen legend's entire career.
“I don't have a favorite film,” Matthew says. "I find that my relationships to films, actors, genres, and directors change as I change over the years. Some don't hold up. Some look more profound, as though I've caught up with their artistry. I feel that way about Garbo, Cary Grant, director John Cassavetes, and others."
“Classic films have historical context, something only time can provide,” Matt observes. “They become these great cultural artifacts, so revealing of tastes, attitudes, and assumptions.”
Mechanics' Institute Members Free
Non-Members $10
Cafe opens at 5:30 pm with wine, beer, sparkling water, juice, and fresh-popped popcorn for sale.
Register with Eventbrite below.
Please note: Photos and/or video may be taken during this event.
CinemaLit Films
