The Cockettes, a 2002 documentary directed by David Weissman and Bill Weber, screens 7:30 p.m. Thursday (Aug. 9) at the Mini Microcinema, 1329 Main St. in Over-the-Rhine. The highly praised film debuted at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival and received the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Documentary.
The Cockettes, a communal San Francisco radical theater group that formed in 1969 and favored colorfully outrageous dress and glittering beards, were a mix of The Living Theater, Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters, Jack Smith's films, Rock & Roll, and Andy Warhol "superstar" culture. They were just right for San Francisco at the time, and started to attract national attention with shows that parodied American musicals and featured original material, according to Wikipedia. They have since been recognized as a major influence on contemporary culture.
Perhaps their most famous artist to come out of The Cockettes was Sylvester, whose show-stopping solo segments at the troupe's shows featured singing influenced by iconic female blues and jazz singers. He went on to be a successful recording artist, whose "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)" became a Disco Era classic. He also was an anti-AIDS activist before dying of complications from the disease in 1988.
The Mini's doors open at 7 p.m.; there is no admission fee but a donation is requested. More info at mini-cinema.org.
