The Cockettes The Rise and Fall of a Legendary Theatrical Troupe
The Cockettes, a flamboyant ensemble of hippies decked out in outlandish gender-bending finery, created a series of legendary, LSD-fueled midnight musicals in early 1970s San Francisco. A diverse mix of genders and races, The Cockettes were an immediate sensation and their performances embodied the blending of the psychedelic counterculture and the sexual revolution.
This must-see documentary -- now digitally restored -- follows the rise and and fall of this now-legendary group of fashion forward performers from 1969-1972.
Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. Winner of Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards.
"An irresistible documentary look at the ensemble of the moment in the hippie kingdom of San Francisco, this comprehensive and charming film not only recalls those days exactly, it also manages the wonderful trick of taking us back there along with it." - Kenneth Turan , The Los Angeles Times
Running Time
100 mins
Year
2002
Kanopy ID
3811812
Filmmakers
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Subjects
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Comments (2)
The Cockettes is a standard documentary in form, and features content that might not even raise eye brows in this day and age. Therefore, my strong adoration for this film is bred largely from personal taste. The unabashed queerness of the Cockettes, the devotion to art and fantasy, the ...Read more
The Cockettes is a standard documentary in form, and features content that might not even raise eye brows in this day and age. Therefore, my strong adoration for this film is bred largely from personal taste. The unabashed queerness of the Cockettes, the devotion to art and fantasy, the socialist roots, the FUN... what's not to love? This documentary of a theater troupe during the hay day of hippiedom in the Haight, has left me awash with a nostalgic glow. Of course, the ebullience of nostalgia is always anchored by the tragedy of the present. This fact cannot be ignored as I stream this historical account in the very place in which these events occurred: inside a Haight Street Victorian, wherein the artists have been replaced by techies, the rent is 170x the price, and the accoutrements of hippiedom are peddled as souvenirs.
Read lessFascinating documentary about the performing troupe which, on the outskirts, included Sylvester and Divine. John Waters, Holly Woodlawn and Sylvia Miles are among the notables who are interviewed. First hand accounts of San Francisco during the Summer Of Love and the years following make you ...Read more
Fascinating documentary about the performing troupe which, on the outskirts, included Sylvester and Divine. John Waters, Holly Woodlawn and Sylvia Miles are among the notables who are interviewed. First hand accounts of San Francisco during the Summer Of Love and the years following make you feel a part of it.
Read less