THE Cockettes Review
by Robin Clifford (robin AT reelingreviews DOT com)July 1st, 2002
"The Cockettes"
"The Cockettes" is a detailed, affectionate look into a short-lived phenomenon (though popular on its home turf in San Francisco) that uniquely combined gay cabaret with the free love mentality of the hippie subculture of the late 60's and early 70's.
This story of the evolution of a troupe of amateur street performers that attain cult status on a national level is a richly documented tome that benefits from the copious film footage from the Cockettes' earliest days. Documentary filmmakers Bill Weber and David Weissman utilize the wealth of archival footage and talking head interviews with former members of the troupe to give us a sense of the unabashed idealism the amateur troupe lived by in their heyday.
The flamboyant founder and leader of the transvestite theatre troupe, Hibiscus (nee George Harris), was a visionary who saw a place in San Francisco culture for the gang of gender-bending street performers. They were amateur, for sure, but their unbridled zeal to perform, despite the sometimes obvious lack of talent, made them a fixture in the hilly city's counter-culture society.
The remembrances of the still-living members of the Cockettes, combined with the volumes of film footage from their performances, gives a rich insight into the workings of the group, their political temperament and their outrageous sexually oriented cabaret performances. They wore their amateur status on their collected sleeves and would pretty much do anything for fun and the shock factor.
The troupe had a strong enough following in San Francisco to get them national attention. They moved to Off Broadway and were greeted with enthusiasm by the NYC intelligentsia - until they performed their amateur theater. The sophisticates of Manhattan rejected the Cockettes as unrefined and amateur but, during their three-week sojourn to the Big Apple, they developed an underground cult following akin to their SF fans.
The bawdy subject matter and interviews with the sometimes-bizarre former members of the troupe may not hold a great deal of appeal to the mainstream filmgoer. But, for those of you looking for a bit of offbeat nostalgia and a well-rounded glimpse into counterculture Americana, "The Cockettes " may be your cup of herbal tea. I give it a B-.
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