A Poet
$11.50
Dir. James Bidgood
1971, USA, 69 min
Rated 18A
A handsome, self-involved, and brooding young sex worker (Bobby Kendall) escapes the realities of his street life through a series of fantasies of incredible beauty. Obsessed with his own perceived perfection, he lives in a dreamworld of captivating colors, magnificent music, elaborate costumes and strikingly attractive males. In a series of eye-popping sequences he imagines himself in a variety of intense roles – from matador to Roman slave to harem leader – with his room as an exquisite jewel-encrusted retreat.
But reality constantly intrudes through the depraved lives of the other street people, the harsh and ugly sounds outside, and visits from his “johns”. Ultimately, his narcissistic enchantment with his own beauty and lifestyle is marred by one great fear – aging and loss of his youth.
At once phantasmagoric and kaleidoscopic, the stunning new restoration of this ‘70s underground sensation burns just as bright – if not brighter.
Content warning: This film contains explicit sex and nudity.
Introduced by Winnipeg filmmaker Noam Gonick. Noam Gonick makes iconoclastic connections with his work: classical ballet encounters burlesque in cruising forests, queer Olympic athletes meet Russian activists; Utopian hippie cults and ancient devotees to Hermes gather on Manitoba’s legislative grounds. Indigenous gangs, labour rebel rousers, stockbrokers having meltdowns, and the semaphore of prison architecture… all are interwoven into his long-form narratives, feature documentaries and contemporary art/new media pieces. Gonick’s work is in the collection of MoMA, has been lectured about at London’s Serpentine Gallery, has premiered at TIFF, Venice, Berlin, and Sundance, and recently opened the Hot Docs festival. With his partner Michael Walker, Noam befriended the legendary James Bidgood shortly before his death in New York City.
Welcome to Cult-O-Rama, our brand-new monthly screening series exploring beloved sleaze, trash, and cult cinema! A celebration of bad taste curated and introduced by Cinematheque Film Programmer Olivia Norquay. Presented in partnership with Sookram’s Brewing Co. Generously sponsored by IATSE 856 Manitoba.
