Cockettes, The

Aroview: A grandly entertaining chronicle of the lives of a zany troupe of drag vaudeville performers from 1969-1972: from their early days in San Francisco to their bombastic Broadway engagement.

Nominally led by Sylvester (later a big disco star) with a spot light occasionally stolen by Divine, the eclectic, terrifically engaging troupe of self-styled stars include Fayette, Jilala, Sweet Pam, Marshall and Goldie Glitters, who together make up in spunk what they might lack in conventional talent. With startling period footage, and interviews with loose affiliates of “Cockette House” (incl. filmmaker John Waters), the film’s gaiety becomes cocked with suspense as it counts down to their big, but potentially disastrous, Broadway début.

NZ International Film Festival 2002

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