If you haven’t seen James Bidgood‘s underground classic, starring so-luscious-he-looks-like-candy New York rent boy Bobby Kendall, you’re either in for a treat or you’ll be wondering what Bidgood was on at the time he made it. Whichever response, anyone who encounters this unclassifiable film for the first time will be scratching their head, for sure.
In searching for material to accompany this streamer, I found that Wikipedia calls Pink Narcissus an “arthouse drama,” and it’s so not an arthouse drama. At all.
Time Out says its better:
“For years, Pink Narcissus was a film shrouded in mystery, known only to the most ardent fans of underground/gay cinema after a brief outing in the early ’70s, and from a few awed reviews in the press. Now that it has resurfaced in a rediscovered print, it’s pleasing to report that the film’s wicked reputation is fully justified. It’s a hugely overblown sexual fantasy centering around one boy, a dark-haired, pouting young thing who drifts through various sets (sleazy street, club, Arabian Nights-style orgy), dressing up and dressing down, cruising and being cruised. It’s all massively erotic, healthily funny and visually impressive, reminiscent of Lindsay Kemp, Kenneth Anger and their ilk.”
Time Out
Let me know what you think in the comments and get rewarded for your trouble with a gift.