ARCHIVAL PRESENTATION:
CAFÉ FLESH (New 4K Restoration!)
(Stephen Sayadian, 1982; 76 min., United States)
Friday, November 8 / 7 pm / Grand Illusion Cinema / TICKETS
In the nuclear fallout of World War III, 99% of the surviving population have become “Sex Negatives,” unable to stomach even the fleeting hint of erotic touch. The only outlet for their permanently frustrated “desire in chains” are nightly shows at Café Flesh, a hardcore sexual cabaret where the few remaining “Sex Positives” are forced to perform in grotesquely surreal setpieces for the pathetically leering audience. Combining avant-garde theatrics with hardcore sex, in a sly commentary on the unfulfilled lusts of porn spectators, Café Flesh remains one of the strangest, smartest, most daringly original adult films ever made.
Directed with surrealist flair by Stephen Sayadian (Nightdreams, Dr. Caligari), from a sharply satirical screenplay by Jerry Stahl (Permanent Midnight, Happy Mutant Baby Pills), this post-apocalyptic sci-fi fable was too artsy for the porn crowd and too weird for the mainstream, but became a midnight cult hit in 1982. Also featuring an unforgettable original score by Mitchell Froom, plus performances by future “scream queen” Michelle Bauer, Paul McGibboney, Andy Nichols, Kevin Jay, and Marie Sharp, this gorgeous new 4K restoration is not to be missed!
Clip from unrestored version:
