Flaming Creatures

Flaming Creatures

1963 · 42 min · ★ 4.8

Filmmaker and artist Jack Smith described his own film as a “comedy set in a haunted movie studio.” Flaming Creatures begins humorously enough with several men and women, mostly of indeterminate gender, vamping it up in front of the camera and participating in a mock advertisement for an indelible, heart-shaped brand of lipstick. However, things take a dark, nightmarish turn when a transvestite chases, catches and begins molesting a woman. Soon, all of the titular “creatures” participate in a (mostly clothed) orgy that causes a massive earthquake. After the creatures are killed in the resulting chaos, a vampire dressed like an old Hollywood starlet rises from her coffin to resurrect the dead. All ends happily enough when the now undead creatures dance with each other, even though another orgy and earthquake loom over the end title card.

Directed by Jack Smith · Written by Jack Smith

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Cast

Francis Francine Francis Francine
Sheila Bick Delicious Dolores
Joel Markman Our Lady of the Docks
Mario Montez The Spanish Girl
Arnold Rockwood Arnold
Judith Malina The Fascinating Woman
Marian Zazeela Marian Zazeela
Beverly Grant Whirling Dervish
Piero Heliczer

Make it a double feature

57m together

Flaming Creatures

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