PINK PALACE: IN BED WITH MADONNA

Pink Palace marks World Aids Day with a rare screening of one of the most iconic music docs of all time. The impact of this film is hugely under estimated, it was groundbreaking in terms of a mainstream doc showing explicit queer sexuality at the height of the AIDS crisis, as well as featuring stunning performance footage from the 1990 Blond Ambition Tour. A huge commercial hit, the films in-your-face attitude provided many baby gays around the globe with their first positive scenes of out and proud man on man action, and for baby lesbians the joys of mutual finger f**king. A huge hit at the Rio in 1991, the film regularly played late shows and as a double bill with Dick Tracy or Gentlemen Prefer Blonds. The Rio brochure at the time ran copy from City Limits review "packed with enough sauce to keep the tabloids drooling - sure she talks dirty with an old friend, sure she gets her kit off, and sure she uses seriously rude words. Whats shocking is her dedication to a lifestyle that is life-affirming. Hard hitting, pro-safe sex, pro-women, anti-drugs and definitely anti-homophobic - what more could you want from a contemporary role model? A minor masterpiece" "By rights, it should have been an unendurable indulgence: it’s certainly an enthralled paean to a force-of-nature celebrity who already didn’t want for attention. Yet this doc was, and remains, wholly riveting, as a study in community as well as a solo portrait. Keshishian’s film is perhaps still undervalued as a queer cinema milestone, normalising as it does the out-and-proud gayness of most of her dancers, without fetishising or exoticising their sexuality – relative, at least, to the blazing sexual energy of their glittery leader. The film was rare at the time in its everyday depiction of queer performers at work and at play, hanging out, gossiping or mingling around a New York Pride parade: Madonna is the freak of nature in their midst, not the other way round. And yes, for Madonna cultists, it’s an exhilarating snapshot of the star in her godly, don’t-give-a-fuck prime" The Guardian Please note there are NO ads or trailers, we start on time! Pink Palace is a super low fi highly relaxed event that takes place in the basement bar, its a safe queer space so come along and catch some queer film and pop culture history, each week the film is introduced by curator Andrew Woodyatt, and feel free to stay and chat afterwards, participation is encouraged!PINK PALACE: IN BED WITH MADONNA showing at: November 28, 7:30 pm

Location: Rio Cinema107 Kingsland High Street, London, E8 2PB3

2024-11-28T19:30:00+00:00PT2H2024-11-28T21:40:00+00:0025

Madonna

Donna DeLory

Niki Haris

Sandra Bernhard

Warren Beatty

Antonio Banderas

Rosey de Palma

Alek Keshishian

PINK PALACE: IN BED WITH MADONNA"