Sinema Club: sex-pos & LGBTQ+ film club: The Birdcage (1996)

House of Scorpio

presents

Sinema Club: The Birdcage (1996)

Sun June 22, 7-11:30pm, 21+ (25+ suggested)

For existing & prospective HoS members*; members: $0-10 / non-members: $10 + $2 fee

Gemini & Scorpio Loft, 267 Douglass St, 3rd fl (ADA accessible)

Official info & house rules: http://www.houseofscorpio.com/events.html

Memberships & tix: http://www.houseofscorpio.com/membership.html (log in to buy)

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IG: @houseof_scorpio [producer] @gemini_scorpio [venue] #houseofscorpio

The body's largest sex organ is the brain. Sinema Club stimulates yours with films that are explicitly erotic, homo-romantic, or gender-exploring -- and always thought-provoking. A rousing discussion follows; drinking is encouraged throughout, and mingling happens before, during and after: the bar lounge remains open for socializing, while the film plays in the main space. Plus: free popcorn from our vintage cart. Order in from the many restaurants around, and make it dinner and a movie.

This month's feature: The Birdcage (1996).

The all-too-familiar plot of in-laws meeting for the first time gets an LGBTQ twist when the father of the groom (Robin Williams!) runs a Miami drag club, while the father of the bride is a conservative politician. In order to make their get-together run as smoothly as possible, the groom’s dad must pretend to be straight and otherwise lie about every aspect of his happy life, especially his marriage to another man (Nathan Lane!). The film was a box office hit and marked a watershed moment for how LGBTQ protagonists were portrayed onscreen. But it’s also hilarious, fast-paced fun that celebrates being gay while skewering American conservatism.

Amuse bouche: Lesbophilia (2024). A hilarious LGBTQ black comedy short centered on sex and desire, and what you can and can’t do at a funeral. We’ll be joined afterwards for a talkback with director Michelle West and screenwriter Tennessee Martin.

Sinema Club is curated and hosted by Phil Guie-Ng (@thatphilguymovies): an inquisitive, ardent longtime film critic who is dying to tell you about movies you haven't heard of yet. As a reviewer at the website Film-Forward, his self-appointed mission was covering documentaries and features about subjects who challenged conventional attitudes about gender, masculinity, and more. When Phil isn't writing about movies, you can find him in Brooklyn taking part in protests on behalf of basic human rights.

*HoS rules: HoS membership, dress code, PAL, prior approval not required; Code of Conduct always applies; no photos except in the designated front area.

Respiratory safety: HoS requires proof of COVID vaccination on file; masks encouraged; two hospital grade UV air purifiers will cycle the air.