Flaming Creatures (1963)

Flaming Creatures

1963

Comedy Horror Fantasy

Synopsis

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.

Credits

Director

Jack Smith

Cast

Arnold Rockwood as Arnold

Beverly Grant as Whirling Dervish

Francis Francine as Francis Francine

Joel Markman as Our Lady of the Docks

Judith Malina as The Fascinating Woman

Marian Zazeela as Marian Zazeela

Mario Montez as The Spanish Girl

Piero Heliczer