Pink Narcissus
Jef Films / Strand Releasing (1971)
Adult, Drama, Queer Themes/Interest
In Collection
#743
8*
Seen It:  Yes
(11/28/2016 Home)
712267910526
IMDB   6.7
71 mins USA / English
DVD  Region 1   UR (Unrated)
Don Brooks Angel
Bobby Kendall Pan
Charles Ludlam Salesman / Bar owner / Blind man / Pizza maker / Hindu dancer
Director
James Bidgood
Jim Bidgood
Producer James Bidgood
Writer/Composer James Bidgood


An erotic poem set in the fantasies of a young male prostitute:
"For years, Pink Narcissus was a film shrouded in mystery, known only to the most ardent fans of underground/gay cinema after a brief outing in the early '70s, and from a few awed reviews in the press. Now that it has resurfaced in a rediscovered print, it's pleasing to report that the film's wicked reputation is fully justified. It's a hugely overblown sexual fantasy centering around one boy, a dark-haired, pouting young thing who drifts through various sets (sleazy street, club, Arabian Nights-style orgy), dressing up and dressing down, cruising and being cruised. It's all massively erotic, healthily funny and visually impressive, reminiscent of Lindsay Kemp, Kenneth Anger and their ilk." (TimeOut, RS)
Edition Details
Distributor Strand
Release Date 2/25/2003
Packaging Keep Case
Screen Ratio Fullscreen (4:3)
Audio Tracks Dolby Digital Stereo [English]
Stereo [English]
No. of Discs/Tapes 1

Notes
As far as I can determine, Pink Narcissus is the only film James Bidgood ever directed -- After some seven years of filming, with no end in sight, the producers and backers apparently took the raw footage from him and they themselves finished it -- as a protest, Bidgood refused to have his name included in the credits when first released, and was instead listed as "Anonomous" -- Nevertheless, as it has now been remastered, it is a beautiful homo-erotic masterpiece -- Bidgood, at the time of filming (late 1960s-1971) was a still photographer and window dresser -- His sets are filled with color and framed as in a store window -- and the luscious actors are carefully staged with the eye of a photographer -- The story line is that of a prostitute's fantasies and dreams -- Some of the scenes were quite humorous, especially as I today recall gay culture of the time --
Recommended reading: Sean Fredric Edgecomb's "Camping out with James Bidgood" in the links section.