Cross-Dressers, Junkies, and Ass Blood

It was more than just another weekly New York party; Squeezebox! was an institution. The deliciously seedy party-slash-rock concert raged from the late ‘90s to early 2001. It was populated by celebrities of every sexual orientation and persuasion. To give you a feel for how things went down, know this: Without Squeezebox! the world wouldn’t have Hedwig and the Angry Inch (let us all bow our heads and give thanks).

The club night flourished during the Giuliani era, a time when excising the Big Apple’s rotten, drippy pulp was a daily agenda. No wonder every installment raged as though it was the last. Luckily for all of us who didn’t have quite enough jiggly to strap into a corset in ’97, Squeezebox!’s final throw down was commemorated in a self-titled documentary. Interviews with Deborah Harry, Courtney Love, and other iconic boundary-pushers pepper the film, along with live concert footage of now-local drag diva Lady Bunny, New York’s glam/pyro enthusiasts The Toilet Böys, and other eccentrically raunchy performers. Phrases like “dripping ass blood” are used. Check it out at tonight’s special one-night-only showing at Cinema Paradiso (503 SE Sixth St., Fort Lauderdale). Showtime is 7 p.m. All tickets are $5. Call 954-525-FILM, or visit www.fliff.com.
Wed., Oct. 8, 7 p.m., 2008