Saturday, April 21, 7:30 PM
PENNSYLVANIA PREMIERE
Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana
(Dir. Frank Henenlotter, 2018, USA, 105 min)
Director Frank Henenlotter, Producers Anthony Sneed and Mike Hunchback, and Subject Mike Diana in attendance!
BUY TICKETS ($12)

In 1991 police officers in Gainesville, Florida were stunned to find that artwork featured in an issue of the underground zine Boiled Angel bore what they saw to be a startling resemblance to the 1990 multiple murder of five students from the University of Florida.  Upon investigating and taking a blood sample from creator Mike Diana, it was determined that he was not in fact the “Gainesville Ripper”, but rather just a young comic artist with a taste for the transgressive and the macabre.  Though cleared of being a serial killer, local law enforcement turned their attention to the content of Mike’s comics, which they deemed to be offensive and obscene.  Two years later, Mike Diana received a court summons accusing him of “the publication of lewd and/or obscene material”, which ultimately resulted in him being the first American artist to be convicted of obscenity in the history of the United States.

Legendary cult director Frank Henenlotter’s (Frankenhooker, Basket Case) third documentary is not only his best, but also his most vital. Narrated by freedom of speech activist (and former Dead Kennedys vocalist) Jello Biafra, the film includes a plethora of vintage footage from the news and daytime talk shows in addition to interviews with virtually everyone involved in the trial including prosecutors, Mike’s defense attorney, defense witness, and even one of the protestors who was convinced Mike was doomed to burn in hell.  Featuring interviews with comic book luminaries including Neil Gaiman (Sandman), Stephen Bissette (Saga of the Swamp Thing) and Peter Bagge (Hate), Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana not only offers details on the trial, but also a history of censorship in comics, and serves as a defining portrait of one of the most important artists in the history of underground comics.

Screening With:
“Suck” – World Premiere
(Dir. Anthony Sneed, 2018, USA, 10 min)
What begins as a cruel act of humiliation leads a man into obsession in this pitch-black comedy written, directed by and co-starring Boiled Angels producer Anthony Sneed.