Episode 8: Michael Zen’s FALCONHEAD (1976)

Our month of horror-themed titles continues with quite possibly the only film to connect Agnès Varda, Brigid Berlin, genderfuck drag superstars the Cycle Sluts, the Accu-Jac, and Alice Coltrane: Michael Zen’s Falconhead. Often described as a forerunner of Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, Falconhead is an occult-tinged nightmare profiling the depths of gay narcissism and self-love.

This is a film born out of a very specific time in Los Angeles’ queer arts scene — practically everyone involved has a backstory worthy of exploration, which we’ll discuss at length in this episode.