Kino Lorber has announced that they will be giving the documentaries The Queen (1968) and STOP (2014) a release on Blu-Ray and DVD this June. The legendary drag documentary The Queen will be coming on June 2, 2020, and STOP, a documentary on stop-and-frisk policies, will be released on June 30, 2020.
The Queen (1968)
Synopsis: More than 40 years before RuPaul’s Drag Race, this ground-breaking documentary about the 1967 Miss All-American Camp Beauty Pageant introduced audiences to the world of competitive drag. The film takes us backstage to kiki with the contestants as they rehearse, throw shade, and transform into their drag personas for the big event. Organized by pioneering LGBTQ+ icon and activist Jack Doroshow (better known by his stage persona Flawless Sabrina), the competition boasted a star-studded panel of judges including Andy Warhol, Larry Rivers, and Terry Southern. But perhaps the most memorable moment occurs after the crowning ceremony: an epic diatribe by Crystal LaBeija, who would go on to form the influential House of LaBeija, prominently featured in Paris Is Burning (1990). A vibrant piece of queer history, The Queen can now be seen in full resplendence thanks to a new restoration from the original camera negatives.
Bonus Features:
STOP (2014)
Synopsis: The feature length documentary STOP follows three years in the life of David Ourlicht, one of the four named plaintiffs in Floyd vs. City of New York. By interweaving the story of David’s family with the action around the trial, STOP places the stop and frisk controversy in the context of a long history of civil rights. From David’s Jewish grandfather, who describes being arrested in Greenwich Village on his first date with David’s grandmother, an African-American woman, to David’s biracial father, Italian-American mother, and mixed race sister, the Ourlicht family offers a powerful backdrop to the flashpoint issue of stop and frisk. The film asks: Must we trade safety for civil rights? From interviews with the lead attorneys bringing in the case, to police officers who defend the practice, to the law professor who wrote the expert report, to coverage of Mayor Bloomberg and Police Chief Ray Kelly, STOP paints a picture of a city divided. Then the trial begins. From the rallies, to the press conferences, to the day David testifies, to closing statements and CCR’s celebratory party, STOP offers a behind the scenes look at the trial, and gives a history of an era of intense political battles that the City of New York will never forget.
Bonus Features: Deleted Scene | Trailers
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
