Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist

This documentary profiles poet/performance artist Bob Flanagan, who was born with cystic fibrosis. Flanagan explains, with engaging humor, how his obsession with controlled, self-inflicted pain has helped him to deal with his uncontrollable suffering. His philosophy forces one to look at ...more

The tongue-in-cheek, sensationalistic title gives little indication of the tender, revelatory moments at the core of Kirby Dick's Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist. Born with cystic fibrosis, Flanagan dedicated his life to stretching, flogging, piercing, burning, and otherwise mutilating his unreliable body, and he invited the art world to watch. Thanks to Flanagan's desire to record his pain, Dick was allowed access to some of the artist's most personal moments with his ...more