Sylvester: Mighty Real

D: Tim Smyth; with Jim Fouratt, Patti LaBelle, Martha Wash, John Waters.

High-pitched gay male angst did not begin and end with Bronski Beat and the Fine Young Cannibals. The queen of them all, y’all, was Sylvester, yet there seems to be precious little known or remembered about the disco icon — until now. This too-short doc (only 11 minutes) nods at Sly’s days as the “Child Wonder of Gospel” and his tenure (along with fellow doll Divine) with the Cockettes, but mostly focuses on his international fame in the late Seventies. With rarely seen roller disco clips and lots of mighty real insight from the folks who knew and loved him best (divas Martha Wash, Patti LaBelle, and John Waters), Sylvester: Mighty Real is the real deal, a fierce tribute to a groundbreaking life, lived in the life: our first openly gay No. 1 Hit Superstar. — K.M. (“Sylvester: Mighty Real” screens prior to the documentary, Dance Culture in the Mix, 8/27, 7:30pm.)

This article appears in August 23 • 2002.

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A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Kimberley has written about film, books, and pop culture for The Austin Chronicle since 2000. She was named Editor of the Chronicle in 2016; she previously served as the paper’s Managing Editor, Screens Editor, Books Editor, and proofreader. Her work has been awarded by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for excellence in arts criticism, team reporting, and special section (Best of Austin). The Austin Alliance for Women...

Marjorie Baumgarten is a film critic and contributing writer at The Austin Chronicle, where she has worked in many capacities since the paper's founding in 1981. She served as the Chronicle's Film Reviews editor for 25 years.