An homage to expressive and queer sexuality, the dancers featured in this documentary are passionate and inspiring in their adulterated way of being. Thank you to the film maker for highlighting a part of this lesbian world. The footage is raw and the story very much in the moment as events are happening. The dancing is hyper sexual and for me as a queer woman empowering to see this expression is a lesbian run and owned space, by the female gaze for the female gaze. It portrays a magnitude of lesbian identities within the hour and 10 minutes it runs from hyper femme to trans masculine presenting. I would definitely recommend to any queer friends as educational and entertaining.
Shakedown
2018
Action / Documentary / Drama / History

Shakedown
2018
Action / Documentary / Drama / History
Plot summary
‘Shakedown’ was a series of parties founded by and for African American women in Los Angeles that featured go-go dancing and strip shows for the city’s lesbian underground scene. Inspired by transwoman Mahogany who, as the mother of the scene, presided over queer strip shows and balls for non-heterosexual audiences in the 1980s, butch Ronnie Ron created, produced and presented the new shows. In them, the largely female clientele from the ‘hood’ slipped dollar notes into lap dancers’ panties while celebrating lesbian sexuality to pulsating hip-hop beats.
Director
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
insightful and special, a glimpse into a part of the queer world unhighlighted in the mainstream
essential for queer bipoc working class history
Refreshing, informative, stimulating, visually appealing
so nice to watch a queer film that doesn't center a white middle class romance
the film explores sex in public, outside of the couple form, in a queer community space
amazing that young queers at the time could have access to this world
I love how many different event posters the film features, for some reason the way the posters were put together really spoke to me
the aesthetic of the posters makes me feel like they were made by people close to the performers who really wanted the performers to be safe and surrounded by money and love.