Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Sick

Original title: Sick: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist
  • 19971997
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
60,320
367
Bob Flanagan in Sick (1997)
Documentary
Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis from a young age, performance artist Bob Flanagan shared his life and pain in his art, usually through sadomasochistic practices.Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis from a young age, performance artist Bob Flanagan shared his life and pain in his art, usually through sadomasochistic practices.Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis from a young age, performance artist Bob Flanagan shared his life and pain in his art, usually through sadomasochistic practices.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
60,320
367
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Kirby Dick
    • Stars
      • Bob Flanagan
      • Sheree Rose
      • Kathe Burkhart
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Kirby Dick
    • Stars
      • Bob Flanagan
      • Sheree Rose
      • Kathe Burkhart
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 34User reviews
    • 34Critic reviews
    • 82Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 8 nominations

    Photos

    Add photo

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bob Flanagan
    • Self
    Sheree Rose
    • Self
    Kathe Burkhart
    • Interviewer
    Kirby Dick
    Kirby Dick
    • Interviewer
    Rita Valencia
    • Interviewer
    Sarah Doucette
    • Self
    Richard Kopelle
    • Self
    • Director
      • Kirby Dick
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Titicut Follies
    7.7
    Titicut Follies
    The Deep End
    6.6
    The Deep End
    Jesus Camp
    7.4
    Jesus Camp
    Outrage
    7.5
    Outrage
    Twist of Faith
    7.3
    Twist of Faith
    Derrida
    6.5
    Derrida
    The Accused
    7.1
    The Accused
    ChickenHawk
    6.8
    ChickenHawk
    Resurrection
    5.9
    Resurrection
    The End
    7.1
    The End
    The Hunting Ground
    7.4
    The Hunting Ground
    The Invisible War
    7.6
    The Invisible War

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Shot over a period of two years and compiled from over 100 hours of footage.
    • Quotes

      Bob Flanagan: I want a wealthy collector to finance an installation in which a video camera will be placed in the coffin with my body, connected to a screen on the wall, and whenever he wants to, the patron can see how I'm coming along.

    • Alternate versions
      The film was initially cut by 3 mins 42 secs for UK DVD in 2001 to remove two scenes (an asphyxiation scene and a scene featuring piercing of the penis). The cuts were waived for the 2009 release.
    • Connections
      Featured in Indie Sex: Extremes (2007)

    User reviews34

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    I knew Bob Flanagan - not well and not this part of him
    though I was generally aware of his "performance masochism." I met Bob as a very bright, gifted poet during the early 1970s. I was in my 30s and finishing my post-doc psych internship at the MH Clinic serving Watts and South Central LA. Bob's Cystic Fibrosis was unremarkable to me insofar as my cerebral palsy was, presumably, unremarkable to him. Writing was Bob's fulltime gig. I had hopes of "quitting my daytime gig" - head-shrinking - when/if my own writing ever supported my family. Bob and I were cordial, never close. I admired and, occasionally, envied Bob.

    I forced myself to see the movie. It works. Masochism discomforts me in the extreme - yet Bob remains clear, kind articulate as ever. His 'dominitrix' comes across similarly. The truly chilling moments of "Sick" are Bob Flanagan's mother during her brief moments on camera.

    Rest well, Bob.
    helpful•13
    1
    • popshrink
    • May 10, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 7, 1997 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sick: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist
    • Production company
      • Sick-the Life and Death of Bob Flanagan-Supermasochist
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $116,806
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $86,917
      • Nov 21, 1997
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Bob Flanagan in Sick (1997)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Sick (1997) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Hollywood Romances: Our Favorite Couples
    See the gallery
    Back to top

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.