Salvation + The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight

Director: Beth B

1987 / 83min / DCP

Salvation! Have You Said Your Prayers Today? This feature-length parody of televangelism (released just after the real-life scandals of evangelists Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart) stars a young Viggo Mortenson, Exene Cervenka (from the band X), Stephen McHattie, and Dominique Davalos (from the band Dominatrix). Salvation! is a fascinating time capsule of the 1980s with an extraordinary soundtrack comprised of songs by acts such as Cabaret Voltaire, Arthur Baker, and New Order.

The Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight As a gang of leather-clad, powerful women take over a traditionally male domain, hairspray, eyeliner, and bare flesh are on full display in Beth B’s music video for the New York City club hit from the synthpop band Dominatrix in 1984. Deemed too racy for New York Hot Tracks and banned at the time of release, it was acquired by The Museum of Modern Art.

Introduction and Q&A with Beth B, moderated by culture writer and critic Carlo McCormick, on Sunday, March 12th