Sick: The Life and Death of Bob Flanagan, Super Masochist

Ouch. It's easy to get distracted by the abuse one penis can take -- only to rise again! -- in this provocative, near-tearjerking documentary about übermasochist/visual artist Bob Flanagan. Battling cystic fibrosis until his death, at age 44, last year, Flanagan pushed the limits of pain and illness with his outrageous art and a sense of humor as sharp as, well, the knife that slits open his hard-on.

For those who get spanked only on their birthdays, director Kirby Dick (no joke) incisively paddles home the dark allure of S&M. The stunts are cross-your-legs explicit -- the duplication of Flanagan's pièce de resistance would require a trip to the nail aisle of your local True Value Hardware.

But at the heart of this intriguing film beats the poignant love story of the eerily messianic Flanagan and his wife/dominatrix, Sheree Rose. "Do we have a reaction?", Rose asks, as her beloved blooms into an enthusiastic erection, his cojones transformed into a human pincushion. Yes, we do. Screens at the Kendall Square Thursday at 6:15, 8, and 10 p.m. and Friday at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.

-- Alicia Potter

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