This film is presented by St. Louis’s long-running cult film series STRANGE Brew and will feature a pre-film intro by Strange Brew programmer Jon Scorfina.

But I’m A Cheerleader is a campy and colorful queer comedy that satirizes teen conversion therapy. Starring Natasha Lyonne as cheerleader Megan Bloomfield, the film follows Megan as her parents send her to a conversion therapy camp called True Directions hoping to “cure” her emerging lesbianism. There the film deconstructs ideas of traditional gender roles, as Megan and the rest of the gay campers ironically find their sexuality with each other despite the camp’s best efforts to instill heteronormative behavior. 

Released in 1999, But I’m A Cheerleader was the directorial debut of Jamie Babbit. The film was overlooked outside of festival audiences during its original release and struggled with avoiding an NC-17 rating due to the MPAA’s stringent guidelines on “homosexual content.” However, Babbit’s film gained a devoted cult following as a DVD favorite, largely because of the incredible performance of Natasha Lyonne, an exceptional supporting cast of queer icons including Mink Stole, Melanie Lynskey, Clea DuVall and an out-of-drag performance from RuPaul as “Ex-Gay” Camp Counselor Mike. But I’m A Cheerleader’s garish colors and kitschy mise-en-scène are unforgettable, while its themes of love and identity are both timeless and ahead-of-its-time. 

Discover But I’m A Cheerleader for the first time or rediscover it now on its 25 anniversary as the Strange Brew cult movie night celebrates this gem of a film for Pride Month.

THEATER POLICIES

All seats are first-come, first-served.

The theater opens one hour prior to showtime, except for “Happy Hour” events when the theater will open at the event’s start time.

All ages are welcome at Arkadin except for Drinkolas Cage events, which are restricted to 21+. We follow the MPAA rating guidelines for all other films.

Tickets can be purchased using the BUY TICKETS link above. Upon ordering, you will receive a confirmation email from Square. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of the show at the concession counter.

If you’ve purchased advance tickets, when you arrive, please give your name at the concession counter to check in.

Tickets are returnable by sending a request through the contact form located on our About Us page prior to showtime.

When an event is sold out, we reserve the right to release open seats to customers on the waitlist. If you have a pre-purchased ticket and arrive late and there is no seat for you, your ticket will be refunded.

All screenings are held in our indoor theater unless indicated otherwise in the event description above.

Please respect your fellow movie-goers by remaining quiet and refraining from using your cell phone throughout the screening.