How many films force you to scream "You have GOT TO SEE THIS!" to all your friends? The experience is so shocking and visceral that years after you can remember the entire film and the emotions it generated in you. The film leaves you giddy, blinking, stammering to explain to yourself and to your friends what you saw.

If you think Hostel, or Saw, or May, or Reservoir Dogs are edgy, the film I'm about to recommend to you may just cause your eye balls to melt, or your brain-folds to snap tight and wriggle out your ears. The film I'm referring to is not about torture porn, nor is it your standard Hollywood fare that has one shocking sequence added to it. No, this film is mind-bending from beginning to end, the accumulated images, moments, and character interactions will stick with you, for better or worse, for the rest of your life, so long as you can stick with it.

So, here is the film I have recommended to a daring few. You have been warned; it may change your life:

Sick: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist

Story: This documentary covers years in the life of Bob Flanagan, the oldest living survivor of Cystic Fibrosis, and his partner, lover, and dom, Sheree Rose, as they practice various forms of sex play in an attempt to find feeling and meaning beyond his fight with CS. While watching this doc, one of the many thoughts that comes to mind repeatedly is "What is normal when your life starts out so abnormally?" Flanagan, a poet, singer, and performance artist, documents his struggles and his successes at moving beyond the pain of his disease. It's a constant battle and I couldn't help but think his oh-so-shocking-play was a large part of what kept him alive against such overwhelming odds.

Sphincter Clenching Factor: As I mentioned, to feel anything beyond his disease, Flanagan goes to what "normal society" would consider extremes. If you have visited blogs such as (NSFW) Body Two then you are aware of the level of play some people indulge in. For the viewer not aware of this area of their society, it will come as quite a shock. Flanagan plays with piercings, cuttings, bondage, needle-play, nailings, etc., all acts which pale in comparison to his final passing (remember, it is titled "The Life & Death of… "), as he struggles and finally succumbs to his disease.

Conclusion: This is life, front and center. These are human beings struggling with the big issues we all eventually face but rarely at the level at which Flanagan and Rose do on a daily basis. The film had me laughing, wincing, screaming and in the end weeping for a man who loved and fought for life in such a fierce manner that I can say it left me exhausted and in awe.

The film isn't complete without watching the special features mini-doc of CF survivor Sarah. In the film, Bob receives a letter from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The letter explains that a 17-year-old named Sarah has made it her wish to meet with Bob. So they meet, Sarah brings her mother along, and they chat primarily about surviving CF. This special feature looks at Sarah's life three years after that initial visit and her response to the film. Her family all seem confounded by her attachment to this "sick" man, but to me it was obvious; his fight is her fight. It puts the entire film in perspective. To many, Bob really was a hero.

I appreciate every moment of life more for having seen this film. How many other films can you say that about?

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