Written and Directed by: Stephan Elliot (1994)

Starring: Terrance Stamp, Hugo Weaving, Guy Pierce (View Trailer)

"Drag queens, the desert, a bus - oh my!"

The Anticipation

Sitting at home navigating my cable's guide while displaying the information on screen (like any self-respecting television viewer) when I discover what seems to be a promising film. The cast was top-notch, it was on the Sundance channel, and the tagline that was displayed seemed very promising.

The Top-Notch Cast

Terrance Stamp

Hugo Weaving

Guy Pierce

I mean, c'mon!!! Agent Smith, Lord of the Rings, Memento, Count of Monte Cristo, Chancellor Valorum - I mean - ZODD!!! It should be great right?

And then there was that tag line. I think it went something like, "Drag queens journey across the Australian Outback in a bus." Yes, that's right: 1) DRAG QUEENS 2) AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK 3) A BUSTED OL' BUS!!! Sounds like all the makings of a good time. To watch, I mean . . . wait that doesn't sound good either. Well just brush your homophobia aside, open your mind, and if you have to, tell yourself it's only a movie.

THE REVIEW

"Priscilla Queen of the Desert", is the funniest Dra-medy I've seen in some time. At first you will be amazed by the sheer hilarity of seeing wonderful actors you know and love, dressed as drag queens. Homosexual drag queens at that. (remember: we have learned from Eddie Izzard that not all drag queens are homosexual.) The characters are quite stereo typed, what with the pink bus, the ABBA infatuation, the rehearsals and all. Yet these stereo types only remind us why we like seeing gay men on TV in the first place - they are so ridiculously hilarious!

Once the initial shock of seeing Agent Smith prance around with some aborigines wears off, you realize that underneath all that make-up is a great story about a man struggling with the responsibilities of fatherhood and yearning for acceptance from his long lost son.

High Points are:

• a pink bus, ripping across the harsh Australian Outback with a giant sequined high heel shoe atop.
• the abba terd
• the incredibly awesome acting
• the cabaret
• actually, the makeup and costumes are really, really, good.
• the soundtrack is great
• and you get some good life advice: after a lot of hard work to finally make it to the top . . . you just want to go home. So find a place to call home. The bus goes on.

Finally, what you've been waiting for: (or the guys in drag)