The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Waste of time

As Good As It Gets

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

The Adventures of Pricilla, Queen of the Desert is a wonderful story highlighted with stunning cinematography, excellent costume design and outstanding performances. The story is concerned with three drag-queens who get a gig in the middle of the Australian desert. Through these characters the film touches on subjects of alienation, found and forgotten love, friendship and hardship. Mostly set on their road trip through the desert, they travel in a lavender bus, which over the course of the film is subjected to hate crimes and breakdowns; becoming a symbol for its femme-masculine inhabitants and what they have endured. The Adventures... is truly original and entertaining from its highs to its well executed dramatic lows. S

Available on Blu-ray Disc (Region B)Australia 1994 English (Colour); Comedy/Drama/Musical/LGBTQ (PolyGram/Australian Film/Latent Image/Specific); 103 minutes (15 certificate)Crew includes: Stephan Elliott (Director/Screenwriter); Al Clark, Michael Hamlyn (Producers); Rebel Penfold-Russell (Executive Producer); Brian J. Breheny (Cinematographer); Owen Paterson (Production Designer); Sue Blainey (Editor); Guy Gross (Composer)Cast includes: Terence Stamp (Bernadette Bassenger), Hugo Weaving (Anthony "Tick" Belrose/Mitzi Del Bra), Guy Pearce (Adam Whitely/Felicia Jollygoodfellow), Bill Hunter (Bob), Julia Cortez (Cynthia), Sarah Chadwick (Marion Barber), Mark Holmes (Benjamin Barber)Academy Award: Costume Design (Lizzy Gardiner, Tim Chappel); BAFTA Awards (2): Costume Design (Gardiner, Chappel), Makeup/Hair; BAFTA nominations (5): Actor (Stamp), Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Film Music; Golden Globe nominations (2): Picture - Musical/Comedy, Actor - Musical/Comedy (Stamp)"Finally, a comedy that will change the way you think, the way you feel, and most importantly... the way you dress."Two female impersonators (Weaving, Pearce) and a recently bereaved transsexual (Stamp) travel halfway across Australia on board a dilapidated bus christened "Priscilla," to perform their cabaret act at a remote casino, encountering absurd situations and individuals almost as nonconformist as they are.Stamp is amazing and totally credible in his quietly dignified transgender portrayal, as are Weaving and (especially) Pearce as "her" flamboyant, lip-synching (to a marvellously camp soundtrack featuring ABBA, Gloria Gaynor, Village People et al) drag queen companions.The gaudy, outrageous (and cheap) costumes won a well-deserved Oscar, and the photography of the barren, surreal landscape is masterful, as is Elliott's creative direction and hilarious, ultimately poignant script.Blu-ray Extras: Commentary, Documentary, Deleted Scenes, Interviews, Bloopers, Trailers. ***½ (7/10)

There are many outstanding features in Stephan Elliot's legendary examination of prejudice and triumph relating to Australia's queer community. Firstly, of course, those incredible costumes by Lizzie Gardiner and Tim Chappell - you can't take your eyes off them. The lush colour and attention to detail is astounding. Next, the stunning landscape (although stunning seems an understatement) of outback Australia, with the light and perspectives used to amazing effect in every scene. The acting, with Guy Pearce, Terence Stamp and Hugo Weaving in the main roles, is impeccable. All of them inhabit their characters to such an extent that you forget they're acting. Terence Stamp, in particular, struck me as just perfect for his role. His character, an older transsexual, is brittle, yet witty and resilient, and later on shows she is supportive and empathetic of her friends. Guy Pearce gives an astonishing physicality to his role - he is so immersed in his character that he doesn't have to impersonate anyone, his IS the camp, flamboyant muscled up young drag queen. The role when he/she confronts the violent thugs chasing her in Coober Pedy is outstanding - it manages to be funny, disturbing, offensive, shocking and confronting all at once. The film's script is sharp and entertaining, although sometimes there is too much dialogue. Sometimes scenes are more like a play and the actors fall to reciting their lines, albeit with great wit. It's a very Australian film. There are many people who are encountered along the way who accept the three main characters, love them and help them, but also a lot of senseless hostility, and the film lays out those issues effectively. The film also shows how there are many grey areas with the characters, for example Hugo Weaving's character has a wife and child, and is conflicted in many ways in his sexuality. He's still working out who he is. He feels guilty and uncertain. It's a great portrait that the scriptwriters paint in his case. The films is amazingly assured and accomplished. A real landmark of Australian cinema.

In honor of pride month, I decided to watch a movie I could not believe I have never seen before. That movie is of course the adventures of Priscilla Queen of the desert. I can honestly say that it is one of the best LGBTQ films ever made. And just because this is an LGBTQ movie doesn't mean that that's all that it's, it's not. It's is a road trip movie about these three individuals. It's stars Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce and Terence Stamp. Weaving and Pierce play to gay drag queens and Terence Stamp plays an aging transgender woman. They all three decide to get in a bus that they have named Priscilla and drive across the desert to some drag shows they will be performing in in a town called Alice Springs. On this road trip they come across many things: homophobic assaults, they learn secrets about one another, and they get to know each other better through deep meaningful conversations. That's why I call it a touching road trip movie sprinkled with comedy, it is not strictly a comedic film, I would first call it a drama before I would a comedy. The acting is really what holds this movie up, along with the good dialogue and the fantastic costumes (for which the film won an academy award). The one that really shines the most in this movie is Terence Stamp, his performance as the transgender woman Bernadette was absolutely flawless, personally I think he should've gotten an Academy Award nomination. Hugo weaving and Guy Pearce were also very very good in their roles, it's just that Terence stamp really outshined everyone. Guy Pearce was not only very good looking in this role, but he was also very flamboyant and cheery character, so he was kind of the comedic relief of the film, not that the movie was making fun of his being gay or being flamboyant, he was just a very funny character, which was good because it's always good to have a balance of good touching drama with some comedy. The costuming absolutely deserved that Academy award win, they were fabulous and just perfect for the drag shows. The soundtrack is great too. All in all, this is a very well made film and I suggest it to any and everyone. 9/10. Happy Pride Month everyone!!