The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Published June 2, 2022

Film info

Title The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Director Stephan Elliott
Year 1994
Run time 1hr 44m
Genres Drama, Comedy
Tagline Finally, a comedy that will change the way you think, the way you feel and, most importantly, the way you dress.

Two drag queens and a transsexual get a cabaret gig in the middle of the desert.

Live blog

Time	Comment
5:29	Quite the transition from amazing performance to sad funeral.
8:14	“Two’s company, three’s a party.”
11:02	I didn’t realise it was the bus called Priscilla, love it.
15:31	Billy, Don’t Be A Hero, LOVE that song.
23:28	Not sure about a flip flop dress.
29:54	The silver train is an incredible statement.
35:05	“It’s not purple, it’s lavender.”
42:16	Haha, the jukebox (guitars) stopped as they walked in.
55:58	I have so many questions about the wife’s performance.
1:00:52	Some epic sunrises and sunsets in Australia.
1:13:42	Arvo!
1:19:54	“Oh, stop wearing out that mirror.”
1:21:09	Wait, Lasseter’s casino? As in…?
1:35:12	“Morals are a choice and he’ll design his own when he’s good and bloody well ready.”
1:38:46	Every film should end with ABBA.

Thoughts

This cultural phenomenon had pretty much passed me by until first it appeared on Strictly with JoJo and his boys doing a great job in heels, and then noticing it was a musical on the stage. So I thought this was a musical when I finally got round to watching it. There’s music in it, obviously - it would be nothing without Gloria Gaynor and ABBA - but it wasn’t a musical as you know and love it.

All three leads are brilliant, they are fascinating in completely different ways and do an incredible job, but then the wife and son come in at the end and absolutely steal the show: the wife, because she quite awesomely says it like it is, and the boy, because he just accepts without breaking from a smile. Beautiful.

Great film, wish I’d seen it sooner.

Rating: 4 / 5