Three drag queens cross the outback in a bus.

It just doesn't work on any level - unless you find something inherently entertaining about men in dresses, as the writer/director seems to think you should.

Concept: D
Story: D
Characters: C
Dialog: F
Pacing: D
Cinematography: C
Special effects/design: C
Acting: C
Music: B

Enjoyment: D

GPA: 1.5/4 ( )

Three drag performers are contracted to perform a show at a resort in Alice Springs, a resort town in the remote Australian desert. They head west from Sydney aboard their lavender bus, Priscilla.

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

Director: Stephan Elliott
Writer: Stephan Elliott
Stars: Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce and Terence Stamp

A surprise hit in America, this 1994 Australian comedy is anchored by Terence Stamp as a transsexual who, in the company of two drag queens, travels to a remote desert location to put on a lip- synch performance--to the amazement of the locals. Getting there on a pink bus named Priscilla, the trio stop and play for people all over the Outback, getting the same homophobic, bewildered responses. The weak link in the film is dialogue that seems to have been pulled from "Queer Movie Banter for Dummies," all bitchy and cliché-ridden but fortunately salvaged by strong acting. The most fun comes whenever the three are performing; fans of Abba will be particularly pleased. The DVD release has optional full-screen and widescreen presentations, cast and crew bios, optional French and Spanish subtitles. --Tom Keogh

Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce, Bill Hunter

103 min