The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert [Blu-ray]

Director: Stephan Elliott Stephan Elliott

Overview

The usually menacing British actor Terence Stamp does a complete turnaround as Bernadette, an aging transsexual who tours the backwaters of Australia with her stage partners, Mitzi (Hugo Weaving) and Adam/Felicia (Guy Pearce). Their act, well-known in Sydney, involves wearing lots of makeup and gowns and lip-synching to records, but Bernadette is getting a bit tired of it all and is also haunted by the bizarre death of an old loved one. Nevertheless, when Mitzi and Felicia get an offer to perform in the remote town of Alice Springs at a casino, Bernadette decides to tag along. The threesome ventures into the outback with Priscilla, a lavender-colored school bus that doubles as dressing room and home on the road. Along the way, the act encounters any number of strange characters, as well as incidents of homophobia, while Bernadette becomes increasingly concerned about the path her life has taken.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/07/2011
UPC:	0883904242338
Original Release:	1994
Rating:	R
Source:	Mgm (Video & Dvd)
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound]
Language:	English
Time:	1:43:00
Sales rank:	15,153

Special Features

Audio commentary by director Stephan Elliott; Birth of a Queen featurette ; Deleted scenes ; Tidbits from the set ; The Bus From Blooperville outtakes ; Original theatrical trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Terence Stamp	Bernadette
Hugo Weaving	Tick/Mitzi
Guy Pearce	Adam/Felicia
Bill Hunter	Bob
Sarah Chadwick	Marion
Mark Holmes	Benji
Julia Cortez	Cynthia
Ken Radley	Frank
Alan Dargin	Aboriginal Man
Rebel Russell	Logowoman
June Marie Bennett	Shirley
Al Clark	Priest
Margaret Pomeranz	Adam's Mum
Murray Davis	Actor
Leighton Picken	Actor
Rebel Penfold-Russell	Actor
Daniel Kellie	Actor
Maria Kmet	Ma,Pa
Frank Cornelius	le pianiste
John Casey	Actor
Murray Davies	Actor
Bob Boyce	Actor
Guy Gross	Composer

Technical Credits

Stephan Elliott

Stephan Elliott	Director,Screenwriter,Screenwriter
Michael Hamlyn	Producer
Rebel Penfold-Russell	Executive Producer
Robert Simper	Stunts
Roger Cowland	Special Effects
Steve Burgess	Sound Effects
Tim Colvin	Sound Effects
Steve Erskine	Sound Effects
Simon Hewitt	Sound Effects
Stuart Quin	Executive Producer
Grant Lee	Producer
Phil Judd	Sound Effects,Sound/Sound Designer
Al Clark	Producer

Editorial Reviews

A campy ode to alternative lifestyles and the music of ABBA, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is nonetheless rarely played for straight laughs, respecting the dignity of its subjects too much to mock them. Instead, it's a rich study of how smiles and wit can conceal, or fail to conceal, private pain. Like the American movie it obviously inspired, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995), Priscilla dresses up in drag a bunch of actors who (in retrospect, if not at the time) are more familiar to audiences in macho contexts: British heavy Terence Stamp and Aussies Guy Pearce (a hard-boiled cop in L.A. Confidential) and Hugo Weaving (the villainous agent in The Matrix). The trio has a rollicking good time across the outback, in spite of the vitriol they must often deflect, giving a sadly realistic glimpse of the defensive shield those at society's fringes must assimilate as a given part of their daily lives. Stamp in particular stands out, eloquently weathered for what seems to be his last hurrah. Director Stephan Elliott astutely captures the strange clashing of the big city (the flamboyant road trippers) and the back water (their hosts and hecklers). Beyond being a fond favorite among gay audiences, the film's sensitive character portrayal has earned it a wider appreciation that exceeds cult status.

All Movie Guide