Product Description

This oscar-winning feel-good comedy won the hearts of moviegoers partly for its lavish costumes and devotion to abba but mostly for the great performances of three drag artists who are on the road trip of a lifetime. Special features: subtitles in french and spanish theatrical trailer and much more. Studio: Tcfhe/mgm Release Date: 09/20/2005 Starring: Terence Stamp Guy Pearce Run time: 103 minutes Rating: R

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20839 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-03-28
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Amazon.com
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. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Entertaining, rewatchable ... a feast of colours too
1994 was a big year for Aussie films. PRISCILLA and MURIEL'S WEDDING came out at the same time, and both earned a cult following because of their over-the-top themes. Also, an ABBA revival was happening at that time, and these films featured ABBA music.

PRISCILLA has many funny moments, but what makes it so special is the fantastic scenery and colours - truly showcasing Australia's beautiful outback. Overall, the film is a pleasure to watch again and again. It tells the tale of three drag queens who set out across the Australian outback in an old bus affectionally titled "Priscilla". Along the way, they become involved in many outrageous situations.

DVD SUMMARY - Originally released as an awful blotchy pan/scan DVD in Australia, the film recently received the treatment it deserved for its 10 year anniversary! Yes, it was recently in it's correct aspect ratio (2:35) and given an anamorphic transfer. While this new transfer is still not 100% pristine (white flecks here and there), it is still a huge improvement on the original DVD release. It's fantastic to see this film in all its widescreen glory after all these years. The colours and scenery will blow you away. The soundtrack has also been remixed in DTS and 5.1 surround sound. This 10 Year Anniversary also contains lots of special features, which is amazing for a film of its age.

The bad news is that the new DVD (in pink packaging) is only available in Australia. I recommend overseas buyers getting hold of this version over the current American DVD. The American DVD is only letterbox transfer (ie. not anamorphic) and doesn't include the special features.

A thoroughly enjoyable and shockingly likable film
A film like this sinks or swims with the casting of the leads, and luckily, all three main actors are absolutely superb. I have to confess that I hadn't really liked Hugo Weaving before seeing this film. I disliked his role as "Agent Smith" in THE MATRIX, and barely noticed his "Elrond" in THE LORD OF THE RINGS. But I liked him enormously in this one. Of the three leads, he was probably the best and most enthusiastic drag performer. I had previously seen Guy Pearce in L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, RAVENOUS, and MEMENTO, but I have to say that this is probably his finest performance. I have always been a Terence Stamp fan, and I have to say that, unlike the other two actors, he makes a dreadful looking transsexual. Nonetheless, the quiet self-possession and dignity with which his character conducts herself helps Stamp dominate most of the scenes in which he appears. Interestingly, although he plays a post op transsexual, he continues in his performance to speak in a relatively deep, masculine tone. One of the most enjoyable things about the film is seeing the way that the three performers gradually change in the way they interrelate with the others.

The most brilliant thing about this film is that at no point does it succumb to the slightest tinge of self-parody or irony. The director as well as the three leads all take their characters with the utmost seriousness, so that the film ends up not being a film about drag queens, but about three individual who just happen to be drag queens, a subtle but crucial distinction.

Most of all the film is fun. There are many, many over-the-top moments, and not every one succeeds, but most do. The script is superb, the scenery striking, and the music fun, even if most of the songs are, in one sense, outright wretched.

"An ABBA tur. . ." -- Wildly Entertaining, Darkly Joyous
A reviewer below said the movie will leave you with "soaring spirits" -- so true! This Australian-drag-queens-on-a-road-trip-with-a-purpose flick will appeal to homos and heteros alike, assuming open minds from both camps. For me the movie brought both laughter and tears of joy -- one of those rare flicks to inspire almost universal goodwill-to-mankind in its viewers. As has been said before (but not enough times), Stamp's performance is brilliant, bringing the right combination of sensitivity, humor, and realism to a character you won't meet on the sidewalk every day. Guy Pearce is a marvelous beauty, out of drag as well as in, and he, too, plays his part extremely well. The ABBA background music complements the darkly fizzy goings-on onscreen. Though the protagonists confront challenges and enemies throughout, including among themselves, the world in which their colorful road trip takes place is benevolent enough to allow them a cheerful ending. That's not the outcome that would be expected in real life -- so let's give a round of applause to the moviemakers for departing from real life. Entertaining and uplifting, this one's a keeper.