The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Review (Australia Day 2017)

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Release Date: 8th September 1994 - Australia

Production Companies

PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

Australian Film Finance Corporation (in association with)

Latent Image Productions Pty. Ltd (producer)

Specific Films (producer)

New South Wales Film & Television Office

Genre: Comedy

Rating: M

Runtime: 99 minutes


Budget: A$1,884,200

Box Office Gross: $16,459,245 (Australia)

Plot Summary

Bernadette, Tick and Adam have personal reasons for wanting to leave the safety of Sydney: a contract to perform in a drag show in the Australian desert. In their battered tour bus "Priscilla", the wickedly funny drama queens set off

for the outback... where

their eye-popping

adventures outdo their

eye-popping costumes.

Cast

Hugo Weaving - Tick/Mitzi

Guy Pearce - Adam/Felicia

Terence Stamp - Bernadette

Bill Hunter - Robert 'Bob' Spart

Julia Cortez - Cynthia Campos

Mark Holmes - Benjamin
Sarah Chadwick - Marion
Ken Radley - Frank

Rebel Penfold-Russell - Logowoman

John Casey - Bartender

June Marie Bennett - Shirley

Murray Davies - Miner

Frank Cornelius - Piano Player

Bob Boyce - Petrol Station Attendant

Leighton Picken - Young Adam

Maria Kmet - Ma

Joseph Kmet - Pa

Alan Dargin - Aboriginal Man

Daniel Kellie - Young Ralph

Hannah Corbett - Ralph's Sister
Trevor Barrie - Ralph's Father

Andrew Saw - Uncle Barry (Uncredited)

Margaret Pomeranz - Adam's Mum (Cameo)

(Uncredited)

Stephan Elliott - Doorman (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Writer/Director - Stephan Elliott
Executive Producer - Rebel Penfold-Russell
Producers - Al Clark and Michael Hamlyn
Production Designer - Owen Paterson

Art/Additional Director/Catering: Sunday -

Colin Gibson
Costume Designers - Lizzy Gardiner

and Tim Chappel

Key Makeup/Hair Artist - Cassie Hanlon

Makeup/Hair - Angela Conte

Director of Photography - Brian J. Breheny

Stunt Coordinator/Safety Supervisor -

Robert Simper

Film Editor - Sue Blainey

Sound Supervisor and Mixer - Phil Judd

Additional Sound Designer/Sound Recordist -

Guntis Sics

Sound Coordinator/Effects Editor - Steve Erskine
Music - Guy Gross


Awards

1994 Academy Awards
Best Costume Design - Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner (Won)

Review

THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, is surprisingly sensitive and thoughtful for an iconic film made for Australian viewers. At the time of its release, the movie was considered groundbreaking for the LGBTQ community, as nowadays, the lifestyle choices of the main characters are (mostly) accepted by the broader community. PRISCILLA was a low-budget road comedy with an unusual premise about drag queens (sans one) stuck in the desert of Australia. The script is well-written, with humour, including a few jabs at ABBA and poignancy with scenes containing prejudice and discrimination that some viewers may find offensive.

The film takes you to the outback scenery in its cinematography with kitschy costume design and disco-flavoured background music to see the glitz, glamour and flamboyance in PRISCILLA. Hugo Weaving was in one of the lead roles and, at the time, was an unknown actor. He did well in his performance as Tick. He acted with fellow newcomer and co-star Guy Pearce, who was the sassiest of the bunch, and Terence Stamp was in a rare authentic portrayal as an old trans woman.

PRISCILLA is a flashy and comical film, guaranteed to make everyone laugh and a must-see for Aussie film-buffs.

Star rating: (8/10) Very Good Movie

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