ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT

When I first saw this film in my adolescence I have to admit I wasn't a very big fan. I found it to be depressing and a bit droll. After revisiting it so many years later I have a slightly better opinion of it. Looking at it with different eyes I appreciate aspects of it that I didn't before. If you haven't seen this queer classic it tells the story of a single gay dad who hasn't seen his son in ages and gets contracted by his former wife to do a drag show at a resort in the middle of the desert. The man is surprisingly Hugo Weaving of the Matrix films and he brings along his two friends. An aging transvestite whose just lost her lover played by a solid Terence Stamp and a flirty, young, charasmatic drag queen played by a surprisingly engaging and sexy Guy Pearce of Memento. The film tracks their journey across the desert and all the mishaps that go along with it. In the end I definitely enjoyed it more but it left me wanting a bit more character and story development. That being said it's still a wild, fun stylish ride with a great soundtrack.

Budget: $2M

Box Office: $29.7M

7/10

PSYCHO BEACH PARTY

Oh where to begin with this delightfully queer, horror comedy thriller. Drag Queen/Actress Charles Busch (Die Mommie Die) stars as a cop on the case of some teens getting chopped on the beach. The wonderfully weird Lauren Ambrose (Six feet under) stars as Chicklet a young woman who wants to be down the beach studs and wants to learn how to surf. She's also got multiple personalities. Sexy Nicholas Brendan (TV's Buffy), hunky Thomas Gibson, gorgeous Matt Keeslar (Scream 3), Nick Cornish (TV'S Buffy), Andrew Levitas (Hellbent) also star. But the most surprising is a young Oscar nominee Amy Adam's (American Hustle). The movie is fun and goofy and weird. It's a wild ultra campy gem.

7.25/10

THE CRAFT (1996)

With the threat of a new version I decided to revisit this childhood classic of mine which actually inspired me and my friends to try goth for a couple months, or maybe it was just me, lol. Well the movie holds up surprisingly well and some part of that may be due to nostalgia but I really loved it, maybe even more than before. Robin Tunney(End of Days) stars as Sara the new girl at school who falls into a group of outcast witches after being burned by the popular kids. Once she joins the coven the stars align and they begin to experience some real power. The only problem is the maniacal and charasmatic leader Nancy played by a feisty Fairuiza Balk (Island of Dr. Moreau) gets power hungry and takes her vengeance to another level. Rachael True (Half Baked) and the always awesome Neve Campbell star as the other two members battling their own problems and insecurities. What makes the film work so well is the sisterhood and sometimes twisted friendship of these girls. They feel genuine and their stories are relatable  as they deal with every day problems ranging from rumors to racism, abuse and body issues. The witchcraft is an added bonus and unlike most films of it's kind it delivers on that aspect including a slightly short but effective finale. Christine Taylor (Brady Bunch), Skeet Ulrich (Scream) and Breckin Meyer (Clueless) also star. The film is confidently directed by Andrew Fleming of one of my favorite 80s flicks Bad Dreams with a screenplay by Peter Filardi of Flatliners. It also features an amazing soundtrack with songs by Our Lady Peace, Letters to Cleo, Love spit love and more. I'm sure who's ever reading this has a love for this film as I do, so maybe it's time for a revisit.

Budget: $15M

Box Office: $55.6M

9/10

FINAL DESTINATION 3

Originally intended for a 3D release new line couldn't get theaters to upgrade to the new format in time. This one starts with a horrible but slightly disappointing rollercoaster accident sequence. It feels like a straight up comedy to me but the death setpieces are both hilarious and shocking. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Live free or Die Hard) stars as the girl trying to save everyone and cutie Ryan Merriman (Ring 2) stars as another potential victim going along for the ride. The movie is fun but it sadly skips the progress made with the second film feeling like more of a reboot. Regardless it's still entertaining even though it doesn't reach the height of the previous film.

Budget: $25M

Box Office: $118.9M

7/10

CARRIE (2013)

This remake gets alot of undeserved hate. It's of course nowhere as good as the superior original. But I don't think anyone ever thought it would be. Queer director Kimberly Pierce's (Boy's Don't Cry) interpretation and adaptation of the material is not completely unnecessary. The setup is the same as Carrie is bullied by some girls at school and than begins to discover she has telekinetic powers. She of course makes it to the prom where a prank is pulled and everyone suffers a horrible fate because of it. In this version Jullianne Moore has the strongest impact as her overly religious mother and we get an idea of why. It seems she may be a lesbian and punishes herself everytime she is attracted to a woman. It also is implied that she was raped and Carrie was a result of that. It definitely adds a dimension to that story that wasn't there before. Pierce also interprets the main character differently. This Carrie has more control over her powers and the film is almost a setup for a superhero/villain origin story. Regardless although somewhat impressive it lacks the power and precision of the original film. Chloe Moretz Grace is also decent as Carrie but lacks the genuine touch and power of Sissy Spacek's performance. As for the others only Judy Greer as the gym teacher and the adorable and charming Anson Mount as her date make an impression. All in all it's a pretty good movie that leads up to a somewhat  ridiculous but sort of bad ass finale. I wish Pierce would have kept it more subtle. In that I think the ultimate message of the movie about bullying, religious extremism, self worth and discovery would have been delivered more clearly.

Budget: $30M
Box Office: $85M

7.25/10

SINGLE WHITE FEMALE

My obsession with Bridget Fonda (Point of no Return) began with this twisted, erotic thriller that I went to the theater to see when I was 12. As a young impressionable gay boy I found her performance riveting she was stylish, gorgeous  and just everything I wanted to be at the time. Well let's get to the movie, Fonda stars as Ally a young woman who discovers her fiancee is cheating on her and throws him out. She than advertises for a new room mate and after some duds meets Hedra Carlson played by a perfectly psychotic Jennifer Jason Leigh. Heddy becomes obsessed with Ally and starts to impersonate her from her hairstyle to having relations with her fiancee. It soon escalates into terror as Ally finds out that Heddy is capable of much more than she thinks. It all leads up to an edge of your seat finale that makes this one of the premiere 90s thrillers like hand that rocks the cradle, basic instinct and sliver. The performances are solid all around and the direction from Barbet Schroeder is stylish and edge of your seat. Making this an intense, unforgettable thrill ride.

Budget: $16M
Box Office: $84M

8.75/10