Rating: 
Summary: Tired! (except for "THE LADY" BUNNY!!!!...who rules!)
Review: From ancient Greek drama to Chinese opera, from the era of Shakespeare to the reign of the Italian castrati, throughout the world and for most of history women did not appear on stage. This gave rise to a revered theatrical tradition of what might best be called "female illusionists"--male artists who specialized in the performance of female roles and who were capable of making an audience believe a woman stood on stage before them. Such artists are still very much with us today. But you won't find any of them in WIGSTOCK: THE MOVIE.The high-end performers here are RuPaul and Lypsinka. RuPaul is essentially an entertainer who plays with gender and racial iconography to create an enjoyable stage persona, and as such is very well known to mainstream audiences; although lesser known, Lypsinka is the more talented artist, creating considerably more subtle and wickedly camp charactures. Both are very enjoyable--but the vast majority of the performers on stage might best be described as "tacky barroom drag queens." Some of these are very, very good at what they do, with "Lady Bunny" a case in point, but most are of a type: toying with a mix of 1950s-1960s-1970s female fashion brought up to a ludicrously "glamorous" degree and mixed with 1990s punk-and-funk styles, these are the drag queens you might find on stage in any mid-size city's gay bar of note. But because they are so common, viewers familar with the drag world will be unimpressed: we've seen it again and again and again. They aren't particularly original, and therefore they aren't any more interesting on stage than the acts you've seen a hundred times before. On the other hand, they are VERY interesting off-stage, and this documentary works best when it contrasts the preparations of the performers and their on-stage performances--giving us glimpses into the lives, motivations, and complicated preparations of the performers. And the audience itself is fascinating, a huge array of gay, straight, costumed, and (sometimes considerably) uncostumed people who are all bent on having a good time and don't mind showing that in front of the camera. Unfortunately, these backstage glimpses and audience shots are too few to make WIGSTOCK: THE MOVIE more than merely tantalizing, and the film in general eschews the "politics of drag" (for drag has always been to some degree a political statement) in favor of a "happy party" tone that wears thin well before the film comes to an end. Recommended, but primarily for those who know absolutely nothing about drag queens, their performing styles, and their backstage lives.
Rating: 
Summary: Love Your Hair. I Hope It Wins!
Review: From ancient Greek drama to Chinese opera, from the era of Shakespeare to the reign of the Italian castrati, throughout the world and for most of history women did not appear on stage. This gave rise to a revered theatrical tradition of what might best be called "female illusionists"--male artists who specialized in the performance of female roles and who were capable of making an audience believe a woman stood on stage before them. Such artists are still very much with us today. But you won't find any of them in WIGSTOCK: THE MOVIE. The high-end performers here are RuPaul and Lypsinka. RuPaul is essentially an entertainer who plays with gender and racial iconography to create an enjoyable stage persona, and as such is very well known to mainstream audiences; although lesser known, Lypsinka is the more talented artist, creating considerably more subtle and wickedly camp charactures. Both are very enjoyable--but the vast majority of the performers on stage might best be described as "tacky barroom drag queens." Some of these are very, very good at what they do, with "Lady Bunny" a case in point, but most are of a type: toying with a mix of 1950s-1960s-1970s female fashion brought up to a ludicrously "glamorous" degree and mixed with 1990s punk-and-funk styles, these are the drag queens you might find on stage in any mid-size city's gay bar of note. But because they are so common, viewers familar with the drag world will be unimpressed: we've seen it again and again and again. They aren't particularly original, and therefore they aren't any more interesting on stage than the acts you've seen a hundred times before. On the other hand, they are VERY interesting off-stage, and this documentary works best when it contrasts the preparations of the performers and their on-stage performances--giving us glimpses into the lives, motivations, and complicated preparations of the performers. And the audience itself is fascinating, a huge array of gay, straight, costumed, and (sometimes considerably) uncostumed people who are all bent on having a good time and don't mind showing that in front of the camera. Unfortunately, these backstage glimpses and audience shots are too few to make WIGSTOCK: THE MOVIE more than merely tantalizing, and the film in general eschews the "politics of drag" (for drag has always been to some degree a political statement) in favor of a "happy party" tone that wears thin well before the film comes to an end. Recommended, but primarily for those who know absolutely nothing about drag queens, their performing styles, and their backstage lives.
Rating:
Summary: Tired! (except for "THE LADY" BUNNY!!!!...who rules!)
Review: Once upon a time WIGSTOCK was fun. Definately before this movie was made.
Oh look there's that SAD RUPAUL on the cover, now I definately won't buy it.
Maybe if LADY BUNNY was the the only cover girl I would buy it. LADY BUNNY, a real performer. RUPAUL...TIRED! (repeat after me!!)
And what the hell is CRYSTAL WATERS doing in this movie? TIRED!
This film is really a SAD attempt at documenting the history of a very fascinating and lively event.
How about more of the people that really made the 80's EAST VILLAGE happen...WENDY WILD, JOHN SEX...etc I mean even have some minor figures from the 80's.
They at least have TABOO!, and FFFLOYD. But there were SO MANY OTHERS...why did they have to concentrate on the non-interesting performers from that era?? MORE LADY BUNNY!! LADY BUNNY!!
Rating:
Summary: Let down your hair and have a ball.
Review: Since the golden age of Hollywood men in dresses have been a source of ammusement. Recent successes of The Adventures of Priscilla, Too Wong Foo, and The Birdcage proves that times have not changed. In this movie we move from a comical plot to a documentary surrounding the lives of the men, and some women, who perform, and in somecases live in drag. The musical numbers interspersed with interviews and commentary make for a fast paced, fascinating film. Only one thing keeps this film from being a 5 star film. The scene near the end where a performer appears to give birth and another adult, naked and covered with a red make-up to simulate blood burtst forth from the performer's costume. Other than that this is a great movie, which until recently had not been on the market. An interesting addition to any movie collection.
Rating:
Summary: Let down your hair and have a ball.
Review: Since the golden age of Hollywood men in dresses have been a source of ammusement. Recent successes of The Adventures of Priscilla, Too Wong Foo, and The Birdcage proves that times have not changed. In this movie we move from a comical plot to a documentary surrounding the lives of the men, and some women, who perform, and in somecases live in drag. The musical numbers interspersed with interviews and commentary make for a fast paced, fascinating film. Only one thing keeps this film from being a 5 star film. The scene near the end where a performer appears to give birth and another adult, naked and covered with a red make-up to simulate blood burtst forth from the performer's costume. Other than that this is a great movie, which until recently had not been on the market. An interesting addition to any movie collection.
Rating:
Summary: Great documentation of one of the largest Drag Shows
Review: The highlights of this film are the performances of the artists. There are a few doozies but, for the most part, they are great. There is no real theme or plot. It's basically video footage of the annual drag show held in New York. A very campy video to watch. Some of the commentaries are nice to add a bit of depth to the film. Wonderful contribution by Jackie Beat and Alexis Arquette! Alexis is hilarious!
Rating:
Summary: Great documentation of one of the largest Drag Shows
Review: The highlights of this film are the performances of the artists. There are a few doozies but, for the most part, they are great. There is no real theme or plot. It's basically video footage of the annual drag show held in New York. A very campy video to watch. Some of the commentaries are nice to add a bit of depth to the film. Wonderful contribution by Jackie Beat and Alexis Arquette! Alexis is hilarious!
Rating:
Summary: life, liberty and the pursuit of big hair
Review: This doco on the 1994 Wigstock festival, held in New York City in Tompkins Square Park and the Bulkhead of the Christopher Street Pier, offers a range of entertainment. Although primarily a 10 year anniversary for anyone who wanted to wear a wig, the majority of participants and audience are specifically male and gay. Since apparently one can't don a wig without also being tempted to add high heels and a frock, the cross-dressing of drag is highlighted. The gay community's representation of drag has always been loaded with resonance, sometimes considered a political force to mock the straight world's inhibitions, other times a mean-spirited expression of mysogyny. However since here we aren't shown any defined transexuals, the emphasis then is on drag as performance, and not lifestyle, which makes the exhibition more palatable to the bipartisan onlookers (and also presumably the authorities whose permission would have been required to stage the event). Once we look beyond the spectacle of dress-up to make one feel free "and fab-ulous"), one then must consider the performers on stage. Do we apply the same standards (or lack of) that we would do to any gay bar show, or do we consider the performers as show business professionals and judge them accordingly? Perhaps I should reveal my prejudice in that I find little to praise in the art of lip-sinking, no matter how the performer is dressed. Therefore my appreciation of those who limit themselves to this activity is low. However I tend to be more generous to those who accompany lip-sinking with another form, be it dance or as in the case of Lypsinka, with a concept. As hard as it is to define what Lypsinka does, I can say that his/her adoption of the persona of Kay Thompson, mixed with redubs of dialogue from Mommie Dearest, creates an unusual and original phenomena. My opinion of the initially lip-sinking Misstress Formika improved when later he/she sang live with a reasonable sounding voice. Ironically although we witness Joey Arias previewing his Billie Holliday "channelling", when we see him live it sounds like lip-sinking. Some acts like the duelling Bankheads are in the school of deliberately bad drag, though I found the Bankheads a particularly one-joke joke. And although RuPaul delivers an inspirational speech to those with a dream, his/her miming to a prerecordering, even his/her own, is somehow reductive. It's interesting to observe the change of tone when the female Dee-Lite appears, and even the female in male drag Crystal Waters, since Dee-Lite comes across as being at the wrong show, and Waters does a lazy lip-sink, with macho male dancers which only emphasises her femininity. Perhaps the most arresting acts are the ones that verge on performance art. Leigh Bowery who wears a kabuki-like outfit which hides any personality, Flloyd who deconstructs his drag, and John Kelly who wears the obligatory wig but has a great voice. Director Barry Shils occasionally cuts between performers rehearsing to the performance, which is most effective for the Wigstock dancers who dance to Chic, since we can see the disparity of the individuals as themselves and as their performance selves. Shils coverage of the acts and the crowds never feels lingering - he seems to know how much we can tolerate of each - and he nicely captures the balloon tribute to Donna Giles, as symbolic of many who unable to return from the previous year. The insistance that these people are only here to have a good time becomes a bit tiresome when it is repeated so often, because it sounds apologetic, particulary when it seems obvious the film crew are hardly hostile. Perhaps this is done for the camera and posterity. Or perhaps it is said without the realisation of the huge crowd that turns out for the day and evening. Occupying such a space, even for 24 hours, is empowering.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolute fun
Review: What a fun movie! The music is fabulous and the performances are even better. This documentary features some of the best female impersonators and performance artists in New York...make that the World! What a sin that Wigstock no longer exists...I have so many outfits that I would have loved to parade around in for the festival.
Rating:
Summary: Wigstock - A Love Letter to New York
Review: Wigstock:The Movie is a colorful entertaining love letter to New York. It's all about drag, but it's also about one of the most unique cities in the world where crazy underground culture can flourish. It's a lot like the movie Woodstock but with better hair.
| 
