rag queens traverse
the Australian outback

The Adventures of Priscilla.
Queen of the Desert * x 1/2
(Gramercy Pictures) Rated 14
yrs (at the Granville Cinema)

UT ANOTHER quiche

on the barbie. There are

drag queens in the
Australian outback.

Presented in “Drag-o-rama,”
Priscilla, a dilapidated lavender
bus, is the vehicle of choice for
three chromosomatically chal-
lenged guys.

As AdanyFelicia (Guy Pearce)
explains, “Basically, we get up
on stage in wornen’s clothes and
pretend to sing disco tunes.” You
certainly have to admire them for
pitching their act to drunken
miners who spend their days
blowing things up.

The trio leave the security of
Sydney suburbia for a paying gig
in remote Alice Springs (just turn
right at the big rock). But for
Tick/Mitzi (Hugo Weaving) it’s a
little more complicated.

His wife runs the club. Wife?
Les femmes are flummoxed.
Well, is he or isn’t he? “Next
you’il be telling us you have chil-
dren,” Bernadette (Terence
Stamp) sighs.

The elementary message of
tolerance gets long-winded as
they go deeper and deeeper into
redneck territory.

The threat of their rickety bus
stranding them in the middle of
nowhere seems to be a minor
concern, allowing for some
unscheduled stops and impromp-
tu performances in flamboyant
costumes.

Writer/director Stephan Elliot
wants to keep the mood as light
as chiffon, which he does with

tr
23

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4. Four Weddings and

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4. Tne Mask
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BUY ONE

OFT ONE

_ LESSER PRICE
FOR

re

. “With purchase of a
madium soft drink
One coupon par customer per vit

* Not vad with other offers

CRITICS’ MPAA THE SEX &
AVERAGE RATING LANG. _ NUOITY

tix. be
locke {PG-13

Tim Bell
FILM REVIEW

fine performances from his actors
(especially Stamp as the transsex-
ual Bernadette who seems to pat-
tern his stage makeup after Bette
Davis’ Baby Jane).

Catty remarks give the script
edge and the camp dance num-
bers rival Mel Brook's Springtime
for Hitier for outrageous ingenu-
ity.

Naked *#%1/2
laserdisc) Rated R

As the title suggests, the emo-
tions are raw, primal, exposed.

Johnny (David Thewlis) can’t
control his rage and spiritual
despair. An omnivorous reader
with a restless intelligence, he
tails at everyone — his witty one-
liners zinging over their heads,

His catch phrase, “You foi-
low? You with me, yeah?” is
almost always responded to with
a dull glassy look.

His journey from Manchester
to the streets of London bring
him in contact with other walk-
ing wounded. Among them are
Louise (Lesley Sharpe), Johnny’s
ex-girlfriend who still loves him,
and Sophie (Katrin Cartlidge), a
drug-addled masochist who
makes the mistake of trying to

(Criterion

NUDITYS

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cling to him.

Writer/director Mike Leigh
and Thewlis make the audience
overcome Johnny's seering sar-
casm and misogyny (the film
opens with him assaulting a
woman) by showing his bottom-
less self-loathing.

He’s iclealistic but savage.
Funny but withering . He won’t
fight but seems to be looking for
one.

Let’s face it — johnny is nota
nice guy. Thanks to Thewlis’ bril-
liant perfomance, though, you
understand Johnny’s suffering.
While there are scenes of graphic
brutality, mostly against women,
the moments of humor and the
occasional tenderness make it
bearable.

SHOWTIME HOTLINE:
Famous Players ......... 681-4255

Cineplex Odeon ......... 687-1515

445-13th Street, W. Vancouver 926-8922

~

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[P /
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This Friday, Saturday, Monday & Tuesday night
Sept. 9th, 10th, 12th & 13th - 5pm until closing

Buy 1 entree & receive the 2nd entree of equal or lesser value FREE.
Not in conjunction with other promotional offers.

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Reservations

HRISTOS
GREEK TAVERNA

1301 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver

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