Reviews (77)

"You'll laugh so hard, your lashes will curl...!"
Years before Hugo Weaving ever portrayed the powerfully evil character "Agent Smith" in the three "Matrix" films or the very serious "Elrond" in the three "Lord of the Rings" films; he portrayed a dress-wearing, drag performer named "Mitzi del Bra/Anthony 'Tick' Belrose" in the hilarious 1994 Australian film, "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert". Joining Hugo in dresses for the film were actors Terence Stamp as "Bernadette Bassenger/Ralph" and Guy Pearce as "Felicia Jollygoodfellow/Adam Whitely". Terrence Stamp is better known for his portrayals of General Zod in the 1980 film "Superman II" and Chancellor Valorum in the 1999 "Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace". Guy Pearce is better known for his portrayals of "Det. Lt. Edmund Jennings Exley" in the 1997 film "L.A. Confidential", "Leonard Shelby" in the 2000 film "Memento" and "Alexander Hartdegen" in the 2002 remake of "The Time Machine".

The film begins in Sydney, Australia, where Mitzi, Felicia and Bernadette agree to take a trip across the Australian outback to the very remote resort known as Alice Springs to perform there. To get to Alice Springs, the trio purchases a run-down bus that is large enough to carry all of their clothing and other necessities. Unfortunately, the bus isn't in great shape and not everyone in the Australian outback likes the trio. However, they meet some very interesting people including Bob (Bill Hunter), his cantankerous wife Cynthia (Julia Cortez), a boisterous bartender named Shirley (June Marie Bennett), a rough miner named Frank (Ken Radley) and a fun Aboriginal man (Alan Dargin). Memorable scenes in the film include the trio performing for Aboriginal people, the impromptu kite, Felicia singing on top of the bus, Cynthia's bar performance, Bernadette out-drinking Shirley, Mitzi ('Tick') meeting his son Benji (Mark Holmes), Tick's wife Marion (Sarah Chadwick) & Benji watching the trio perform in Alice Springs, the trio climbing a mountain in dresses in the Australian outback, and flashbacks to Bernadette's (Ralph's) childhood.

The costumes used in "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" earned the film an Oscar for Best Costume Design and nine award nominations from the Australian Film Institute (AFI), of which it won two for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. Two of the AFI nominations were Best Actor nominations for Hugo Weaving and Terence Stamp. Two other AFI award nominations were for Best Director (Stephan Elliott, who also wrote the film) and Best Film. Overall, I rate "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" with 5 out of 5 stars. The film also has a superb soundtrack that includes Alicia Bridges' "I Love The Night Life", Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive", Patti Page's "If the Sun Don't Shine", Abba's "Mamma Mia", Vanessa Williams' "Save The Best for Last" and Giuseppe Verdi's operatic "E Strano! Ah Fors E Lui".

Even If You Don't Like Drag Shows, You'll Love This Movie
This outrageous movie gets an A in every category: acting, directing, costumes and music too. Three girls leave The Imperial Hotel, a real drag bar in Sydney with the worst drag show I have ever seen to do a gig in Alice Springs, deep in the Australian outback. We have two drag queens, Hugo Weaving, who has reproduced himself, Guy Pearce-- I didn't recognize him in L.A. Confidential after seeing him in this one-- and a transgendered "real" woman played by Terrence Stamp. Supposedly Stamp who wasn't allowed to see any of the movie footage before
the film was released thought he really made a beautiful woman. Poor baby. He looks for all the world like a tired, older butcher cousin of Judy Collins. Perhaps it's those beautiful blue eyes. He's a long way from FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD here.

This trio christen a tour bus "Priscilla" and begin their trip across Australia. Much of the movie is predictable, some of the lines shamelessly designed for easy laughs. But that's okay. The good girls eventually win as they should in every comedy.

If only Mel Gibson could have had a cameo role as one of the many roustabouts the girls encounter on their journey, roustabouts determined to harm these gentle creatures. Mr. Gibson could have played himself if we are to believe the negative comments about gay people attributed to him over the years.

my Favorite movie
Priscilla is one my favoraite movies of all time. I saw this movie in the theaters when it came out. I still roll with laughter every time I see this movie. Whenever I discover that a friend of mine hasn't seen it I invite them over to watch. They have all loved the film also. Hugo Weaving takes is friends and "fellow" drag queens Guy Pierce and Terence Stamp, on a bus trip trough central Australia to perform in a casino owned by his lesbian wife. During the long trip through the middle of no where, they encounter bigoted miners and tolerant aborigonies as well as a mechanic with a mail order asian bride who used to be a stripper. To many Abba songs while wearing very purposefully tacky costumes. A MUST SEE!!

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.

-Adventures of Priscilla, Muriel's Wedding and Kangaroo Jack
These three hilarous (and uplifting) films should be viewed one after the other for the ultimate australian comedy experience. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This problematic thriller boasts several inspired elements, especially intelligent, committed performances by leads Ewan McGregor and Ashley Judd, both of whom have become hot commodities. Fans should definitely investigate their incisive work here, even if McGregor and Judd's talents are ultimately cast into a lost cause.

Judd plays a black-widow serial murderer named Joanna, who is systematically seducing and killing men who, in one way or another, are outside the ordinary. (Among her victims is a blind mulimillionaire, played by Patrick Bergin, and a nasty loser portrayed, surprisingly, by Jason Priestley.)McGregor is on board as a British intelligence agent who happens to be following her. Referred to as "the Eye," McGregor's operative is a haunted man abandoned years before by his wife and daughter. His isolation is such that he holds imaginary conversations with the latter, and she advises him to take pity on Joanna and protect her even as she carries on with her monstrous mission.

That's precisely what he does, at a distance, ushering in comparisons to Hitchcock's classics about voyeurism and obsession, particularly Vertigo and Rear Window. (Allusions to Francis Coppola's TheConversation are unavoidable as well.) But despite the great material (the 1980 source novel by MarcBehm was highly praised by The New York Times) and a fascinating cast (including Geneviève Bujold and k.d. lang),Eye of the Beholder bogs down in Stephan Elliott's often thoughtless, obvious direction. Elliott (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) grinds down several members of the cast by insisting on dreary, one-note performances, and he makes a long movie seem even longer by telegraphingstory twists and other developments long before they happen. Justice would be served if one could extract Judd and McGregor's appearances here and graft them onto a better movie, but so it goes.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (168)

Strangely Bewitching, Thoroughly Engrossing Film
This film is all about tone and mood and introversion. It's not the follow along plot line that we are used to in American cinema, but something much more surreal. The plot is intriguing, exciting, with the main characters capturing your interest right away as opposites with similar pain. I suppose what makes this a five star film to me is that it's like reading a really intense book (though I haven't read the book this is based on as of yet). You become submerged in the story, in the atmosphere... the credits come up and you're still trapped inside the film, full of contradicting emotions and ideas. I find that any movie that haunts me after I've seen it is rare. Having worked in a video store for four years, I've seen a great deal of movies and those rare few that can encapsulate you into thier world entirely are like strange jewels scattered among the same shelves with the usual gravel. I recommend this movie whole-heartedly, yet believe it is best viewed alone, perferably at night... might as well induldge yourself, after all it's about being in the dark, alone, watching someone else.
Don't expect anything ordinary or predictable about this plot. The characters are flawed creatures whose moves and motives change in a consistantly realistic way. The two characters actually switch roles as the film progresses. It's fascinating material.
Alright. Enough praise. Rent it. Why not? It's only a buck or two (unless you're going to some hideous chain store).
Clear your head and expect to get sucked in. Whether or not you like it or not, you'll be hypnotised...

Only one thing went right with this movie - Acting.
The movie follows Eye (Ewan McGregor)a man who just lost his wife and daughter and is a British Intelligence agent as he is put on an assignment to follow the son of a senior British Official. Along the way he finds out that the British Official's son gets murdered by a woman by the name of Joanna Eris (Ashley Judd). Eye now trails her and along the way begins to fall for her. The more he learns about her the more he realizes that she is a never ending mystery.

The acting was superb, for a film that went nowhere. It was amazing how there is little to no chemistry between Eye and Joanna. The only thing that kept me watching was Judd's acting. The movie seemed like it ended where the middle should have been. The backround information was vague on both character's part. The whole movie evolved around a chase between a killer and the man pursuing the killer the sad thing is that it went nowhere from there.

Overall:

Visuals: 3
Acting: 4
Directon: 3
Story: 3

My eyes were closed. Zzzzzzzzz!
I have to say that this movie was the worst movie I have ever seen, period. It just didn't make any sense. It probably just had hidden meaning that I never got. Don't rent it, don't buy it, don't even borrow it from anybody. Oh, and I'm not really from Greece.

You'll Shoot Your Eye Out, Kid!
You would think that with a hundred or more terrible reviews of this film posted, one might as well just leave it alone. But, no, the movie was exactly THAT bad to provoke another negative response, at least from me. Who had the brilliant idea to film a thinly plotted espionage thriller as if it was a student art film? And artsy it certainly tries to be. The plot follows a neurotic British agent across the world as he becomes more and more enamored of a sociopathic, yet emotionally wounded, femme fatale on whom he has been spying. There is no rhyme or reason, even in the wide span of human desire and emotion, to explain many of the events and incidents that happen between the two or even why, other than sheer insanity, he is drawn to her in such a creepy stalker type fashion. The movie certainly won't tell you anything. It is too "high brow" for that and would rather show you fancy camera work and snow globe after snow globe. One gets the impression that the director is trying to impress you while completely forgetting that he is filming a trashy romantic spy novel (thus the scenes with a topless Mz. Judd would be defined as being "tastefully done" and "necessary" rather than tawdry and exploitative). You may sit around and discuss the nuamces of this "film" over a latte, but it doesn't erase the fact that it is simply dull and dumb, faulty advertising or no.
Oddly enough, there is an alternate ending on the DVD which, while not redeeming the film, at least ends it in a traditional Hollywood fashion and is a little more satisfying than what those in the theater saw. It is an additional scene where Ewan meets up, rather conveniently, with his long lost daughter. It is set up in the story that he has never seen his daughter before and has had to pick out which girl was his from a school photo of an entire class. He believed so strongly that the girl he chose was the right one that she appears throughout the film as a phantom of his imagination. It actually adds quite a bit of dimension and pathos to his character to find out in the ending that was cut, that he picked the wrong girl. I felt better about the viewing after watching this until I remembered that somebody decided to cut this scene for release, probably because it gave a little too much explanation and insight to a film that tried its hardest to offer absolutely none.
Even if the whole topless issue piqued your interest a few paragraphs back, trust me, it isn't worth it. Watching paint dry isn't the same thing as viewing a painting. That statement isn't as profound as it is nonsensical--like the whole concept of this film.

WHEREIN LIES THE BEAUTY?
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER is one of those films that revels in its artistic vacuum. Sure, director Stephan Elliott gives us some moody visuals, appealing camera angles and two performances by Ashley Judd and k.d. lang that far outclass the movie. Ewan McGregor's loneliness is so telegraphed and forced he becomes a mere tool in the film. And ultimately in spite of its artistic merits, where does it end? Why would anyone fall in love with a serial killer; his wife and daughter left him--so what, life goes on. His obsession with her, in my opinion, does not justify wanting to "save" her. She's coldblooded, heartless and intrinsically selfish. Lonely--it's her choice, just as it is his. The ending...why in the world is Judd so upset that McGregor knows what she's done?
Ashley has gone on to make better movies; she's a very good actress. Too bad the script didn't use her better. ... Read more