Outrageous, outlandish and totally out of the closet, Wigstock: The Movie is a heavily mascaraed look at New York's most extravagant celebration of drag! "Colorful, flamboyant [and] extremely funny" (Blockbuster Entertainm... more »ent Guide), this uninhibited look at the annual Wigstock Festival takes you behind the scenesand into the dressing roomsfor an uproarious play-by-play of theself-proclaimed "Super Bowl of drag"! A "glitzy, lively, lovingly made show" (The Hollywood Reporter), Wigstock: The Movie features inspired music, daring performance art and apeek at the stars' endless quests to be fabulouswearing size 14 heels! With RuPaul, Lypsinka, Crystal Waters, The "Lady" Bunny, Deee-Lite, Alexis Arquette, Jackie Beat, John Kelly, Debbie Harry and the Dueling (Tallulah) Bankheads (!), Wigstock: The Movie is a dazzling musical celebrationof life, love and lipstick!« less
"I first saw Wigstock in an Art-house cinema in Berlin amidst an audience largely made up of glamorous and extremely vocal German drag queens. And let me tell you, it was one of the most fun experiences in my life. Talk about audience participation? It was a riot!
I've since bought first the video and now the DVD and watch it again and again - whenever I need a pick me up - whenever I need to remind myself that, as The Lady Bunny says: "We can all get it together and have a great time!"
I have only two minor criticisms of this movie. 1. At a running time of approx 85 mins, it is not long enough! And 2. I really don't like Leigh Bowery's performance at all. Otherwise, it's all good. The audience are every bit as fabulous as the performers on stage and backstage.
A couple of my fellow posters have complained about the lipsynching. Why? It's a given in drag culture. And Girlina, Mistress Formika and the like are awesome exponents. Got a complaint? You try lipsynching in those heels, honey!
This film somehow manages to be both a celebration of diversity and community at the same time. I am totally in awe. My thanks to all concerned.
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Does this movie even need a review?
Edge Morbid | Burlington, VT | 07/11/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wigstock is simply one of those movies every gay man should own. If you haven't heard of it, go watch it. I don't care if you're the butchest gym bunny or the gruffest leather daddy, the messages of freedom, the celebration of homosexuality and the importance to unite our community is one that every gay man should experience. Besides, there are drag queens in this flick! Gaggles of them! And draq queens are the bestest! They have more nut than the butchest of the butch because they don't just wear their sexuality on their sleeve, they flaunt it, they own it and they take the brunt of a lot of negativity only to pick themselves up, fix their hair and do it again."
Wigstock - A Love Letter to New York
Joachim Schwabe | New York and Hamburg | 03/28/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."
Great documentation of one of the largest Drag Shows
Mr. Wynn | State of Confusion | 12/10/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"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!"
A classic revisited
Jerome Wendt | Northern Illinois | 10/09/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Now that Lady Bunny has taken an indefinite hiatus from producing "Wigstock", this video is even more valuable as historical documentary. Most of the big names are here captured in good performances. Joey Arias, Lypsinka. Rue Paul, Lady Bunny and others make for a fun show. The behind the scenes footage puts the occasion into perspective. Even if you don 't care about the historical context of this film, you're in for a treat just watching the show unfold. Even the "on the street" scenes are fun."