Killer Drag Queens on Dope (2003) Reviews

• Trashy and brilliant!

  channel83-cable122006-02-25

  'They're hell on heels!' I had read some really mixed reviews about this film, most were bad reviews, but as a lover of bad, trashy films I thought I'd give it a go. I thought the story sounded good but my main motive was to see Alexis Arquette and Haji ('Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!) in the film. I am very glad I saw this, I loved it from just the opening scene! If you are a fan of trashy and low budget films with silly dialogue, bad acting and camp humour I urge you to see this! Don't listen to the bad reviews, they're probably written by people who only like crappy Hollywood blockbusters! The storyline is almost fully explained within the film's title! Ginger (Alexis Arquette) and Coco (Omar Alexis) are drug-addicted contract killers who work for a wheel-chair bound, one-eyed lunatic named Uncle A. Uncle A doesn't know that they work for him though, he thinks that Ginger's boyfriend Bobby is doing his dirty work. Uncle A is after a one-of-a-kind collectible 'Lovely Linda' doll, and it seems he will stop at nothing to get his hands on it! Alexis Arquette (as his drag alter-ego Eva Destruction) looks great in this, and the brief but funny cameo from Haji is good. The only thing I would say that lets the film down is the sloppy ending, it could've had a much better ending, but you'll have to see for yourself. Also on my DVD, an annoying copyright title kept popping up throughout the film, but the film was so good, I'm prepared to forgive all that!

• Awesome Drag Queen Mobster Movie

  Crap_Connoisseur2006-07-06

  Killer Drag Queens On Dope has all the hallmarks of a trash classic: An outrageous plot, memorable one-liners, excessive drug taking and a killer drag queen on roller skates. This film was obviously made on a budget of next to nothing and the production values are pretty basic. However, this is more than compensated for by the sheer originality and humour of the undertaking. The film revolves around two drag queens, Ginger and Coco, who take a lot of drugs and carry out hits for Ginger's mobster boyfriend, Bobby. That is basically it. Killer Drag Queens On Dope doesn't waste time on anything as dull as character or plot development. Instead, it strings together a series of wonderfully bizarre vignettes of Ginger and Coco murdering Bobby's enemies. The "hits" are hilarious in their own right. Ginger kills one man by literally sitting on his face, while another memorable assassination sees Ginger dressing up as a nun. There are also poison darts, fencing duels and the brilliant (and almost impossibly camp) roller finale. When not bumping off mobsters for Bobby, the twosome indulge in their other passion - illicit drugs. One of the film's best sequences involves Ginger and Coco taking acid, then stealing a car and visiting a psychic. The film owes a lot to the highly charismatic presence of the cutting edge Arquette, the always entertaining Alexis. Alexis plays Ginger with a large dose of wit and sympathy. Unlike most actors who have appeared in drag, Alexis never feels the need to turn the character into a walking punchline. His ease with Ginger probably stems from his own incredibly fierce alter-ego, Eva Destruction. Omar Alexis also does a great job as Coco, the daydreamer who obsesses over Lovely Linda dolls. The supporting cast is fun, particularly the actors who play Uncle A and Mr Fly. The quality acting is matched by a highly amusing script and competent directing. Killer Drag Queens On Dope is a return to the days of the loud and proud B-movie. This film knows its audience and doesn't bother trying to appeal to the masses. I love this film's irreverent tone and winning humour. Fans of John Waters and early Almodovar will find Killer Drag Queens On Dope a highly enjoyable experience.

• Absurdly delightful

  Polaris_DiB2007-05-21

  Would it be bad of me to state that this is one of my new favorite movies? Is it so absurd to even think of calling this movie "good"? Movies like this are made, watched, and appreciated only as so-bad-they're-good campy productions, but I can't help but want to make the argument that this is missing the "so-bad-" part. Don't get me wrong: this is pure B-movie production and design, through and through. But it stands out not because of its quirky title, but because of its deranged form of entertainment and believability. It's well-written enough to know when it can actually have dialog, and when it can just be a "bad B-movie" for the camp value. It is well-shot enough to be colorful, myriad, and sensual. It is well-acted enough that it's not ham-fisted, it's a lot more about all of the actors having the time of their life. And I have never seen such believable drag queens. The movie starts off readily enough: we open on a shot of drag queens, then it cuts to someone cutting some dope, then the drag queens walk into a hotel room and suffocate the man with the dope, then take it. There you go: killer drag queens on dope. Enter a title sequence (Alexis Arquette is here called "Eva Destruction"), and thus begins a journey into an underground different and more compelling than what you probably would expect. If anything, the only bad part is the car-non-chase scene. This movie works best when kept into blank, color-toned rooms and cramped spaces. Opening it up to the world of cars and other people makes it seem peculiarly out of place. Everything else may be coded ridiculous, but makes sense in its own way. Best of all, this movie has a real pay-off. It's hard to hold back, but I won't give it away. Just trust me when I say that you've never seen a shoot-out scene like this one. --PolarisDiB

• Can anyone say "home movie"?

  tiffmich_20002006-01-10

  Since no one has commented on this yet, I thought I would save someone the time and trouble and try to steer away innocent bystanders. "Please look-away, I'm hideous!" It really does look and feel like a home movie, probably all done with a hand-held camera, awful lighting, bare sets that echo with each footstep, and erratic editing. I've done better with iMovie. It really quite useless to go much further in the plot than to say that Ginger (Alexis Arquette) and Coco (Omar Alexis) are hired drag queen assassins... oh yeah... and they are on dope. There you go... you've watched the movie. Good points... uhmmm... Alexis does look pretty good here and it's only 83 minutes. Coco... please check out Dermablend girl... you'll thank me in the morning!

• R.I.P. Don Edmonds

  lastliberal2009-06-01

  This is as simple as it gets; the title is the plot. Ginger (Alexis Arquette) and Coco (Omar Alexis) are two drag queens that snort coke, drink daiquiris, and do hits for Uncle A (Don Edmonds in his last performance). Actually Uncle A is sending Bobby (Mario Diaz) to do the hits, but Bobby has his "girlfriend" do them. When the mark asks Ginger to sit on his face, she does, but with a pillow under her to snuff him out. Ginger dresses as a nun in her next hit. "You have been judged a sinner, and you must atone." The last hit goes bad due to a Lovely Linda doll that CoCo goes cuckoo over, letting the mark escape. Everything unravels from there leading to a grand finale with Ginger in a roller derby outfit on skates as she saves Coco and the day, and the doll. Funny as hell with some great lines.