Director – Beeban Kidron (Screenplay, Vroom)
Starring – Wesley Snipes (Blade, Demolition Man), Patrick Swayze (Red Dawn, Roadhouse), and John Leguizamo (The Pest, Spawn)
Release Date – 1995
Rating – 4/5
Blu Release 3/5
Tagline – “Attitude is everything”
When I was in upper elementary school I became a fan of John Waters. I slowly started watching his movies and became obsessed with some of them over the next few years. His raunchy films opened me up to a whole different world that most of my friends were not introduced to. It was around this time that I went to a local grocery store that recently changed hands.
The previous owner had a small VHS display for rentals but the new owner was selling his stock. I bought a John Waters flick I had never seen before, Leprechaun, Conan the Destroyer, Jason Goes to Hell and my sister grabbed a few. When I was checking out the dude told me that if I liked Waters I should grab this other tape. I shrugged and said sure. That movie was the 1995 comedy To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar. This movie, though no where near as raunchy as a Waters movie, was still rather racy for a movie from that time. I mention Waters in the same sentence as this film due to Divine and this film following three drag queens.
I fucking loved it and would watch it for years. I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve watched this movie over the years. When Shout Factory announced that they would be releasing this film on blu as part of their Shout Select I had to have it. I reached out and they were kind enough to send a copy my way. Thanks guys!
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows three drag queens who are traveling across country after two of them ties in a recent pageant. Their trip across country turns from a simple car ride into a real adventure when they break down in a small town that has seemed to freeze in time. The three out of towners then introduce them all to fashion, love, and acceptance while being hunted by a homophobic cop.**Spoiler Alert**
I know I’m going to catch shit for reviewing this one because it’s not horror or exploitation but I don’t give a shit. I usually find those comments hilarious because you can clearly see the film is not a horror flick but they think that commenting about it makes their dick bigger. It doesn’t and it will not make their mother love them again. Regardless, I fucking love this movie and it’s one of the dozens of films that I often quote in my day to day life.
The acting in this one is unforgettable. We have Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguizamo taking on roles that most men of their caliber would not in the mid 90s. Not only did they take on these roles but they gave them everything they had. These three delivered the most comical roles of their careers while bringing about an important message that still rings clear to this day. The supporting cast is just as fun as these three at times. Robin Williams is fun along with Chris Penn. We get several amazing actors and actresses delivering great performances.
The story for this one is funny with a message but there is a few moments you have to just roll with. For a comedy we are given some pretty serious topics in the film. We have domestic violence, mental health, homophobia, discrimination, and a few others I know I’m missing. The film is not the first to feature drag queens but most of those films, especially the works of Waters, is on the trashier side of cinema and didn’t reach as wide an audience as this film did. Waters later films would, arguably, but they didn’t tackle the topics like this film did. The pacing in this one is steady and the humor is mixed very well with the story.
Finally, as you could tell from the title and artwork, this is not for those of you looking for blood and gore. However, if you are looking for a mostly underrated comedy with a significant story then this one is for you. Overall, To Wong Foo is a must for any movie fan regardless of your favorite genre. I loved the casting, story, and humor. The blu looks great and that’s coming from someone that has seen this film on VHS, DVD, and now blu. Shout Factory really did this film justice.
Special Features:
NEW Easy Rider In Dresses: A Look Back At The Making Of To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!
Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailers
TV Spots
