The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert ****½ (9/10)

Rating: 9/10 (4 January 2018)

Available on Blu-ray Disc (Region B)
Australia 1994 English (Colour); Comedy/Drama/Musical/LGBTQ (PolyGram/Australian Film/Latent Image/Specific); 103 minutes (15 certificate)
Crew includes: Stephan Elliott (Director/Screenwriter); Al Clark, Michael Hamlyn (Producers); Rebel Penfold-Russell (Executive Producer); Brian J. Breheny (Cinematographer); Owen Paterson (Production Designer); Sue Blainey (Editor); Guy Gross (Composer)
Cast includes: Terence Stamp (Bernadette Bassenger), Hugo Weaving (Anthony "Tick" Belrose/Mitzi Del Bra), Guy Pearce (Adam Whitely/Felicia Jollygoodfellow), Bill Hunter (Bob), Julia Cortez (Cynthia), Sarah Chadwick (Marion Barber), Mark Holmes (Benjamin Barber)
Academy Award: Costume Design (Lizzy Gardiner, Tim Chappel); BAFTA Awards (2): Costume Design (Gardiner, Chappel), Makeup/Hair; BAFTA nominations (5): Actor (Stamp), Original Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Film Music; Golden Globe nominations (2): Picture - Musical/Comedy, Actor - Musical/Comedy (Stamp)
"Finally, a comedy that will change the way you think, the way you feel, and most importantly... the way you dress."
Two female impersonators (Weaving, Pearce) and a recently bereaved transsexual (Stamp) travel halfway across Australia on board a dilapidated bus christened "Priscilla," to perform their cabaret act at a remote casino, encountering absurd situations and individuals almost as nonconformist as they are.
Stamp is amazing and totally credible in his quietly dignified transgender portrayal, as are Weaving and (especially) Pearce as "her" flamboyant, lip-synching (to a marvellously camp soundtrack featuring ABBA, Gloria Gaynor, Village People et al) drag queen companions.
The gaudy, outrageous (and cheap) costumes won a well-deserved Oscar, and the photography of the barren, surreal landscape is masterful, as is Elliott's creative direction and hilarious, ultimately poignant script.
Blu-ray Extras: Commentary, Documentary, Deleted Scenes, Interviews, Bloopers, Trailers. ***½ (7/10)