| Tiffany's TG Movie Guide |
Taking Care Of Business (1990): Jimmy (James Belushi) is a likable
convict who wins some baseball tickets and escapes from prison to see the game.
While ducking police, he finds Spencer's (Charles Grodin) travel planner and
attempts to return it for a reward, but instead starts posing as him. After
the weekend, he needs to get back into the prison... but how? Yes, he ends up
posing as his own mother to get back in! Suspend all your reasoning faculties,
and enjoy a funny little movie. TR:3.7
Talking Walls (1987): I bought this movie as part of my Michael Andrews
collection. Paul (Stephen Shellen) is doing social "research" for a paper he is
writing. Being a hotel handyman, he decides to install camera's and recording
equipment in several of the "themed" rooms (geez, talk about privacy issues!!).
During two short segments, we find several female impersonators (Ann/Michael
Andrews, Barbara/Clay Norse, Liza/James Segouia) doing their makeup and
modeling their performance dresses. Also getting some screen time is the
transgendered hotel maid Butterfly (Bobby Ettienne). TR:3.2
Tango & Cash (1989): Tango (Sylvester Stallone) and Cash (Kurt Russell)
are top cops framed for murder. They escape from prison to clear their names
and plan to meet back up at a strip club were Tango's sister Kate (hottie Teri
Hatcher) works. The police arrive at the club, so Kate helps Cash escape by
dressing him up as her girlfriend. Surprisingly, he looks pretty good!
TR:4.0
Tante Trude Aux Buxtehude (1971) Translation:
Aunt Trude From Buxtehude
Taxi Zum Klo (1981) Frank Ripploh wrote, directed and stars in this
autobiographical movie. He's a school teacher in Germany, but he's also gay and
keeps that a secret from work. He's constantly on the prowl for sex and finally
meets Bernd. They fall in love, but Ripploh can't stop looking for sex. At one
point they have a transgendered friend over (kind of dressed like a school
marm) and they watch an educational movie about a stamp collecting sexual
predator. Towards the end of the movie, Frank attends the Queen's Ball dressed
like a harem girl (beard and all), stays out all night walking the streets, and
then goes to his class the next morning still in drag. Needless to say, this
was not a good decision. TR:3.6
Tea With Mussolini (1999): Semi-autobiographical tale from the early
life of director Franco Ziffirelli. As WWII breaks out in Italy, some
Englishwomen are shuttled off to a camp. Staying with them is Wilfred (Paul
Chequer), the son of one of the women, who stays disguised as "Miss Lucy." As
time progresses, his increasing distaste of the role eventually causes him to
reveal his male name, run outside tearing off his dress screaming, "I'm a man,
I'm a man!" He is immediately whisked away and joins the rebellion. TR:3.2
Teaserama (1955): An interesting collection of dance/striptease acts
interspersed with bad burlesque comedy bits and "hosted" by Betty Page. Some of
the performers include Betty Page, Tempest Storm, Chris LaChris, Twinnie
Wallen, and female impersonator Vicki Lynn (which includes her "reveal" upon
act end). Peppe & Roccio return from "Varietease" with the exact same act
pasted in. Definitely tame by todays standards (you never get past pasties),
but interesting for Betty Page fans. Also see: Varietease. TR:4.0
Click for frame grabs.
Tenant (1976): Roman Polanski directs and stars in this psychological
thriller as a man who rents an apartment in France where the previous female
tenant, Simone, committed suicide. He begins to suspect his landlord and
neighbors are trying to subtly change him into Simone so that he too will kill
himself. AKA: Le Locataire. TR:3.9
Tenebre (1982): Another absurd horror film. American novelist Peter Neal
(Anthony Franciosa) is stalked by a serial killer when he arrives in Rome.
Flashes to his early adult life feature the beautiful Eva Robins. The special
features include a recent (2008) interview with Eva. AKA: Unsane. TR:3.5
Tenue De Soiree (1986): Gerard Depardieu plays a bisexual petty criminal
who encounters a married couple (Michel Blanc, Miou-Miou). He seduces each of
them in turn, then gets them to join in his criminal pursuits. Gerard
eventually shacks up with Michel and they go for a "night on the town" with
Michel in full drag. The film winds up with all three (Gerald and Michel in
drag) working as street prostitutes. This is a bizarre film... maybe because I
don't understand French, but I have a feeling it would be bizarre in any
language! Also see: Dry Cleaning. TR:3.8
Terror Firmer (1999): A low budget film crew sets out to "make some
art!" with a bloody gore-fest that would be hard to top... yep, it's a Troma
film. Tons of stuff here: Toddster (Gary Hrbek) ends up a fountain fixture in a
black PVC bra and mini-skirt, Ward (Greg Siebel) is a feminine gay member of
the camera crew, Theodora (Theo Kogan) is an actor on the film who we see in a
black bra and skirt, the two-sexed freak in a purple tube dress is half Rik
Slave and half Lindsey Anderson, an extraneous male crew member wears a cream
tank top with breasts, and of course the spoiler being the female killer (Sheri
Wenden) is really hermaphrodite Casey (Will Keenan). TR:3.9
Terror Toons (2002): B-Movie (or C?) about a kid (Lizzie Borden) who
orders an animated DVD where the evil characters come to life and start killing
everyone. Her Mom is played by Shimmy Maxx and very briefly appears at the
start and end of the movie. It's got a IMDB user rating of 2.0/10 so I won't
say much more except it's not too bad for a 3-day shoot and $2300. Also see:
Wannabe. TR:2.1
Terror Train (1980): Terror train is a wonderful movie (despite some
plot incongruities) that I've found has a little bit of a cult following. I
won't ruin the plot, but suffice it to say it's your basic "slasher" type movie
with a bevy of beautiful girls that includes a young Jamie Lee Curtis. Also
catch magician David Copperfield (frame grab #2). TR:4.6
Click for frame grabs.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994):
That's The Way I Like It (1998): An Asian-American romantic comedy in
which Hock (Adrian Pang) enters a disco dance contest to win his dream
motorcycle. A subplot involves his brother Leslie (Caleb Goh), who is studying
to be a doctor. During a family visit, Leslie announces he is going to have
sex-change surgery. Unfortunately he only appears briefly in drag towards the
end of the movie, but he looks great! AKA: Forever Fever. TR:4.3
This Is the Army(1943): Ronald Reagan stars in this movie which involves
putting together an all-soldier show based on the successful Yip Yip Yaphank
Show (music by Irving Berlin). The surrounding story is weak, but the dance and
song numbers are a treat with lots of soldiers getting in drag as chorus girls,
waitresses, and dance partners. I have the full version which includes an extra
song and dance number that is removed from most American versions of the
film... based on something "political" I've heard. TR:4.3
Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967): Millie (Julie Andrews) arrives in town
and befriends Dorothy (Mary Tyler Moore). The boarding house in which they are
staying is suspected as an Asian female kidnapping ring for the white slave
market... hmmm, bold for this time period? Anywho, Jimmy (James Fox) goes
undercover as Dorothy to check it out. Outdated and campy, but fun. TR:3.7
Those Who Love Me Can Take The Train (1998): A funeral brings together
(physically, not emotionally) a host of dysfunctional family members. One of
those members is Frederic (Vincent Perez), who is now a pre-op transsexual and
goes by the name of Viviane. It's not quite clear her connection with the
deceased (possibly in part due to the subtitles). She goes unrecognized until
she briefly chats with another family member about hormones and her
transformation. Towards the end of the movie, there is an interesting bathing
scene where we see that she still has her original "equipment", but with the
addition of breasts. AKA: Ceux Qui M'aiment Prendront Le Train. TR:4.2
Three Dancing Slaves (2004): This relentlessly bleak and dark French
film is about three brothers with almost no redeeming qualities. Case in point:
The brothers and a group of their buds are having a jack-off contest where Marc
(Nicolas Cazale) is banging transsexual Zora (Olivier Perez) in the next room.
Zora (who needs to learn about beard cover) asks him to stop, to which Marc
gets all perturbed, throws some insults, and sends the next guy in. Ugh...
avoid. AKA: Clan, Le. TR:2.0
Three Fugitives (1989): After being released for 14 armed robberies,
Lucas (Nick Nolte) finds himself caught up in Ned's (Martin Short) robbery on
the same day. To get past a checkpoint, Ned's 6-year-old daughter Meg (Sarah
Doroff) is dressed as a boy and Ned dresses as "Mommy". Don't expect much,
Ned's disguise is a just a dress and wig. In an amusing scene, Ned must also
pretend he is pregnant with a bouncing blue baby teddy bear. TR:2.1
Thunderball (1965): This is the 4th movie in the James Bond series.
Even before the opening titles roll, we find James Bond (Sean Connery) taking
out SPECTRE Agent#6 Jacques Bouvar (played by stunt man Bob Simmons). Bouver is
undercover as Madame Boitier, but until the first punch is thrown, the part is
played by a female actress (Rose Alba). Too bad though, that whole part could
have easily been played by a guy... the director stated that he wanted someone
with "nice legs". BTW, how did James Bond know she was a guy? "You opened your
own car door!". Geez! TR:3.9
Click for frame grabs.
Thunderbolt & Lightfoot (1974): This is a very good action flick
starring Clint Eastwood and Jeff Bridges. The film revolves around a big heist
they are planning to pull-off. The alarm watchman needs a distraction which
ends up being Jeff in full drag! I must admit, he looks fairly good and stays
in drag for a while after the "distraction". TR:4.1
Tideland (2005): Terry Gilliam brings us the unusual and disturbing
story inside the mind of little girl Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland) who loses
her abusive drug-addicted mother (Jennifer Tilly) and eventually her ex-rock
star father (Jeff Bridges). She finds a playmate in mentally-handicapped
Dickens (Brendan Fletcher) who in one scene she dresses up in blonde wig and
makeup. I hate to mention things this small, but... I like to be complete...
and at the same time save two hours of your life watching this drivel. TR:0.5
Tiger Makes Out, The (1967): Mailman Ben (Eli Wallach) looks for a
woman (Anne Jackson) to kidnap as a personal act of insurrection. While on the
prowl, he almost picks up female impersonator Toni (Kim August... in her first
of two films). She's the feature performer at a club with the standard set of
photo's we have all seen of this beauty... though, her singing is not much to
listen to. She is seen a second time in the film as she has agreed to marry (we
think) an admirer. Also see: No Way To Treat A Lady. TR:3.4
Time Expired (1992): A film short (30 minutes) involving the life of
Bobby (Bob Gosse) after being released from prison. He has to decide to stay
with his wife Ginny (Edie Falco) or his cell-mate and transvestite lover Ruby
(John Leguizamo). John is in drag for the whole movie and if you've seen the
good job he did in "To Wong Foo", you know what to expect. Thanks to Diane for
sending me this movie. TR:4.2
Titus (1999): Updated film adaptation of Shakespeare's play "Titus
Andronicus". Empress Tamora (Jessica Lange) and her two sons appear in a vision
like sequence to Titus (Anthony Hopkins) as Revenge, Murder, and Rape. The
latter is played by her son Chiron (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and has him wearing
white bra and panties, stockings, and a feather-like cape and headdress. The
whole movie is strangely surreal and pretty much what you expect from a film
about ancient Rome. TR:3.5
Click for frame grabs.
To Be Or Not To Be (1983): This star-studded comedy remake stars Mel
Brooks and real-life wife Anne Bancroft as on-screen married couple Frederick
and Anna Bronksi. They lead an acting troupe trying to escape from Nazi-invaded
Poland during World War II. Sasha (James "Gypsy" Haake) is Anna's effeminate
hairdresser, and ends up on stage dressed like her when the Nazi's are trying
to arrest him. The Klotskis Klowns are part of the troupe and we see small
snippets of their act. The Klowns are a group of nine men, but they impersonate
several female clowns in their act to include a well-proportioned woman and a
little girl (complete with white babydoll dress, bonnet, and diaper). TR:4.0
To Die For (1994): Promiscuous Simon (Thomas Arklie, who looks a lot
like Richard Grieco) is living with and dating drag queen Mark (Ian Williams).
Mark dies of AIDS and comes back to haunt Simon and make a general nuisance of
himself. All the characters then cry through the rest of the movie. Emotional?
Humorous? Neither. The whole movie is sappy and unaffecting. Well, at least Ian
is fairly cute in drag. TR:3.5
Click for frame grabs.
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995): After Vida
(Patrick Swayze) and Noxeema (Wesley Snipes) tie for a major drag contest and a
trip to Hollywood, they are persuaded to take inexperienced "drag princess" Chi
Chi (John Leguizamo) with them. They rent a beat-up old Cadillac and set off,
but it breaks down in a small town. With just their wits and an endless supply
of garish costumes, they transform the town and everyone who lives there -
until homophobic cop Sheriff Dollard catches up with them. Seeing Patrick (who
aggressively auditioned for the role) in drag is a must. TR:5.0
Tootsie (1982): Dustin Hoffman really set new standards in this movie
where he plays an out-of-work actor who can only find a job as a daytime soap
actress! It's interesting to note that he only agreed to do this movie if he
was pleased with the look of his feminine transformation. TR:5.0
Top Secret! (1984): An 'Airplane'-style spoof of Elvis and spy movies.
Nick Rivers (Val Kilmer) heads to East Germany for a concert where he falls in
love with a beautiful French Resistance fighter (Lucy Gutteridge). The opening
festival in Berlin features the women's East German Olympic Team... which look
amazingly like male weight lifters. :) TR:1.5
Click for frame grabs.
Torch Song Trilogy (1988): Film adaptation of the Broadway play of the
same name. Arnold (Harvey Fierstein) lives in New York and is a female
impersonator. This is a touching story that chronicles his search for love,
respect and tradition in a world that doesn't seem especially made for him.
Also in major roles are the legendary Charles Pierce, Ken Page, and Axel Vera
(wow, great look!). TR:4.8
Total Recall (1990): Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone star in
this futuristic sci-fi thriller of mixed identities. Douglas Quaid (Arnold)
uses the disguise of fat lady (Priscilla Allen) to get past Mars Customs
officers. TR:1.5
Town & Country (2001): Lots of big names in this bizarre romantic
comedy. We find out early in the film that Griffin (Garry Shandling) is gay and
caught going into a hotel with a beautiful redhead. As soon as they get into
the room, she strips down revealing her male chest. The actor is uncredited,
but I believe it was Bijoux Deluxe. The scene is *very* short. TR:3.2
Toxic Avenger (1985): Mop-boy Melvin (Mark Torgl) gets transformed by
nuclear waste into the Toxic Avenger, a deformed creature who helps those in
need. Early on, Melvin dons a polka-dot pink leotard and tutu thinking it will
get him a night with the girl of his dreams. A gay couple attend the exercise
class in red leotards. Finally, one of the members of street gang is an ugly
crossdresser (possibly Charles Lee Jr). TR:2.5
Trainspotting (1996): This is a bizarre movie about Renton (Ewan
McGregor) and the drug-related escapades of him and his addicted friends. At
one point they celebrate a crime by going out to a nightclub. While there,
Renton reminscences about the fluidity of gender in modern culture while his
friend Begbie (Robert Carlyle) tries to make time in the back seat with an
unbeknownst transgender (uncredited). I can't recommend this film... these
low-life characters break every law in the books to get their hands on drugs
and money and their self-indulgent selfishness involves the death of a baby.
Entertainment... I think not. TR:1.5
Transamerica (2005): This is a good movie... well worth the two Oscar
nominations. It's really more of a road trip movie about a parent/sibling
relationship leaving the transsexual content as a *somewhat* minor plot
element. Of course, we have a female (Felicity Huffman of Desperate Housewives)
playing the transsexual, which I always dislike, but I will admit she did an
excellent job with the role and the movie did get more widespread attention
with her in the lead. In the special features, Felicity said she thought the
lead role should have been played by a male. We also have the obligatory TG
meeting scene which introduces some real life transsexuals along with Andrea
James and Calpernia Addams. Definitely recommended. TR:4.0
Transfixed (2001): Bo (Robinson Stevenin) is a transsexual prostitute
who left home after being abused by her father. She's now in an abusive
relationship with a neighbor (Stephane Metzger) and suspected by the police in
a series of transsexual murders. The story is so-so and slightly confusing, but
the star of the movie is a transgendered character and plenty of transgender
characters abound. In fact, some of the TG characters are so lovely, I thought
they were played by females until I heard them speak. I've given this a full 5
rating as some have told me the star is "Tiffany-esque". :) AKA: Mauvais
Genres. TR:5.0
Transgeneration (2005): Documentary following the gender transition of
four college students. It includes M->F Raci Ignacio (an unbelievable pretty
Filipino girl), M->F Gabbie Gibson, pretty but socially awkward, F->M T.J.
Juriun, a small politically-active boy, and F->M Lucas, sensible and struggling
with his first foray into male hormones. Good diversity among participants and
the drama draws you right in. TR:4.5
Trantasia (2006): Documentary on the ladies participating in the first
annual World's Most Beautiful Transsexual Pageant held in Las Vegas. Profiles
include Mimi Marks, Tiara Russell, Erica Andrews, Cassandra Cass, Maria Roman,
and Dorae Saunders. TR:4.0
Trash (1970): The title accurately sums up this Andy Warhol movie for
me. Well, unless you want to watch two hours of Holly Woodlawn bitching and
Joe Dallesandro shooting up drugs. TR:0.0
Trenchcoat (1983): Mickey (Margot Kidder) is an aspiring writer who
accidentally becomes entangled in an international crime plot while on vacation
in Malta. While investigating, a clue leads her to a club and its performer,
Princess Aida (Ronald Lacey). Also performing at the club is Afro-Dite (Martin
Sorrentino). TR:3.5
Trick (1999): The misadventures of two young gay men, Gabriel (Christian
Campbell) and Mark (John Paul Pitoc), trying to find a place to be alone for
one night in Manhattan. Gabriel is cornered in a dance club bathroom by drag
queen Coco Peru (Clinton Leupp) and is given all the "dirt" on Mark... and he
does have quite a long and involved monologue to impart. Surprisingly good
comedy that also stars Tori Spelling and a glimpse of Missi Pyle. TR:4.0
Trick Or Treats (1982): This is truly a bad movie. Malcolm (Peter Jason)
is wrongfully committed to a mental institution by his wife. To exact his
revenge, he escapes on Halloween night by attacking and dressing up as one of
the female nurses... very badly I might add. TR:1.1
Tricky Life (2001): Elisa (Mariana Santangelo) is a single mother of two
young boys and dreams of opening up her own hairdressing salon in Uruguay. With
few prospects and wanting quick cash, she naturally becomes a prostitute and
gets lured into going to Barcelona where she ends up fighting over street
corners with the local drag queens. AKA: En La Puta Vida. TR:2.6
Triple Echo (1973): This is a classic TG cult film... sometimes a bit
unpleasant. A soldier, Barton (Brian Deacon), comes across a farmhouse and
falls in love with the owner Alice (Glenda Jackson). He decides to desert the
army and live with her... so Alice comes up with the guise of him living there
as her sister. He is reluctant at first, but grows into the role. Eventually an
army sergeant (Oliver Reed) takes an interest in the girls and keeps inviting
them to dances at the nearby base. They keep refusing until finally out of
boredom, Barton agrees to be his date at the base Christmas Party... to the
total horror and astonishment of Alice! Brian does a good job with the role and
looks fairly good. TR:4.6
Click for frame grabs.
Tropic Thunder (2008): Comedy about a group of actors shooting a war
movie who are forced to become the soldiers they are portraying. Each of the
characters have spoof trailers at the beginning of the movie, Jeff Portnoy's
(Jack Black) is "Fatties: Fart 2" in which he plays all the characters... a'la,
the Klumps. At one point, Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) is forced into doing an
impromptu play and the mother is played by drug terrotist (Trieu Tran) and is
always seen afterwards dressed as such (sack dress, coconuts, etc). At one
point for some unknown reason (drug-induced fit?), Portnoy strips and dons a
village woman's dress... again, like a sack dress. TR:2.5
True To The Army (1942): Tight-rope walker Daisy (Judy Canova) witnesses
a gangster murder and has to hide before hitmen try to eliminate her. She
decides to join her sweetheart Pinky (Jerry Colonna) at a nearby army base
where he works as a pigeon trainer. Meanwhile, a big army show is under
rehearsal and she gets mistaken as one of the soldiers in drag. You see these
soldiers in the background in various scenes and in snippets from the "show".
Unfortunately, it's not been released to DVD. TR:4.0
TV: The Movie, National Lampoon's (2006): Different skits are sort of
tied together by two anchors, one being Cathy (Dian Bachar) who is always
dressed as a guy. One skit involves 4 effeminate gay convicts flirting with
some "straight" convicts. You'll get more chuckles watching paint dry than from
this boring movie. TR:1.9
Twice Two (1933): This is an interesting short starring Stan Laurel and
Oliver Hardy. They work and live together and are married to each others
sisters (played by the guys as well). The movie revolves around their wedding
anniversary when the girls get into a cat fight. Stan looks pretty good, but
it's not a pretty site seeing Oliver in a slip! Very high IMDB rating of 7!
Originally shot in b&w, but I have the colorized version. TR:4.3
Click for frame grabs.
Two Tough Guys (2003): This Spanish action/comedy provides plenty of
twists and turns as two guys and a girl attempt to pull off a heist. The two
guys end up checking out a club that is auditioning for female exotic dancers
and end up in the women's dressing room. For some unknown reason, the small
(and super thin) guy Alex (Jordi Vilches) starts applying makeup and trying on
a wig. The next scene we see the two walking past the auditions, one dressed as
a maintenance guy and Alex dressed in full drag (red/black PVC outfit)... and
he looks fairly foxy. The guy auditioning sees "her" and tells her to get over
there for the audition. Not wanting to arouse suspicion he does so and
surprisingly does quite a good job of exotic dancing! After losing his wig,
there is no time to change as the movie starts moving into high gear. AKA: Dos
Tipos Duros. TR:4.9
Under Seige (1992): Cmdr. Krill (Gary Busey) performs a little number
in drag in front of his battleship crew at the Admirals birthday party. Yep...
it's definitely laugh drag. TR:3.0
Up The River (1938): The criminal pursuits of Chipper Morgan (Preston
Foster) and Darby Randall (Arthur Treacher) bring them right back to previous
accommodations, the Rockwell Prison. In order to help out a fellow con's family
from being swindled, the "Rockwell Follies" prison show turns out to be the
perfect chance for them to break out while disguised as women attending the
show. But can they con the swindlers *and* help win the prison football game?
I guess you will have to watch and find out. TR:3.8
Ursula (1961): Based on the short story "Miss Gentilbelle" by Charles
Beaumont. In this 12 minute short, young Ursula (Calvin Waters) is taught a
cruel lesson when she rips her fancy dress. The story states that the young
girl, Roberta, was a boy raised as a girl... and while that topic is not
brought up in Ursula, we do have a boy playing the part of the little girl.
TR:3.7
Us (1991): This made-for-tv movie pilot stars Michael Landon (who also
wrote and directed). He plays a man being released after wrongfully imprisoned
for 18 years. The man holding the evidence for his release (a large cache of
jewelry) is Christopher Morley who is... yes, surprise... the crossdressed
thief! This is his next-to-last movie and he is looking a little chunky here
(sorry, Chris!). TR:3.8
Varietease (1954): An interesting collection of dance/striptease acts
interspersed with bad burlesque comedy bits and "hosted" by Bobby Shields. Star
billing is given to Lili St. Cyr who changes in and out of several outfits and
"rewards" us with a little dance act at the end. Some of the performers include
Betty Page, dancers Baro & Rogers, and singers Monica Lane and Christine
Nelsen. There's also a dancing Spanish Duo (Peppe & Roccio) and I'm about 95%
sure that Roccio is a female impersonator with her angular features and lack of
cleavage. Other than this movie, there's no information about them on the
internet. Lastly, we have a neat act with female impersonator Vicki Lynn in
male mode watching his "girlfriend" dance. He claims he can do better and
returns later in girl mode to finish the challenge while she watches! It's all
pretty chaste stuff. Also see: Teaserama. TR:4.0
Vecindario 2, El (1983) A beautiful blonde goes out to a club and orders
three "Sexy Club" escorts for herself and two other girlfriends. While waiting
for them at the house, we see the "girls" getting ready sans wigs and breasts.
The escorts arrive, but it doesn't take long for them to find out the deal
after they start slow dancing. Even though the movie is in Spanish (with no
subtitles), the scene looked out of place. TR:4.7
Vegas In Space (1991) What do you get when a drag queen has a $1,000
savings account and cravings to be a movie star? ...the first all drag queen
sci-fi musical ever! Three male agents (drag queen Doris Fish and two GG's
(Romana Fischer, Lori Naslund)) are ordered to change their sex and sent on
a secret mission to the planet Clitoris to recover Empress Gabor's (Ginger
Quest) planet-stablilizing jewels. Not to be missed is Miss X who plays three
roles and Tippi as Princess Angel. This movie is as *truly* campy as they meant
it to be. "Glamour first, glamour last, glamour ALWAYS!". TR:3.0
Velocity Of Gary (1998): The movie begins as wide-eyed young drag queen
Kid Joey (Chad Lindberg) steps off the bus onto the mean streets of NY (in a
crop top and petticoated skirt) and promptly gets beat-up by some gay-bashing
street thugs. Once rescued, we find her in a cute satin cowgirl outfit
entertaining some diner patrons by lip-syncing Patsy Cline. At the diner, we
are also introduced to two, rather uncouth, drag queens Venus (Khalil Kain) and
Coco (Shawn Michael Howard). However, the movie is really about the events
surrounding three friends (Vincent D'Onofrio, Salma Hayek, Thomas Jane) who
dress up as Diana Ross and the Supremes at a Halloween parade... including
other crossdressed Halloweeners! TR:4.6
Velvet Goldmine (1998) Slightly arsty movie set in the world of 70's
glam rock following fictional Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and Curt Wild
(Ewan McGregor)... so you know the type of androgynous drag you can expect.
Another glam icon character, Jack Fairy (Micko Westmoreland), plays it a bit
more femme. Also, you will find a vaudevillian actor in drag and credited as
"Pantomime Dame" (Lindsay Kemp). A quick look at his credits show mostly female
characters. TR:3.8
Vera Cruz (1954) You're not missing much when a person (uncredited)
wearing a white festival dress removes his big paper mache animal head.
TR:0.3
Very Serious Person, A (2006) Slightly feminine lad Gil (PJ Verhoest)
deals with his grandmother's sickness, newly arrived Danish male nurse Jan
(Charles Busch), and his own sexual orientation. I was a little disappointed
to see one of my a favorite female impersonators, Charles Busch (who directed
and wrote) in a male role, but he does get into drag for a small "preview"
scene when Gil wants to put on a play with a sea princess. TR:2.5
Victor/Victoria (1985): Victoria (Julie Andrews) and Carroll (Robert
Preston) are out of work performers who scheme to get work by passing off
Victoria as a famous female impersonator. There is an amazingly small amount of
drag performers for this type of movie except for the questionable audience at
the drag club. However, when the ruse is about to end, Carroll gets into
senorita drag for a song and dance number. TR:3.9
Virgin In Hollywood, A (1948): Darla (Dorothy Abbott) is a reporter who
is tasked with uncovering true stories coming out of Hollywood. While at a
club, she runs across a female impersonator in the show and is asked to compare
legs with her. This is a low-budget sexploitation film that is highly outdated.
TR:3.5
Vulgar (2000): Fairly dark movie about Will (Brian O'Halloran), who is a
childrens clown named Flappy. The jobs are lagging, so he decides to expand
his repetoire to include a vulgar bachelor-party clown who shows up dressed in
a bustier, fishnets, and heels. However, he ends up being gang-raped by a
bunch of backwood family members during his first gig. Through a heroic act,
Flappy eventually gains notoriety and lands his own children's TV Show, but
ends up being blackmailed by the same guys wanting another go at him. The TG
content is very minimal. TR:1.2
Vultures (1983): This muddled mystery/slasher movie stars female
impersonator great Jim Bailey who plays six roles(!), four of which are women.
With an IMDB user rating of 2/10... I won't say much more except I did enjoy
the parts with Jim practicing his craft, even if his performances were slightly
over-the-top. TR:3.4
Walk On Water (2004): Assassin Eyal (Lior Ashkenazi) gets too close to
a woman (Caroline Peters) and her gay brother Axel (Knut Berger). Eyal visits
Axel in Berlin where they help out a group of Axel's drag queen friends
(Hubertus Regout, Biggy van Blond, Paisley Dalton)... one of which is a cute
blonde. At least one other drag queen can be seen in the background at a gay
bar. TR:3.7
Wallander (S1E3: One Step Behind)(2008): This is a bleak UK
crime/thriller television mini-series with the length of an average movie
(1:30). Kurt Wallander (Kenneth Branagh) investigates the murder of three
youngsters having a secret fancy-dress woodland picnic. Spoiler: Wallander
finds his partner Svedberg (Tom Beard) is gay and dating tranvestite Louise/Ake
(Ben Meyjes), who appears to be a major suspect in the latest rash of murders.
Louise looks pretty cute, but the scene is WAY too short. TR:3.0 (for duration)
26Feb10
Wannabe: Story Of A Boy And Her Dream (2001): A documentary about
traffic-school teaching drag queen Avery/Shimmy Maxx. The director follows
Shimmy around Los Angeles, showing his efforts in making it big as well as some
of his self-destructive behavior. Even though he has a great look (and had
some success in the Texas gay pageant circuit), he can't seem to get past
living paycheck to paycheck. Towards the end of the documentary, we see some
moderate success with his getting a role in Terror Toons. Also see: Terror
Toons. TR:4.0
Wasabi (2001): Hubert (Jean Reno) is a rough cop who goes to Japan to
settle his ex-girlfriend's will and finds out he has a daughter and an unsolved
murder on is hands. The beginning of the movie demonstrates his tough-cop style
when he sucker punches a transvestite (Jean-Marc Montalto) at a dance club and
stops a bank robbery by three other transvestites (Alexandre Brik, Fabio
Zenoni, Veronique Balme). Geez, what does this movie have against tranvestites?
TR:4.0
Click for frame grabs.
Wasabi Tuna (2003) A group of friends usually dress as food for
Halloween (this year Wasabi Tuna), but decide on dressing up as gangsters
instead. The local group of drag queens, Champagne Anna (Alexis Arquette) Brown
Sugar Anna (Schuron Womack) Hot & Spicy Anna (Mark Alfa/Candice Cash) and Eenie
Anna (Arturo Gill), all decide to dress as their favorite celebrity, Anna
Nicole Smith (who also stars in the movie). Anywho, the drag queens think the
group is trying to steal Anna's dog Sugar Pie and trail them throughout the
movie. We also see Anna's assistants Howie (Howard Stern) dress as Anna (love
that silver dress) for next years Halloween party (and Kimmie Walther as a
cavalier). Check out the special features for a video by Alexis Arquette that
has snippets of photo shoots with her and the other drag queens. TR:4.2
Wedding Singer (1998): A romantic/comedy starring Adam Sandler and
Drew Barrymore. I'm not a big Adam Sandler fan, but I must admit that I really
love this movie. Robbie (Adam) is the lead singer for a band that does wedding
gigs. One of the band members is effeminate George (Alexis Arquette). Robbie
helps Julia (Drew) plan her wedding, so George ends up modeling a wedding gown
when she's making her dress selection. It's a *very* short clip. TR:2.5
Wenn Die Tollen Tantem Kommen (1970)
Translation: If the Mad Aunt's Coming. TR:
What Women Want (2000): Very entertaining film where Mel Gibson plays
a chauvinistic executive who falls for the ever beautiful Helen Hunt. Involved
in a competitive contract for womens products, he ends up trying them himself.
Unfortunately (or fortunately), he is never in full drag, but we do see him
paint his toes and fingernails, wax his legs, wear pantyhose, and apply a
little makeup. He just misses putting on a bra when his daughter and her
boyfriend walk in on him! TR:1.0
Whistle (2003): Indian slasher where a sinister force terrorizes a
college campus.
01Dec09
White Chicks (2004): Kevin (Shawn Wayans) and Marcus (Marlon Wayans) are
FBI agents on a mission to protect hotel heiresses, the Hilton... oops, Wilson
sisters, from a kidnapping plot. However, after a mishap on the road, the girls
refuse to go to a society function. Not wanting to admit the mistake, the boys
take their place! I really found this movie funny and although their faces
ended up looking a little "plastic", I must admit the Wayans Brothers look
pretty hot as white chicks... especially Marlon! :) They both lost weight for
the part and spent six hours in the makeup chair each morning. TR:5.0
Click for frame grabs.
White Mischief (1987): Based on a true event, this movie delves into
the ultimate in upper crust decadence. The story revolves around the marriage
of aging senior Jock (Joss Ackland) and his young wife (Greta Scacchi, one of
the most beautiful women in the world IMHO). To reinforce their decadence, one
of their many parties is a reverse party, where the men dress in gowns and the
women in suits. It's a short 3-minute clip. TR:3.6
Who Is Cletis Tout? (2001): Trevor Finch (Christian Slater) escapes
prison and takes on Cletis Tout's identity... too bad the Mafia hired a
movie-loving hitman (Tim Allen) to kill Cletis. Living one apartment down from
Cletis is Ginger (RuPaul Charles)... some sort of androgynous, sex-crazed drag
queen. TR:2.0
Who's the Woman, Who's the Man (1996):
Also see: He's a Woman, She's a Man. TR:
Whole of the Moon (1997): Stars Toby Fisher as a Leukemia patient who
ends up helping the escape of a dying female patient from the hospital. They
end up escaping detection by borrowing clothes from a mannequin display...
although he ends up in a flowing white evening gown and she ends up in a tux.
They sneak to the harbor, take his father's boat, and end up on an nearby
island to get away... all while dressed in their borrowed outfits. TR:4.0
Click for frame grabs.
Wicker Man (1973): Religious police inspector Sgt. Howie (Edward
Woodward) travels to the island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance
of a young girl. What he finds is a closed society built on pagan rituals. The
May festival involves Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee) leading the town
procession in drag. Nope, it's not a pretty sight. TR:3.2
Wigstock (1995): Documentary (sort of) covering the annual drag festival
in New York City. The TG icons are too numerous to mention, but includes key
interviews with Lady Bunny, RuPaul, Mistriss Formika, and Joey Arias. Among
some of the more "memorable" acts are the Leigh Bowery birth scene and Flloyd's
stripping. IMDB tells me there is another Wigstock movie from 1987. TR:4.9
Wild Wild West (1999): Will Smith, Kevin Kline
Wild Side (2004): A Parisian transsexual prostitute (real-life pre-op TS
Stephanie Michelini) moves in to to care for her dying mother... even though
her mother is not happy about Stephanie's transition. BTW, Stephanie and her TS
friends are all fairly natural looking. She is joined by her two male lovers
Djamel (Yasmine Belmadi) and Russian immigrant Mikhail (Edouard Nikitine)...
who are also lovers themselves. Even though this film dances on the edge of
softporn, it's anything but wild... and in fact, it's rather boring. TR:3.6
Wild Tigers I Have Known (2006): This artsy film (or maybe more
appropriately a random slide-show) is about 13 year-old Logan (Malcolm Stumpf)
who uses the guise of "Leah" to lure in a boy he has a crush on. Although he is
never dressed as a girl, he does use makeup and a blonde wig on several
occasions and he's fairly cute as such. TR:2.5
Wild Zero (2000): This Japanese/Thai movie stars real-life band "Guitar
Wolf" and is a rock-n-roll zombie fest. Ace (Masashi Endo) ends up fighting
zombies to save his new girlfriend Tobio (Kwancharu Shitichai)... spoiler...
who eventually reveals that she is a guy. Unfortunately, she doesn't wear any
makeup and only gets one outfit... a camp shirt, tan knee-length shorts, and
Keds tennis shoes. You can also she is flat-chested with big hands, but does
look quite cute and with dubbed-voice... it's very hard to tell. In fact, I'm
still not sure. This is Kwancharu's only film credit and is listed on IMDB as
male. Overall, see it for Tobio, not the movie. TR:4.0
Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap (1947): You're not missing much when Chester
(Lou Costello) puts on a bonnet, skirt, and shawl to join the women who are
providing a distraction for gunfighters. TR:0.4
Click for frame grabs.
Witch Hunt (1994): While investigating a murder in magic-laden 1950 Los
Angeles, private detective H.P. Lovecraft (Dennis Hopper) comes across a
brothel. The Madame of the brothel is played by Lypsinka (John Epperson) and is
just a normal "female" role... good for him! Also see: Cast A Deadly Spell.
TR:4.2
Without A Clue (1988): Sherlock Holmes (Michael Caine) and Dr. Watson
(Ben Kingsley) are on their latest case of a counterfeiting ring. The meanies
inserted a spy (Lysette Anthony) who is posing as Leslie Giles, the daughter of
a suspect. However, they didn't do their homework because the Giles family
secret is that his "daughter" is actually his son, a female impersonator
(Matthew Sim)! I love Matthew's maroon Victorian gown with fur trim... tres
chic! AKA: Sherlock And Me. TR:4.6
Woman, A (1915): Mother, Father and Daughter go to the park. The women
doze off on a bench while the father is lead into the lake by a man (Charlie
Chaplin). Both ladies fall for Charlie and invite him to dinner. When the
father returns home with a friend, Charlie rushes upstairs, shaves off his
moustache, and dresses like a woman. Both men fall for Charlie. This is a
classic short that I have seen in several books that talk about drag in the
movies. Also see: Busy Day and Masquerader. TR:4.4
Woman Inside (1981): Gloria Manon
Woman On Top (2000): Penelope Cruz
Women In Revolt (1971): This Andy Warhol film is just outright horrible.
It's basically a parody of the women's liberation movement which was popular
at the time. Some of the worst dialogue and acting (I use that word loosely)
I've ever seen. It stars Jackie Curtis, Holly Woodlawn, and the lovely Candy
Darling. TR:0.5
Wonder Boys (2000): Michael Douglas plays a writer named Grady. Early in
the film, Grady drives to the airport to pick up a friend (Robert Downey Jr)
who arrives with the "woman of his dreams" (Michael Cavadias) that he met on
the plane. Grady notices immediately that this "woman" is a transvestite and
informs his friend, however, that fact doesn't seem to phase anyone! TR:4.0
Wonderland (1988): This is another movie that tries (and fails) with
trying to tie-in many different plotlines together... hence the two movie
titles. Two teenagers (Emile Charles, Tony Forsyth) witness a murder at a
transvestite club, the Fruit Machine, and are on run from the killer. Emile
also meets a girl who wants to save a horny dolphin from a park called
Wonderland. The club has plenty of drag characters to include the owner
Annabelle (Robert Coltrane). AKA: Fruit Machine. TR:3.5
Click for frame grabs.
Woo (1998): At the urging of trannsexual psychic Celestrial (Girlina...
who looks very good), gorgeous and slightly crazy Woo (Jada Pinkett Smith) goes
on a blind date with law clerk Tim (Tommy Davidson). During the date, Woo wants
more information from Celestrial, so she drags (pun intended) Tim to a disco
drag club. Supposedly, every "girl" at the club was a guy... but it's not
likely. Two of the main "disco girls" were David Roberts and Kirk Pickersgill.
TR:4.0
Wooden Man's Bride (1994): A young bride (Lan Wang) is kidnapped on the
way to her wedding by a desert gang. The leader of the gang, Tang (Kao
Mingjun), likes to put on Kabuki plays for his men dressed as a woman... though
all we see is a very small scene from the distance. As with some foreign films,
it doesn't translate too well for the American viewer, but it's well worth a
watch. AKA: Wu Kui. TR:2.8
World According To Garp (1982):
World Trade Center (2006): You're not missing much when we get a short
glimpse of a New York City transvestite prostitute (uncredited). TR:1.0
World's Fastest Indian (2005): Nice movie about real-life Burt Monro who
set new land-speed records at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. During his travels
he meets transsexual hotel clerk Tina (Chris Williams) who helps him find his
way around town. Chris was excited about his Tina role and does a good job in
playing her. TR:4.0
Yankee Doodle In Berlin (1919): This is a WWI star-studded war
propaganda film written by Mack Sennett... or (admitted by Mack), a parody of
such films. The film stars well-known female impersonator Bothwell Browne in
the height of his career, and was considered at the time the only true
competition for the great Julian Eltinge. It's unfortunate this is Bothwell's
only film credit. He plays Army Captain Bob who volunteers for a mission into
German territory to expose the allied war plans. Upon arrival, he immediately
changes into his "college days" drag (and looks great!) and stays that way for
the entire movie (with costume changes), to include his daring escape from the
roof of the German Palace still in his Salome Dance outfit. There are three
other instances of drag too, an ugly "girl" appears as a love interest for a
German soldier (Ben Turpin), the Kaiser (Ford Sterling) dons drag when trying
to escape the wrath of his wife, and a Belgian Girl (Marie Provost) dresses as
a German soldier for her escape aided by Bob and an Irish Soldier (Charles
Murray). The rest is pretty much what you would expect from a war propaganda
film, a lot of politically incorrect jabs at the enemy. [Ed: Even though I am a
big Julian Eltinge fan, Bothwell Browne is thinner and plays it a bit sexier].
TR:5.0
Click for frame grabs.
Young Doctor's In Love (1982): An 'Airplane'-style spoof of hospital
soap operas. Angelo (Hector Elizondo) has a contract on his head and must go
undercover as Angela to visit his father at the hospital. TR:3.5
Click for frame grabs.
Zamaana Deewana (1995): Criminal Psychologist K.D. (Anupam Kher) has an
idea to get the two toughest gang families in the city to live in peace...
unite the son and daughter of the warring fathers. In his initial idea, we see
him sweet talking the fathers through song and dance while dressed as a woman.
I must say (with exception of the stuffed breasts), he looks quite natural.
When they meet the carefree son Rahul (Shahrukh Khan), he meets up with a dance
team featuring a girl in a mask... which is eventually removed to reveal a guy
with long hair, mustache, and makeup. The dance number continues with the guy
wearing the dress and dancing. TR:4.5
Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (2003): This is a good movie. It follows
the adventures surrounding a wandering blind swordmaster (Takeshi Kitano, who
also wrote and directed). Along the way we meet two beautiful geishas traveling
village to village avenging their parents murder. While revealing their story
we find out they are actually brother (Daigoro Tachibana/young Taichi Saotome)
and sister (Yuuko Daike). So impressed with his beauty, their friend Shinkichi
(Gadarukanaru Taka) also tries his hand at dressing as a geisha, with much less
success. At the end with all the meanies dead, they tell the brother he can now
go to back to male mode and he says, "No, I think I will stay this way!". With
the cartoonish CGI blood and swords, it's hard to be repelled at the violence.
I wish I understood Japanese, the special features has a "making of"
documentary and they interview Daigoro (still in drag) about his geisha role.
TR:4.5
Zerophilia (2005): Luke (Taylor Handley) discovers he is a Zerophiliac,
a person who can change sex at will. This is a really cute movie. There's no
physical dressing, but at one point Taylor gets some very realistic breasts
prosthetics... a process recorded in one of the special features. TR:2.5
Zis Boom Bah (1941): The school gang puts on a show to save one of the
school programs. During a dance number, Mary Healy is picked out of the
audience wearing a beautiful white gown and brought to the backstage door to
join the singer on stage, but when she comes out from behind the curtains, it
ends up being Huntz Hall dressed like her! Its a short dance clip, but worth
seeing. TR:3.7
Click for frame grabs.
Zodiac (2007): Excellent movie based on the Robert Graysmith (Jake
Gyllenhaal) books about the real-life serial-killer Zodiac. One of the
informants (uncredited) is a nice looking crossdresser... but its only a few
seconds long so don't blink. TR:3.4
Zona Rosa (2005): Documentary interviewing some male strippers in the
gay clubs of Mexico's Zona Rosa district. There is a fairly boring interview
with an entertainer/drag queen Willy (en drab) who manages the El Antro club
and a few snippets of the production including what I assume are beautiful drag
queens. There is another short interview with drag queen Tito Vasconcelos (en
drab) with a few short snippets from his act. The rest of the hour is male
strippers talking about how straight they are. TR:1.0
Click for frame grabs.
Zoolander (2001): Ben Stiller plays Derek, a famous male model, in
this parody of the modeling industry. At one point, they take him to a "Day
Spa" where he gets a massage from Olga (Andy Dick). You know something is
up when you see "her" in the padded suit and face in boils... uck! And being
models, the guys are always in some type of androgynous outfit with feathers,
leather, and makeup. TR:1.2
Click for frame grabs.
Zorro, the Gay Blade (1981): George Hamilton plays multiple roles in
this movie which has a different take on the Zorro genre. Toward the end of
the film, Zorro needs to go undercover at the governors party... hence a pink
southern belle type outfit with a Spanish influence. TR:4.0
Click for frame grabs.
Zus & Zo (2001): A Dutch film about three discontented sisters who are
trying to stop their gay brother Nino (Jacob Derwig) from marrying a woman
(Halina Reijn). Why? To keep possession of Paraiso, their beloved family summer
home on the coast. However, Nino wants to sell the home to finance his
sex-change operation and try to reunite with is ex-boyfriend, Felix (Pieter
Embrechts). It's muddled at times, but it does have a happy ending. AKA:
Hotel Paraiso. TR:4.1