Coming out of the same studio that gave us RuPaul's Drag Race, and stacked with a whole crew of former contestants, Stop! That! Train! plays like RuPaul basically taking a bow for the entire franchise she's built. It's not really a gay film in the traditional sense, but with so many drag stars from Ru's shows popping up alongside a few cameos from well known out gay actors, I figured it earns a spot on this blog anyway. The whole thing is completely over the top, packed with GenZ slang, loud flashy visuals, and humor that's constantly winking at you knowing how ridiculous it is. Going in you'd assume it's meant to be a laugh riot, and a lot of critics online seem to be eating it up, but I just couldn't get into it at all. I've never really been someone who vibes with campy silly stuff like this, so honestly my reaction doesn't surprise me one bit. The setup follows Tess and DeeDee, two low level stewardesses who sneak onto the fancy Glamazonian E...
What the heck was the film about. I know I was paying all attention to the film but it never explained why certain things were happening. It seemed like the film was divided in 2-3 parts with them being linked some way but never an explanation given. By the end of the film, I wanted 2 hours of my life back.
Mark Anton in 90's was a famous porn star who made a few films, was on top and then suddenly vanished into thin air. Flash forward to current time: Michael is researching a book about porn. He's interviewing people who have long wondered what happened to the elusive Mark Anton. The trail leads him to a Brooklyn loft apartment that he and his partner feel compelled to move into. The vibe is definitely unsettling, and there are mysterious holes all over where it looks like cameras used to be. Michael finds a VHS tape hidden in the wall. He plays the tape but is not sure what he sees. He brings the tape to a video store friend to get it fixed but mysteriously then he also disappears. After a while Michael also disappears. The film's focus now shifts to West coast where porn star Matt Stevens has an eerie dream about Mark Anton that he hastily adapts into a screenplay. With the project greenlighted and production well underway, Matt ends up reliving Anton’s career in the same tragic manner.
The film was never clear on what's imaginary vs what is real. You try to keep focus but fail to understand. Every thriller needs to have an explanation for why things are going on a certain route but this one just didn't seem to want it or even think of it. From performances perspective, the film is ok but what can the actors do when the screenplay itself is so timid that it just doesn't make any sense.
DOn't waste your time even though it shows as the top seller on TLA's website :) (1/10)
Comments
I think it was all really about Matt Stevens... he had to "get real." Until he did, the guys in the first 2 parts would live out their respective doomed fates. Once he 'got real' he changed that.