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Stop! That! Train!

By Golu
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...
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Slay (Canada)

By Golu
This one is yet another campy cheesy horror comedy films, this time with drag queens chasing and fighting vampire bikers and rednecks. Yes, it is low budget, yes it has questionable acting, is cheap, stupid, predictable; the lovers of this genre may actually end up enjoying the film. I will be honest and upfront that these kind of films do not do it for me, so I didn't think much of it, but I can totally see if this fit was released in gay film festivals, it would have been lapped up by the audiences.

Slay begins on the road with a performing troupe of drag queens on their way to a gig. The 4 of them believe that the venue is legendary gay bar in middle of nowhere, only to realize they misunderstood and are actually performing at a dive bar. This dive bar is run by an old guy called Dusty, despite most of his clientele being big buffy homophobic bikers. Swallowing their pride and their need for money , they decide to perform. Just as the show starts, the bar is descended upon by a horde of vampires and now the queens, the queers and the townsfolk have to put aside their differences and their prejudices to try and survive the night. You can imagine where this film is headed. Almost one hour goes into killer vampires making more vampires and how a small bunch of people come together during adversity and putting aside intolerant views to take down the common enemy but filled with glitter, blood, and fierce fights.

As mentioned this is gloriously campy film, which knows exactly what they are making and who the audience is. The idea of drag queens fighting vampires is inherently silly and so the makers embrace that and go in full force. Most of the time the film is just playing with the insanity of the central concept, and really that seems like the best way to handle this kind of material. The 4 leads are supposedly famous drag queens and honestly they did a fantastic job of their characters. Their chemistry on screen adds to the fun and entertainment value of the movie. All the characters. In the bar also did a great job and 2 people stand out, the bar owner and Trevor, the guy who takes most jabs at the drag queens but eventually there is redemption. It’s kind of amazing how this film can jump between cheesy double entendres and then have a sincere scene encouraging a major character to be honest with who they are. The film showcases a ton of classic vampire lore and tropes while also including a few new interesting additions which was cool to see, using some examples of classic vampire films. Yes, this is a campy horror-comedy; it is funny, charming and has more than a few cute emotional moments ad would entertain, if this is what gets you going. Personally, this genre has never worked for me, and I don't think it ever will, but you guys, give it a try and you might be entertained. (4/10)
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