Killer Drag Queens on Dope (2003) User Reviews

Can anyone say "home movie"?

[tiffmich_2000 · 3/10 · 10 January 2006]

Since no one has commented on this yet, I thought I would save someone the time and trouble and try to steer away innocent bystanders. "Please look-away, I'm hideous!"

It really does look and feel like a home movie, probably all done with a hand-held camera, awful lighting, bare sets that echo with each footstep, and erratic editing. I've done better with iMovie.

It really quite useless to go much further in the plot than to say that Ginger (Alexis Arquette) and Coco (Omar Alexis) are hired drag queen assassins... oh yeah... and they are on dope. There you go... you've watched the movie.

Good points... uhmmm... Alexis does look pretty good here and it's only 83 minutes.

Coco... please check out Dermablend girl... you'll thank me in the morning!

A Family Comedy

[juliankennedy23 · 5/10 · 4 July 2020]

Killer Drag Queens on Dope (2003): 5 out of 10: A bunch of homeless people found some old camcorders in a dumpster and filmed a movie is as good an explanation as any for this film. Our titular drag queens are contract killers for the mob, but they have a secret. Our blonde assertive drag queen Ginger AKA Eva Destruction (Alexis Arquette) is actually doing the hits that are assigned to her boyfriend Bobby (Mario Diaz) who is either too scared or incompetent to do them himself for his psychotic crime boss Uncle A (Don Edmonds in his last role).

The Good: The music is superb, a nice mix of many various genres and very refreshing. The leads (Alexis Arquette and her doll obsessed and submissive girlfriend Omar Alexis) are fun and have a believable relationship considering the circumstances.

The banter between them and among the mobsters is actually quite good for a chuckle. In fact, the film overall is funny (Not quite laugh out laugh out loud funny but a pleasant mix of set pieces. Also, some subtle humor as well (the two henchman are named Anthony and Tony)

There is some creativity on a micro-budget here, and a more solid than expected script that really helps things along.

The Bad: There is a low budget and then there is this movie which cost less than my first apartment. I mean, there are no sets. None. This is sub porn budgeting. The mob's hideout is an empty warehouse room with a folding card table. The climatic fight takes place in the same room with the card table removed and stacks of cardboard boxes in its place. I half expected the puppet dinosaurs from Future War to make a guest appearance.

The Ugly: This film has one of the worst openings of any film. Filmed in a hotel room, it has the girls on their first hit. It looks like a porn film but without the sex (You know for a movie called Killer Drag Queens on Dope this is a fairly chaste affair with no nudity) The hit is an unimaginative affair and it has that "hey these broads are guys" trope that I will discuss below. The good news is the movie significantly improves once the opening credits arrive. Too bad it gives such a poor first impression.

In Conclusion: The movie does what is says on the tin. It has drag queens; they are killers, and they do lots of dope. A fun, funny and surprisingly family friendly affair.

Awesome Drag Queen Mobster Movie

[Crap_Connoisseur · 6 July 2006]

Killer Drag Queens On Dope has all the hallmarks of a trash classic: An outrageous plot, memorable one-liners, excessive drug taking and a killer drag queen on roller skates. This film was obviously made on a budget of next to nothing and the production values are pretty basic. However, this is more than compensated for by the sheer originality and humour of the undertaking.

The film revolves around two drag queens, Ginger and Coco, who take a lot of drugs and carry out hits for Ginger's mobster boyfriend, Bobby. That is basically it. Killer Drag Queens On Dope doesn't waste time on anything as dull as character or plot development. Instead, it strings together a series of wonderfully bizarre vignettes of Ginger and Coco murdering Bobby's enemies. The "hits" are hilarious in their own right. Ginger kills one man by literally sitting on his face, while another memorable assassination sees Ginger dressing up as a nun. There are also poison darts, fencing duels and the brilliant (and almost impossibly camp) roller finale. When not bumping off mobsters for Bobby, the twosome indulge in their other passion - illicit drugs. One of the film's best sequences involves Ginger and Coco taking acid, then stealing a car and visiting a psychic.

The film owes a lot to the highly charismatic presence of the cutting edge Arquette, the always entertaining Alexis. Alexis plays Ginger with a large dose of wit and sympathy. Unlike most actors who have appeared in drag, Alexis never feels the need to turn the character into a walking punchline. His ease with Ginger probably stems from his own incredibly fierce alter-ego, Eva Destruction. Omar Alexis also does a great job as Coco, the daydreamer who obsesses over Lovely Linda dolls. The supporting cast is fun, particularly the actors who play Uncle A and Mr Fly. The quality acting is matched by a highly amusing script and competent directing.

Killer Drag Queens On Dope is a return to the days of the loud and proud B-movie. This film knows its audience and doesn't bother trying to appeal to the masses. I love this film's irreverent tone and winning humour. Fans of John Waters and early Almodovar will find Killer Drag Queens On Dope a highly enjoyable experience.

Miserable little movie that deserves to be lost in the dust bin of oblivion

[jellynoel · 1/10 · 19 July 2007]

Positively dreadful--if you are looking for a campy ala John Waters you will be extremely disappointed.

It is so completely boring. Lousy plot, acting, cinematography, acting, production, sound, etc.

If you have to watch such a movie you are in very sorry state and need years and years of therapy.

I was completely disposed to like a movie with a title like that, but.....as much as I tried to make mental notes excusing this sad movie, but finally it is boring, stupidly written, produced and while they spent serious thought on their provocative title--wish they had not run out of gas in the very first frame.

Movies of this genre (in the manner of John Waters et al) have a very special place in the movie world. They bi-pass the stultifying effect of commercial studios who are aiming for the big bucks.

R.I.P. Don Edmonds

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 1 June 2009]

This is as simple as it gets; the title is the plot. Ginger (Alexis Arquette) and Coco (Omar Alexis) are two drag queens that snort coke, drink daiquiris, and do hits for Uncle A (Don Edmonds in his last performance). Actually Uncle A is sending Bobby (Mario Diaz) to do the hits, but Bobby has his "girlfriend" do them.

When the mark asks Ginger to sit on his face, she does, but with a pillow under her to snuff him out.

Ginger dresses as a nun in her next hit. "You have been judged a sinner, and you must atone." The last hit goes bad due to a Lovely Linda doll that CoCo goes cuckoo over, letting the mark escape. Everything unravels from there leading to a grand finale with Ginger in a roller derby outfit on skates as she saves Coco and the day, and the doll.

Funny as hell with some great lines.

Trashy and brilliant!

[channel83-cable12 · 8/10 · 25 February 2006]

'They're hell on heels!'

I had read some really mixed reviews about this film, most were bad reviews, but as a lover of bad, trashy films I thought I'd give it a go. I thought the story sounded good but my main motive was to see Alexis Arquette and Haji ('Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!) in the film.

I am very glad I saw this, I loved it from just the opening scene! If you are a fan of trashy and low budget films with silly dialogue, bad acting and camp humour I urge you to see this! Don't listen to the bad reviews, they're probably written by people who only like crappy Hollywood blockbusters!

The storyline is almost fully explained within the film's title! Ginger (Alexis Arquette) and Coco (Omar Alexis) are drug-addicted contract killers who work for a wheel-chair bound, one-eyed lunatic named Uncle A. Uncle A doesn't know that they work for him though, he thinks that Ginger's boyfriend Bobby is doing his dirty work. Uncle A is after a one-of-a-kind collectible 'Lovely Linda' doll, and it seems he will stop at nothing to get his hands on it!

Alexis Arquette (as his drag alter-ego Eva Destruction) looks great in this, and the brief but funny cameo from Haji is good. The only thing I would say that lets the film down is the sloppy ending, it could've had a much better ending, but you'll have to see for yourself. Also on my DVD, an annoying copyright title kept popping up throughout the film, but the film was so good, I'm prepared to forgive all that!

Absurdly delightful

[Polaris_DiB · 8/10 · 21 May 2007]

Would it be bad of me to state that this is one of my new favorite movies? Is it so absurd to even think of calling this movie "good"? Movies like this are made, watched, and appreciated only as so-bad-they're-good campy productions, but I can't help but want to make the argument that this is missing the "so-bad-" part.

Don't get me wrong: this is pure B-movie production and design, through and through. But it stands out not because of its quirky title, but because of its deranged form of entertainment and believability. It's well-written enough to know when it can actually have dialog, and when it can just be a "bad B-movie" for the camp value. It is well-shot enough to be colorful, myriad, and sensual. It is well-acted enough that it's not ham-fisted, it's a lot more about all of the actors having the time of their life. And I have never seen such believable drag queens.

The movie starts off readily enough: we open on a shot of drag queens, then it cuts to someone cutting some dope, then the drag queens walk into a hotel room and suffocate the man with the dope, then take it. There you go: killer drag queens on dope. Enter a title sequence (Alexis Arquette is here called "Eva Destruction"), and thus begins a journey into an underground different and more compelling than what you probably would expect.

If anything, the only bad part is the car-non-chase scene. This movie works best when kept into blank, color-toned rooms and cramped spaces. Opening it up to the world of cars and other people makes it seem peculiarly out of place. Everything else may be coded ridiculous, but makes sense in its own way.

Best of all, this movie has a real pay-off. It's hard to hold back, but I won't give it away. Just trust me when I say that you've never seen a shoot-out scene like this one.

--PolarisDiB

Uniquely Wonderful

[westieangeljill · 9/10 · 18 June 2007]

PLOT: 'Killer Drag Queens On Dope'. The title of the film says it all. Alexis Arquette (A.K.A. Eva Destruction) and Omar Alexis play 2 drag queens, Ginger and Coco, who are hired killers. Oh, yeah, and they do some drugs. (Nothing worse that what you see on TV.)

PRO'S AND CON'S: This may not be an Oscar Award winning film, as it is low budget. The fight scenes are below the Matrix level, but flow smoothly. I think it just adds to the humor.The music is enjoyable. It has a 70's buddy-cop sound to it. You know, the funky guitar along with some techno beats.

This film is light and upbeat. With Coco's doll obsession, the crazy 'jobs', and wacky characters, this film is very comical! I found myself laughing often throughout the movie.

WHAT I LEARNED

There are 4 things I learned from this film:

1. Be your fabulous self and proud!

2. Being 'in-between' male and female can be the best of both worlds.

3. When planning a murder in costume, make sure your weapons match your outfit.

4. Alexis Arquette has nice legs (I think I knew that before though...)

To conclude, go out and see Killer Drag Queens On Dope!

One of the Most-Defining Films of a Generation

[cctkgus · 10/10 · 21 April 2008]

Killer Drag Queens on Dope, is, above all, a work of art. It's ability to provide exciting, action-packed scenes while also tugging at the heartstrings is a quality that truly cannot be found in many films today.

The acting in the film is unequaled in the world of cinema today, with two brilliant performances by the lovely Alexis Arquette and Omar Alexis. Why these two were nominated for Oscars is beyond me.

The cinematography, editing, and set/costume design are also outstanding, and Lazar Saric, the film's director deserves a good pat on the back for a job truly well-done.

If you haven't seen this masterpiece yet, make sure to check it out next time you pay a visit to the local video store. You won't be disappointed!

Fun and Campy

[jonk-15 · 8/10 · 15 November 2006]

I just saw the remastered DVD that Laguna Productions will be releasing on February 6, and they did a color correction, fixed the sound design, and put on some other post touches that make the movie look a lot better.

It's a fun, campy, goofy flick. Don't take it too seriously. Just go with it and have fun.

I've watched the first half of it so far, and it's pretty funny. And the cast looks like they had a good time making it.

So if you want to have a fun movie night, get the DVD and have some friends over to watch it. You'll be surprised at how much fun you have.

Hilarious deconstruction of mainstream Hollywood thrillers

[sharmakarma · 10/10 · 4 October 2007]

With a movie like this it's all about how you approach it. If you're expecting big budget standards of production of course you will be disappointed. It worked for me as a hilarious deconstruction of butch mainstream Hollywood thrillers. I laughed all the way through.

It takes the conventions of the Hollywood thriller and satirizes them mercilessly. For example the fact that the whole thing revolves around capturing a collectible doll off a drag queen, rather than say, saving the world from imminent destruction. The convention of the beautiful sidekicks of the male characters is turned inside out by making the protagonists drag queens. And so on.

It's kind of like when you've seen Chaplin's "The Great Dictator", newsreel of Nazis sieg heiling just looks hilarious. You'll never look at a mainstream thriller the same way again after seeing this.

Oh, and Omar Alexis looks really cute as a girl.

Had some funny bits

[zmoviefan · 24 January 2006]

I thought Killer DragQueens on Dope was a decent comedy spoof.

Alexis Arquette and Omar Alexis are pretty good and both have very funny one liners. And I loved most of the music.

Most of the plot involves a "lovely Linda Doll" that the bad guys are after.

The only things I hated were that some scenes were too dark and could barely see what was going on and in some scenes you can totally see they were using stunt doubles.

Other than that, KILLER DRAGQUEENS is just as good as any other movie to watch on a rainy day.