To Wong Foo - vs. - Priscilla


Both of these films are obviously very similar in story - three drag queens do a cross country drive and end up in the back of beyond, but my questions are these:

Which film did you enjoy the most and why?

Which characters do you think were the equivalents of each other - obviously John Leguizamo and Guy Pearce's characters were similar (young, exuberant, extra camp, OTT) but what about the other four?

Which actors do you think did the best jobs?



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I enjoyed both films. However I enjoyed "Too Wongo Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" a little more. I think its because I'm American. I'm also a big fan of the actors. Including some of the side people. It was a true American story with a drag queen twist.

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To Wong Foo is my choice. Loved every minute of it. Tried watching Priscilla and it seemed like everyone was yelling at everybody and could not make sense of it. To Wong Foo is admittedly a softer movie, but sometimes that is a good thing.

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Too Wong Foo is meant to be a lighthearted comedy that 'mainstream' America (read: heterosexual) can enjoy without having to afford the draw queens much beyond some tolerance and compassion.

Queen of the Desert is intended to be a bit more realistic and asks the audience to face their own prejudices and the prejudices laced with 'the system's a bit more. It also has gotten some criticism for pandering to racism...

It is difficult to fairly compare them, although because they were released around the same time - the gay 90s - comparison will be made.

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I think they're not really that similar, besides the superficial setting. Priscilla was a deeper movie with plenty of sadness beneath the glitter. Closer to real life. To Wong Foo, on the other hand, is just a lighthearted comedy. So to a question of which movie is better, I'd say Priscilla. But I honestly enjoyed both, if only for the fact of the incongruity of the lead actors in drag

Wesley Snipes especially. I mean come on. He's an ACTION STAR. LOL. And this was 1995, when gays still weren't that openly talked about. Guy's got balls. ;) And that's a compliment.

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Not that similar...3 drag queens breaking down in the middle of nowhere??? Please...sounds pretty darn similar to me. Sure, the details may be different, but the base is identical. The only reason this got green lighted was because of the success of Priscilla.

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I must be going against type as a straight American female, but I preferred Priscilla big time. The humor was funnier, the characters were more realistic as drag queens, and you can't beat the soundtrack.

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I'm with you, just watched To Wong Foo again after a few years, and while it is not without its charm, Priscilla is by far the superior film. The characters just felt more realistic, less caricature-ish.

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I like both films but definitely prefer Priscilla. Smarter, funnier, and has better music.

I'd say John Leguizamo and Guy Pearce's characters are the most similar as both are lost souls, trying to find their way.

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I've seen both and I have to admit I prefer Priscilla. Won Foo was a bit too "preachy" for me. While Vida made her point and changed the lives of several of the town's residents, I still prefer Priscilla. Vida and Priscilla are very similar except for the "preachiness".

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I saw them both recently, and I liked them, but I have to say Priscilla was my favorite. It was more of a musical, and well, how can you top Terence Stamp!?

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Priscilla has more depth (but not that much) but TWF is more entertaining, imo

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