[from The Watermark 06/10/95]
Wigstock: the movie is a fun frolic documenting the 1994 Wigstock drag festival held every Labor Day in downtown Manhattan. The film records the event - one that wouldn't normally get much mainstream attention - and lets all the world see the rollicking, campy, (not to mention safe) fun
of throwing on a wig and heels in public. Its strongest moments are when the performers are being serious in interviews, as well as when we are shown the performances intercut with dress rehearsals in which we see the artistry without the facade. Drag Diva Mistress Formika discusses the influence the media has on the American perceptions of gender in an early segment of the film; interestingly, the rest of the movie never delves this deep, and manages to shed little light on what is at the emotional or cultural core of female impersonation. Instead, the film is filled with clips showing the drag queens being bitchy to each other and walking down the street past dumbfounded on-lookers. These moments are big crowd-pleasers, but after the first hour of lip-synching and montages of booger-dragged spectators, Wigstock: the movie gets tired. Celebrity appearances by Ru-Paul and Deee-Lite thankfully make the film more interesting, but all-in-all, the celebratory qualities of the film are what carries it, though at times it seems like too much of a good thing.
November 22, 2009
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