Make A Scene proudly presents: To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar - the glitter-soaked 1995 road movie comedy that got an entire generation of straight Hollywood stars to put on heels! Following three New York drag queens stranded in a small conservative town is has a strangely similar plot to the more well known The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, To Wong Foo but rightfully deserves its place right alongside it in the great pantheon of drag cinema.
Straight-as-they-come actors Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguizamo all play drag queens at a time when major Hollywood movie stars never played gay let alone dragged up! The result is genuinely committed and tender performances, especially from Swayze, who brings real elegance and emotional depth to Vida Boheme. And yes, keep your eyes peeled for an early cameo from RuPaul, appearing before Drag Race would turn her into a global institution. Looking back now it all feels like a fascinating snapshot of drag entering mainstream culture just before queer representation exploded.
More than anything, To Wong Foo has survived because people keep referencing it, rediscovering it, and passing it on. You can see its fingerprints everywhere from the drag comedies that followed to Snatch Game impressions and endless GIFs. It’s campy, heartfelt and chaotic just like your fave drag queen and you're going to love it!
Introduction by Gary James Williams curator for Make A Scene Film Club and programme lead for SCENE: Manchester LGBTQ+ Film & TV Festival
All of our screenings are 18+ unless otherwise stated, and the film start time is as advertised above.
Content Warnings: mild bad language, mild sex references, and a scene depicting domestic abuse.
