Welcome to your weekend streaming recommendations, a.k.a. the Weekend Watch, a handy guide to the queerest film and TV content that’s just a click away!
The category is drag! As Pride Month celebrations rage on, it’s time to celebrate some of our proudest performers. Drag queens are more popular than ever thanks to RuPaul’s Drag Race, but they’ve been entertaining us for decades. These films and series feature everything from more mainstream drag to underground, niche fabulousness you may not have heard of. And while we forever love To Wong Foo, we decided to go with some deeper cuts this week.
Read on for drag queen-themed movies and series to stream this weekend.
Paris Is Burning
Not to take anything away from the groundbreaking series Pose, but this 1990 documentary about New York City’s ballroom culture showed the gritty, harsh side of life that the Ryan Murphy drama let its characters escape. Directed by Jennie Livingston, this incredible look into the ballroom subculture was way ahead of its time in its sensitive handling of the transgender community. The footage is absolutely stunning and the human stories are sad, hopeful and serve realness.
Now streaming on Max and the Criterion Channel. Rentable on Apple TV.
Hurricane Bianca
Drag Race Season 6 winner Bianca Del Rio stars in this low-budget 2016 comedy written and directed by Matt Kugelman. When Del Rio’s character, Richard, is fired from his small town job as a schoolteacher for being gay, he turns to his drag persona to exact insults and revenge. Rachel Dratch plays the judgmental vice principal, while Del Rio’s peers like Shangela Laquifa Wadley, Joslyn Fox, and even RuPaul stop by. And look out for an appearance by the legendary Alan Cumming!
Now streaming on Hulu and Kanopy. Rentable on Amazon Prime and Vudu.
Polyester
Morality! Perverts! Scratch and sniff cards! This 1981 John Waters comedy stars the late, great Divine as beleaguered housewife Francine Fishpaw, whose life falls apart due to her failed marriage, horrible children, and evil mother. At her lowest point, Francine meets a mysterious stranger (played by dashing Old Hollywood star Tab Hunter!) who promises he can change her life. But is Francine being played for a fool?
Polyester was released in Baltimore cinemas with scratch and sniff cards for audiences to use at key points in the movie. This wacky movie is a great entryway into John Waters flicks, and Divine’s performance is… divine.
Rentable in Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, DirecTV and Vudu.
Vegas In Space
Late international drag star Doris Fish wrote this campy 1991 sci-fi comedy, which was directed by Phillip R. Ford, known for his work in the San Francisco drag troupe Sluts A-Go-Go. It’s hard to describe this one without making all our heads spin, but just know it takes place on planet Clitoris, featured Barbarella-inspired costumes, and was produced by Troma Entertainment, of Toxic Avenger fame. Vegas In Space is a fascinating relic, and features performers from an era where drag queens had much less mainstream exposure and opportunities to perform.
Now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
AJ And The Queen
This 2020 Netflix comedy series stars RuPaul as Ruby Red, a drag queen who gets swindled by her (extremely sexy) lover and loses everything. Ruby Red then meets AJ (Izzy G.), a tough-talking 10-year-old orphan and the two end up on a wild road trip. AJ and the Queen is the rare TV series about a drag queen that takes itself somewhat seriously, and features cameos galore—Jinkx Monsoon! Katya! Jane Krakowski! Lorraine Bracco! And Queerty is journalistically obligated to warn you that the dangerously sexy Josh Segarra stars as Ruby Red’s greasy ex.
Now streaming on Netflix.
The Kicker…
Miss Coco Peru is known for a lot of things—a showstopping monologue in Trick, her love of Panettone bread, various guest starring roles, and stand-up comedy. But one thing she’s not is a gamer, as evidenced by this hilarious “Let’s Play” video. Watch as Miss Coco Peru explores the world of Grand Theft Auto V and finds that gaming maybe isn’t for her.
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