How Priscilla, Queen of the Desert changed the world | Between A Frock & A Hard Place

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I was the assistant manager at the Bridge Theater in SF where Priscilla opened in 1994 and played for, I think, 10 months. For the first two months every show was sold out, 5 shows a day, 7 days a week and we had to turn people away. I remember threading up that 35mm projector with the ritualistic care of Buddhist monk and starting the film feeling the palpable excitement of the 400+ new viewers who were about to have their minds blown. The color! The music! I I would slip into the theater to check the focus, timing it perfectly with each of the great songs, and it never once got old.

All the performances were fantastic, but I am always moved by the quiet dignity Terrence Stamp brought to this performance.

I was 22 living in San Francisco and extremely depressed seeing so many friends die. I found myself going to the cinema to see this movie around 10 times. Pricilla helped me cope in those days. I get teary eyed these days when I think about it

I’m 42 and this movie changed my whole life as a 14 year old back then

The Russell brothers is the most heartbreaking story out of this documentary. You can feel the lingering love of their brother with no judgment about him.... What a life he could have had of acceptance from his family members... My heart goes out to them who had lost their brother who they clearly loved.

Never in a million years I would have thought that a documentary about drag would move me, it is such a foreign reality for me, but it not only moved me, it had me in tears several times! The level of understanding, love, empathy that humans are capable of is something we often forget due to the horrors we see happening in the world right now, wars, famine, plagues, you name it, and here you see cops marching along drag queens! That was one of the most emotional scenes of this documentary. Thank you for this, this is real education, life education.

Priscilla is my comfort. I have probably seen it more than 100 times and never get tired of it.

Priscilla was absolutely culture-shifting, life-changing, for the better world. <3 Thank you SO much for making it when you did. XOXO ;)

I was in college when this came out. I was part of a cinema group that showed it as a sneak preview on campus. Loved it then, and love it still. I got it as soon as it came out on VHS, then DVD, and have it on my Plex. As a cis woman I turned my husband on to it when me met and he loves it too. We watch it at least once a year. I grew up in the 70s and 80s US and remember those times. Sad to see our country back slide. We need to pick up the gauntlet and get back on track for equality and rights for everyone.

As a straight, cis girl from the American Midwest, Priscilla completely blew my mind and made me aware of the beautiful culture of drag. One of my favorite movies of all time. Thank you!

This movie was ahead of its time. I recall watching it as a kid and my parents worrying it was going to "Corrupt me" so they told me I was not allowed to watch it anymore. I never understood this? why? So odd I thought..because I was allowed to watch movies like... Robocop, Aliens, and predator. you know? Movies that were guilty of violence and stuff. This movie was innocent. and resonated as fun. Simply guilty of existing I guess? Back then I never saw anything like it before. In any event- Its still a Gem to this day. Thank you for posting this Doc.

Priscilla is an absolute LGBT classic, and I've loved it for many years. But I didn't realize how deep-reaching the story was behind its creation. Excellent doc ❤

I remember seeing Priscilla in a theater filled with gay men in Hillcrest, San Diego's gay ghetto when it first came out, right after I came out. It was raucous, colorful, filled with the music of Abba-which I had never listened to as I was a punk rocker-but what I remember most was its great big, glitter covered heart.

Getting Priscilla made was a true labor of love for everyone involved. And I've always had the utmost respect for Hugo, Guy and Terence for taking on these roles. Yes, they played them for laughs, but they also filled them with heart which made us love them all the more. The music was great mixing gay classics like ABBA with soon to be gay classics like Finally. And the costumes were simply fabulous; the creativity and artistry made each of the performance scenes a joyful experience. There will never be another movie like Priscilla, it stands alone as an icon of gay cinema that made a real and significant difference in Australia and the world.

Does any one have something to wipe the tears away. I was moved when I saw the film. I was moved when I saw this documentary. Very, very special movie.

One more comment and I’ll stop. You couldn’t have found a better person to narrate. T Stamp you were absolutely brilliant in this film. So glad you took the risk. All the cast… PHENOMENAL

Priscilla was the first gay movie I watched. It happened at a time where my church had split, most of the congregation had been excommunicated, and most of the people I was closest to were able to be rejoined, but I was left behind as an undesirable for no apparent reason I could figure. I found myself to be psychologically alone at that point. I was at college, living alone in an apartment, my family 4 hours away, and it was a rough time. In many ways, I identified with Mitsy, feeling like I lived in separate worlds that were about to collide and feeling petrified about it. Priscilla kept me grounded. I remember just how much I was struggling and seeing this movie showing that even through the worst, there is hope. Things can get better. I had to go out and buy a copy to rewatch the movie several times. Each time, I felt better about my situation. It helped me through.

Thank you for this documentary! It gave me the opportunity to remember how meaningful the film is to me. I saw the film when it first was released in the US. At that time I was coming out, leaving my marriage and beginning to raise my two little daughters as an out gay dad…The movie gave me hope and made me feel proud in a way that I hadn’t before experienced. It helped in so many meaningful and quiet ways…thank you.

I lived in San Diego when 'Priscilla' opened and saw it at the Hillcrest Cinema 42 times. I took my whole school class to see it.