What to watch: Stop! That! Train!
Ready to board the Drag Race cinematic universe?
If you're a fan of RuPaul's Drag Race, you'll be very aware of Stop! That! Train! - a cinematic release from World of Wonder.
Stop! That! Train! follows best friends Tess (Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (Jujubee) - train stewardesses who trade their dreary shifts on the Stank Rail for the glitzy Glamazonian Express. When a catastrophic “Stormaganza” threatens to derail the high-speed train and crash it into Florida, the duo in coach must join forces with the snobby first class attendants (Symone, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Marcia Marcia Marcia) and President Gagwell (RuPaul) to save the day.
There's a lot of influences at play but the most obvious touchpoint is the 1980 comedy, Airplane! - an iconic spoof of disaster movies.
Written by Christina Friel and Connor Wright, and directed by Adam Shankman, Stop! That! Train! gives us a reimagining of Airplane! - shifting the action to a train and infusing it with the mythology of Drag Race.
If you haven't seen Airplane! then the absurdist humour of Stop! That! Train! will probably hold some amusement.
There's a lot of celebrity cameos in this production - you may enjoy spotting the famous faces.
One of the interesting choices with this project is that the numerous drag performers in the cast aren't playing drag queens, they're playing female roles. If we compare this film to some of the drag-queens-on-screen landmarks such as Priscilla or To Wong Foo or Some Like It Hot, in Stop! That! Train! the art or reality of drag isn't being used as a dramatic or comedic plot point - the story just exists in a world where female characters are portrayed by both AFAB and AMAB performers.
While the ambition of this project is admirable, the challenge is that it doesn't push the comedic boundaries of this genre.
Stop! That! Train! sits comfortably alongside drag-on-film vehicles such as Hurricane Bianca (2016) and Cherry Pop (2017) and it's a unique opportunity to see some of your Drag Race faves on the big screen.
Stop! That! Train! - In UK cinemas August 21. Limited Previews August 20. Book Tickets Now.
Gareth Johnson