Lights, Camera, Slay! Ranking Drag Movie Royalty (Bonus Episode)

[00:00:00] Lights, camera, sleigh. And this week's bonus episode, we're ranking drag movie royalty with

[00:00:05] our guest Zach. Get ready for some fierce competition as we rank our all-time favorite

[00:00:11] onscreen queens from the classics like To Wong Foo to some modern gems.

[00:00:28] If you caught our To Wong Foo episode, you'll know that this week on the No More Late Fees

[00:00:33] podcast, we are joined by returning guest Zach. Hey Zach, thanks for sticking around to talk to us.

[00:00:39] Of course. I've been waiting here since our last podcast, so our last episode.

[00:00:49] I'm just glad it's a shorter time frame between these last two episodes than the first one.

[00:00:55] Yeah, of course. I mean, I love talking about movies all the time. So this is like a dream for me.

[00:01:01] Well, how are things? Anything new going on in the world?

[00:01:05] Things are terrible. My life is in shambles, just like the usual. No, things are really good. I'm

[00:01:13] just still working on videos, trying to get them out to people, see what's hot right now. And yeah,

[00:01:21] just trying to make a name for myself, you know? Well, I understand. I think we should

[00:01:27] collaborate with all the other nostalgic people, make a newsletter and just like...

[00:01:33] Oh, for sure. Just put all this stuff together that we love. Yes. I mean, let's just have a

[00:01:39] movie club. Yes. I love that. That would be so much fun. It would be fun. I think it would be

[00:01:45] hilarious. And also, though, I think everyone would get annoyed with me because I wouldn't

[00:01:49] shut up. I would talk the whole time. Between you and Danielle. You'd be surprised. We'll be like,

[00:01:54] let's just stop the movie really quick. So do you understand why this scene is so great?

[00:02:00] Do you see his hair? Do you see it? Like, let me pause this. Hold on. Pause this real quick. Look.

[00:02:05] Look at that right there. Yeah, it would be horrible, but amazing at the same time.

[00:02:11] But we would just be living. Time of our lives. Exactly.

[00:02:19] Well, we have a fun game for you today. Obviously, because we did Duong Phu,

[00:02:24] we thought it would be great to have all of us come together and find movies with our favorite

[00:02:33] drag queens in it and then collectively rank them one through nine. So we all have three choices.

[00:02:39] Okay, who wants to go first? I'll go first just because that way if someone else repeats it,

[00:02:44] it doesn't look like I'm copying someone. No, I'm kidding. Well, for me, the first one that

[00:02:49] comes to mind is the Birdcage. Obvi. Yeah, it's the best. The absolute best. I cry watching like

[00:02:59] I cry from laughing so hard watching this movie no matter how many times. It's so good. Yeah.

[00:03:06] Jackie, what's yours? I am gonna go Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

[00:03:10] I even saw it on Broadway when Taye Diggs was Hedwig. Oh, wow. All my dreams came true.

[00:03:20] I think this podcast has really solidified how much of a Taye Diggs fan you are.

[00:03:27] Taye Diggs and LL Cool J. Yes. And Matthew Liller, but we kind of already knew that one.

[00:03:34] For me, I'm going to go with a movie that is a black classic. And it's called Holiday Heart.

[00:03:44] This movie played on BET all the time. But I remember like the first time I saw it on VHS

[00:03:52] when I was in college, but it has Bing Rains and he is a drag queen. And Alfre Woodard is in it as

[00:04:01] well. And she plays like a drug addict mom who's horrible mother horrible, but it's a really good

[00:04:07] movie. Oh, okay. I've never heard of that. I just I just googled it and wow, I never would have

[00:04:13] expected to see Bing Rains in drag. Yeah, he's he's slaying. All right, Zach, what's your second

[00:04:20] choice? My second choice would have to be Hairspray. The original. Yes, of course. With

[00:04:28] Miss Divine. Yes. All right. And Jackie, I'm going Rocky Horror Picture Show. Okay, I can choice.

[00:04:40] Tim Curry in that role just eats. I just leaves no crumbs. So good. Well,

[00:04:49] I'm gonna go with one of RuPaul's many appearances.

[00:04:54] And say his brief appearance in Crooklyn because we all know I love that movie so much. Oh,

[00:04:59] okay. I always forget he's in Crooklyn.

[00:05:04] Appearance. I thought you were gonna say the Brady Bunch movies.

[00:05:08] Oh, that's right. Okay, Zach. For my last one.

[00:05:15] I mean, they're not technically drag queens, but they are in drag for most of the movie and it

[00:05:20] would be some like it hot. Absolutely. A classic. You guys have seen it, right? Okay, okay. Yeah.

[00:05:25] Love it. Okay, so Jackie, your last choice. I'm going with Dumplin with Jennifer Aniston.

[00:05:34] That's on my list. Well, I'm glad you picked it because I had some backups because

[00:05:40] a pair for some reason Harold Perrineau has played a drag queen multiple times now in Woman on Top.

[00:05:49] He was playing a transgender character, so I won't count that one. But in Romeo and Juliet,

[00:05:54] he definitely was in drag and loved him in that one. In that one.

[00:06:04] A close second or like honorable mention Connie and Carla. I thought you were gonna do that one.

[00:06:13] I was thinking about it. Or Victor Victoria. I have that one on my list too, but I just love

[00:06:21] Harold so much. All right, so now we have the hard job of ranking all of these. I say that

[00:06:30] either the Birdcage or Rocky Horror would be number one for me. I am fine with Birdcage

[00:06:38] one and Rocky Horror two. Yeah, I concur. Okay, you know which one we did forget that came up in

[00:06:45] the episode was Oh gosh now I totally forgot the one Queen of the Desert. Priscilla. Oh, Priscilla.

[00:06:52] That was on my shortlist as well. Was it? Yeah, no controversial. I'm this is so I'm gonna get

[00:06:57] kicked off for saying this, but I'm not a big fan of that movie. I really try. Yeah, I really tried.

[00:07:03] I think it's because something I realized is like if you're like I grew up watching this movie.

[00:07:08] And like I had never even heard of Priscilla until much later and anytime I would talk about

[00:07:13] this movie, people be like, Oh, well, no, you need to watch Priscilla like that walk so this could run

[00:07:17] and I was like, Okay, great. And then I watch it. I'm like, it's fine. It's fine. It's not a bad

[00:07:23] movie. But like, I just get so much joy watching this one. Yeah, like, yeah, it's just so joyful.

[00:07:29] And none of us said to Wong Fu the movie.

[00:07:35] I don't know. I'm like, is that cheating? If I just list the movie we're here to talk about?

[00:07:40] Oh, boy. Can I change my Romeo and Juliet answer then?

[00:07:45] Sure. And then does that immediately go to the top? Yes.

[00:07:50] Yeah. I think so. Absolutely. So it should be to Wong Fu. Rocky, I would say to Wong Fu.

[00:07:58] Rocky Horror just in terms of just being so ahead of its time. Yeah. And just like,

[00:08:04] even if you've never seen the movie, you know, who that character is, you know where it's from.

[00:08:09] Right. And then maybe the birdcage. I like it.

[00:08:13] Hedwig. Hedwig.

[00:08:16] Then maybe Hairspray. Yeah. Just mainly because Divine is Divine.

[00:08:22] I mean, when I was younger, I had no idea that Edna was played by a drag queen. I honestly thought it

[00:08:29] was, you know, a woman. Yeah. And she was just so I love her so much. Like I love the character of

[00:08:35] Edna so much. And Divine's performance is just out of this world. 100%.

[00:08:39] Yeah. Two roles actually. But yeah,

[00:08:42] I would say some like at Hotneck and then maybe Crooklyn.

[00:08:46] Yes, because some of these I haven't seen.

[00:08:48] I would say Dumplin' Next. Holiday Heart.

[00:08:54] Isn't I don't know how it's like hard for me to say I don't know how other people would feel about

[00:08:58] the movie. I don't know. I haven't talked to other people outside of my drag friends.

[00:09:05] Yes. Okay. So I don't know if it's just like one of those classics that we just grew up watching.

[00:09:12] I have no clear vision on how if it's great or not. So just follow your heart.

[00:09:19] Yeah. Your holiday heart.

[00:09:23] Oh, I wish I wish I could have said I did that on purpose. But I did. That was just a happy accident.

[00:09:29] And I'm fine with Crooklyn being this low on the list only because

[00:09:33] RuPaul's in it for like two seconds.

[00:09:34] Yes. I agree.

[00:09:36] No one said no one said Tootsie.

[00:09:38] I don't like Dustin Hoffman.

[00:09:39] Me neither.

[00:09:42] I also thought about Mrs. Doubtfire. I'm like,

[00:09:45] I came up on the list when I typed it in because I checked the email and I was like,

[00:09:49] Oh, no. And I was just like, a drag queen. And it pops up and I'm like, I'm like,

[00:09:57] what I characterize him as a I mean, I guess he is in drag. So then but

[00:10:03] that's one of my favorite movies of all time. So even if we did put that in the list,

[00:10:06] I'd have to wipe everything else and put that right on top.

[00:10:12] Oh, my God.

[00:10:13] So run by fruiting.

[00:10:18] Okay, look dear, that's called liposuction.

[00:10:22] Oh, my God. Incredible.

[00:10:25] All right, Jackie, what's the list?

[00:10:27] Number one to Wong Fu.

[00:10:29] Number two, Rocky Horror Picture Show.

[00:10:32] Number three, the birdcage number four, headwigging and the angry inch.

[00:10:36] Number five, the original hairspray.

[00:10:39] Number six, dumpling.

[00:10:41] Number seven, some like it hot or eight Kirkland and number holiday heart.

[00:10:47] I feel good.

[00:10:48] Yeah, also honorable mention.

[00:10:50] I also think John Travolta's like killed it in the remake of Hairspray.

[00:10:54] I thought he was fabulous.

[00:10:56] I get it.

[00:10:56] So we found this tweet from at Gracie the brand, and it says recite 85% of a movie and get $750,000.

[00:11:06] What are you watching?

[00:11:08] I would say Legally Blonde, I feel like for me.

[00:11:12] But that's just one of 20 movies that Romeo and Michelle's High School Reunion,

[00:11:16] like Mrs. Doubtfire, Wizard of Oz.

[00:11:18] I'm just bragging.

[00:11:20] I think I could definitely do Clueless.

[00:11:22] And young Danielle would have done My Girl 2, no problem.

[00:11:26] Like I was watching that on heavy rotation.

[00:11:29] My Girl 2?

[00:11:30] Yeah, not My Girl 1 without the trauma, My Girl 2.

[00:11:35] Except when he throws or almost throws her mootering into the La Brea Tar Pits.

[00:11:39] I just was trying to jump over to get it.

[00:11:41] I was like, girl.

[00:11:45] What about you, Jackie?

[00:11:46] The first thing that came to my mind does not count.

[00:11:49] It was the Taylor Swift Heiress tour movie.

[00:11:52] No, Jackie.

[00:11:54] Because if that counted, I would have said the Beyonce Homecoming

[00:11:57] because I even know the moves to that one.

[00:12:00] And then I would have said the Britney Spears Live in Las Vegas tour.

[00:12:04] That special on HBO.

[00:12:05] And then I would have said the Destiny's Child Atlanta 19-

[00:12:09] No, let me stop.

[00:12:12] What's one of-

[00:12:12] The New Kids Hangin' Tough video.

[00:12:14] Yes, I know that one too.

[00:12:17] It's hard for me.

[00:12:19] I feel like I need to pick something with lots of singing

[00:12:23] because songs stick better than movie quotes.

[00:12:27] I feel like you know the whole lines of Camp Nowhere where that JK,

[00:12:33] whatever that man's name is, comes in.

[00:12:35] All of our past lives were but a preparation for this hour and this trial.

[00:12:42] All right, forget Winston Churchill.

[00:12:44] Right?

[00:12:47] Camp Nowhere is good.

[00:12:48] I was gonna go Lion King.

[00:12:50] It's a lot but I could quote all of Lion King.

[00:12:53] Probably Hercules too but Lion King is like locked in.

[00:12:57] Do you think you could do pretty much all the Disney movies you grew up with though?

[00:13:01] I feel like we all could.

[00:13:02] I mean, I know they're different for each person but yeah.

[00:13:05] I could definitely do Cinderella.

[00:13:07] I watched that one hard.

[00:13:09] Like and now I wonder what kind of trauma I had as a child that that one-

[00:13:14] Resonated with you?

[00:13:15] Yeah, I very much loved The Little Mermaid but the Cinderella movie was like

[00:13:22] Cinderella, Cinderella.

[00:13:23] Like I-

[00:13:25] Yeah.

[00:13:25] It's Rue Separ.

[00:13:27] That's so funny.

[00:13:28] I feel like for me it was because yeah, I mean I grew up with the classics

[00:13:33] but I always gravitated towards like the movies that came out around the time that I was born.

[00:13:36] So like for me it would be like Mulan and Tarzan because they're so great.

[00:13:40] But yeah, I love Cinderella and I love Sleeping Beauty

[00:13:43] and I mean this is gonna be so crazy.

[00:13:46] I love all Disney princess movies.

[00:13:48] Who would have thought?

[00:13:51] I would have never guessed that.

[00:13:52] They're so good.

[00:13:53] Right?

[00:13:54] Tarzan's a really good one too.

[00:13:56] I went through a big Phil Collins phase after Tarzan came out.

[00:14:01] I even made myself a shirt that said I heart Phil Collins.

[00:14:04] Don't get mad y'all but like for real, for real,

[00:14:08] I'm gonna admit because this is a safe space.

[00:14:11] I don't believe that I've watched the entirety of Tarzan.

[00:14:17] I don't believe I've watched the entirety of Hercules.

[00:14:20] I don't believe I've watched the entirety of Emperor's New Groove.

[00:14:25] I don't believe I've watched the entirety of Treasure Planet.

[00:14:31] That's fine.

[00:14:32] Oh, that's fine.

[00:14:34] Okay.

[00:14:35] But like the Emperor's New Groove, Hercules and Tarzan.

[00:14:40] Mm-hmm.

[00:14:41] Are masterpieces.

[00:14:42] They are.

[00:14:43] They are and I'll admit too that I did not watch Hercules until maybe seven years ago,

[00:14:48] my first time.

[00:14:49] And I was like this is really good.

[00:14:51] People should talk about it more and apparently everyone already knows about it.

[00:14:53] I think it's good.

[00:14:55] I think they're good.

[00:14:55] I don't like there's a just a dark time in life.

[00:14:59] Well good thing we get to do all of them on the podcast.

[00:15:02] Yeah.

[00:15:02] So we will write this wrong.

[00:15:04] Emperor's New Groove is phenomenal.

[00:15:05] Top notch.

[00:15:06] Phenomenal.

[00:15:07] That comedy, it like transcends the kid genre.

[00:15:09] It's like it's funny enough to be like I don't even know where I'm going with this but it's

[00:15:13] really funny.

[00:15:14] Well let's see if any of these Disney movies make your employee picks this time around.

[00:15:20] I will rewind you.

[00:15:22] I will rewind you back to your last picks.

[00:15:26] Make me younger.

[00:15:29] What were To Wong Fu, That Thing You Do and Josie and the Pussycats.

[00:15:33] I'm very disappointed you didn't make all of them rhyme but two out of three ain't bad.

[00:15:40] Wait those were my picks?

[00:15:41] Yes from last time.

[00:15:44] You guys I don't even remember my name some days.

[00:15:49] Okay.

[00:15:50] That's why it's here to help you.

[00:15:52] Yeah.

[00:15:52] Thank you.

[00:15:53] I see you.

[00:15:54] I hear you.

[00:15:55] They're all so great.

[00:15:56] It's so funny because I honestly re-watched all of them like within the last month and

[00:16:01] it wasn't even because I remembered this but I just love them so much.

[00:16:06] Side note I just thought of another thing I could recite like the entire thing of and

[00:16:12] it's John Leguizamo's one-man show The Freak from the 90s.

[00:16:17] Top to bottom I could recite every word of that.

[00:16:21] I had it on CD and I recorded it on VHS.

[00:16:25] It is fantastic.

[00:16:25] Everyone listen up sit back and let's go.

[00:16:30] And action.

[00:16:32] Okay so my employee picks would have to be because I just watched it and I thought it

[00:16:40] was really cute.

[00:16:41] It's very new so again there's no time but let's hear a word from our pod pals.

[00:16:51] Hello kids of the 80s 90s and beyond.

[00:16:55] Radical Ryan Hunter here from the Radical Retro Rewind podcast.

[00:17:00] Join me along with everyone's favorite brother David and the movie geek Rob every Friday

[00:17:06] as we discuss everything from movies, TV, video games, music, action figures, and more.

[00:17:12] Every week's another adventure.

[00:17:14] We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcasting platforms.

[00:17:20] Hope to see you there Radical Ones.

[00:17:28] Lisa Frankenstein I thought was so cute.

[00:17:32] Can't hardly wait.

[00:17:35] And then my third choice would have to be Drive Me Crazy.

[00:17:39] Beautiful choices.

[00:17:40] Well thank you.

[00:17:41] We're all on the spot so.

[00:17:45] Well why don't you tell everybody where they can find you on social?

[00:17:49] Yes you can find me at Madonna on no I am the mighty Zach Z-A-C-K on Instagram and so

[00:17:57] have you seen that and on TikTok at Zachy Quacky Tacky.

[00:18:02] And don't forget to check us out at No More Late Fees on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook,

[00:18:07] YouTube and threads.

[00:18:09] And stay tuned for our dive into the 2004 movie Dodgeball.

[00:18:13] And if you haven't checked out our Too Long Fu episode with Zach make sure to go back

[00:18:17] and listen.

[00:18:19] And as always be kind and rewind.

[00:18:24] Yes.

[00:18:27] That's going to be our whole intro from now on.

[00:18:29] Yes.