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Talking Pondo: Knightriders and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Description
In this episode, Marty gives Clif the film Knightriders to watch and Clif gives Marty the film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to watch.
First, Marty takes Clif back to 1981 for George A. Romero's Knightriders, a two-and-a-half-hour motorcycle jousting epic about a band of modern-day knights trying to live by their own code in a world that doesn't quite know what to do with them. Starring Ed Harris, Tom Savini and a collection of familiar faces from Romero's cinematic universe, the film mixes biker culture, Renaissance faire pageantry and the ideals of the counterculture into one very unusual ride. There are some beautiful shots, memorable moments and plenty to chew on, but the guys go over that this particular trip with the circus could have reached it's destination a good thirty minutes sooner. Camelot may be a state of mind, but so is a director's cut.
Then Clif brings Marty to the Australian outback for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), Stephan Elliott's road comedy about three drag performers traveling across the desert in a bus named Priscilla to put on a show in Alice Springs. Starring Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, the film blends outrageous costumes, sharp comedy and spectacular landscapes with a surprisingly warm story about identity, friendship, family and finding your place in the world. From the unforgettable bus to the breathtaking sight of a performer in full costume atop it, Priscilla delivers a road movie that's funny and poignant. The guys also consider how far representation has come and how much this film was doing differently back in 1994.
Along the way: The very different ways Knightriders and Priscilla portray outsiders, Priscilla's spectacular costumes, desert imagery and a surprising amount to say about buses, bad decisions and the changing times.
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Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace
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