Outrageous! (1977)
Gay hair stylist Robin Turner does a lot of work for drag queens, all the while dreaming that he'll someday find the courage to perform in drag himself. When his schizophrenic friend, Liza, turns up looking for a place to stay, the two form an increasingly tight bond, Robin helping Liza through an unplanned pregnancy and Liza pushing Robin to develop a successful nightclub act.
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hyped garbage
A Disappointing Continuation
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
Like others, over the years, I have watched and re-watched this delightful confection of a movie which possesses the rare combination of feeling almost like an indie/documentary/hand-held camera opus while also being very well made. Like art (or good wine) it wears/ages well, presenting a multi-level array of elements including a fun retro look at the gay/bar/fashion/hair scene of the '70's, the "easy to meet people", fun-loving, and not-yet-cynical attitude regarding social life and relationships, promiscuity as no big deal, and the message of self-love and self-acceptance over conformity. Craig Russell is perfect as the hairdresser looking for that "more" within himself and in life. He and his little coterie of friends create a warm, familiar, and almost cozy sense of affiliation/friendship despite the campy and sometimes abrasive repartee. This movie has a lot of heart and I "heartily" recommend it.
It's low budget shows in its grainy print and poor sound, but the quality performances by the entire cast make up for the films shortcomings.The late Craig Russell pulls out all the stops as he displays his talent for female impersonation. Hollis McLaren is the ideal nut case. And Helen Shaver, in one of her earlier roles, is ideal as the friend who is accepting of people for who they are, embellishing their positive traits.My one criticism of the film is the costuming. Not Russell's drag apparel, which matched each of his impersonations perfectly. But other wardrobe choices in the film were distractingly awful, especially during the Christmas party scene. Russell's jumpsuit was about 3 sizes too small, and Shaver's dress was something out of Ringling Brothers' clown reject closet.Still, students and lovers of independent film will admire this one for its style, its daring, and its overall effort.
Both leads are spectacular. Unlike most early (pre-AIDS) gay films, this still hits the spot. I've been ruined for life by these (actual, not lipped) impersonations. All by themselves, the impersonations are worth renting/buying this film, but the rest of the story is also superbly done. This should prove to those who get their kicks out of ridiculing Canadian films that they were wrong.
["If a caterpillar was afraid of wings it would never become a butterfly, and people would say, 'Look, there's a worm on the tree....' But they'd never seen it spinning colors into the air......"]I first saw "Outrageous" 22 years ago, (this will sound strange) I was so moved by it's greatness and at the time didn't have a VCR that I recorded it with a hand held tape recorder-audio-and that was how I 'watched' the movie for years til I got it on video. That is how incredibly touching, and GREAT this movie was and is! In it's unique way it almost reaches out and literally touches your heart if you let it. (And maybe even teach you a thing or two about life, love, people, and most important, FRIENDS!!)