Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives

I saw this movie basically because GLAAD objected to it. Fortunately, it was one of the better independent movies I've ever seen. The acting and production values were higher than other films of this budget.

I don't know what GLAAD's problem is. The violence is so unrealistic, it's almost cartoon-like. And yet, they honor shows like "Queer as Folk",which could be put LBGT people in bad light. Years ago the organization objected to another gay independent film. One of the scenes had a guy having sex with a corpse. Turned out that the guy was only knocked out,and not dead. That film too (and I forget the name), was not very realistic, and presented as a comedy.

I was lucky enough to see the cast and crew screening of "Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives" last night at the Magnolia Theater in Dallas, TX. Not only did the movie play to a completely sold-out audience, but there were several rounds of applause at the end of the movie that included a standing ovation.

Director Israel Luna's created a throwback to the revenge movies of the late 70s and early 80s. The first act -- getting to know the girls -- was nothing but non-stop laughs. If you've ever been to a gay club, you know how comically catty and funny the 'ladies' can be. This was captured wonderfully, and has more than a handful of one-liners that had the audience laughing hysterically.

The 2nd act -- where several of ladies are brutally attacked -- was tough to watch... which in all honesty, made it that much more realistic. One lady, during the Q&A after the movie said that in facing discrimination like that daily and her fear being attack, it was very hard to watch those scenes, but was very liberating to see this type of violence brought to light.

The final and most entertaining act was where the girls decided to do something about what happened. I won't give away what all goes on, but there's something done with a nearly two-foot-long knife that even had me squirming!

After the movie, I was able to meet Mr. Luna (and get a photo snapped with him). It was refreshing to meet someone so humble about something he'd done. In watching him interact with others before approaching him, he was completely gracious and genuinely thankful for each and everyone that was in attendance.

If you get a chance to see this movie while it makes the rounds in the film festivals, you really should. I personally can't wait until it returns to Dallas for the Outtakes Film Festival so I can see it again!

You don't have to be gay to watch and enjoy this film.

You don't have to be bi or lez.

You just have to be somebody who realizes a good movie when it's there.

It's not the best movie I've ever seen or ever will see; but it's solid.

It's got action, comedy, drama, thriller and horror and a love story love - all wrapped up in a good movie with a cast that does a fantastic - or should I say FABULOUS job - and a story that makes sense.

For the small budget that it has, it has good production values - and it acknowledges the crew at the end with more than just a name crawled across the screen.

The story is effective - and is much better than so many Hollywood produced movies of a mid or large budget.

This was a free watch for me - and even if I would have randomly come across it somehow and paid for it, it still would have been worth the money and the viewing.

It's just good. Gay, straight or bi- regardless of what you are - the talent in this shines, the writing is crisp, the editing - even the purposely chopped up and gritty editing is well developed and overall - it's something that can put a smile on your face at times and make you feel for the injustice towards anybody who has to deal with bullies like this.

Congrats to all.

Best of luck on your careers.

...and no, I was not part of the cast or crew to vote this movie this high...I just saw something worthwhile that is more constructed with care and heart - which sadly most movies fail to deliver.

Terrible home made project straight to bin junk spamming the world's movie collection.

Quentin Tarantino and John Waters are pleased to announce the birth of their bastard child. It's a bouncing, healthy transvestite exploitation/revenge movie! Wait, did I say healthy? Strike that. It is, however, a whole lot of fun to watch. It's Kill Bill meets Pink Flamingos and, yes, there are ticked-off trannies with knives here, and they're the best ones you're likely to ever see. So see them, already.

This flick is camp, knows it, flaunts it and works it. Never once did I get the feeling it was trying to take itself seriously, although there are some grind-house-style grueling moments involving large knives and foreign objects inserted uncomfortably into body cavities (the latter never explicitly shown). The eponymous trannies are of the convincingly feminine type and include a dark-skinned stand-in for Divine who plays the psychotically vengeful mama-tranny almost too well. I can't imagine why John Waters hasn't heard of him yet. Witty and catty lines spill effortlessly and convincingly, with grind-house intensity mixing perfectly with comedy throughout. The culmination is a very dark but twistedly satisfying ending that you will NOT forget anytime soon.

This is far from a perfect film. Its low budget shows through in many places, and the "reel missing" gag goes on a bit too long. The main villain isn't a very good actor; he comes across hammy and his timing is just off in a number of scenes. The effort to shoehorn in pop culture references as comedy sometimes fall flat, too. It's not enough to make this anything less than a worthwhile, fun and uniquely off-the-wall experience, though, and the presence of a subtly scary drag queen nurse with the name Helluva Bottom-Carter makes up for all of the shortcomings in a single five-minute scene.

If you like John Waters, you'll definitely like Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives. If you like Both Waters and Quentin Tarantino, you'll like this gem even more. This one is destined for cult status.