The Lady in Question Is Charles Busch

I was delighted to find this film now on Netflix . . . It was a true pleasure from start to finish . . . but then for me, it was something of a trip down memory lane . . . having lived in NYC in the 80s, I well remember the Limbo Lounge where Busch's Limbo players got their start. I saw most of his plays during the 80s and each one was sheer joy.

This film told me much more about Busch than I had known and all of it was fascinating--to me at least. There is a lot of footage from the early Limbo productions. How great it is that somebody had the presence of mind to record them. I laughed back then and I laughed again seeing the archival videos of those wonderful productions like Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and Coma. They capture the energy of the times, the cheesy ambiance, and the subversive subtext of Busch's dialog.

For me, Busch's two films (Die, Mommie Die! and Psycho Beach Party) were a little disappointing. I loved (and had expected) the manic over-the-top quality of his plays which is dialed way down for the films . . . Not to say that the movies aren't over the top, but compared to the stage shows, they're positively sedate. Either way, if you liked his movies or didn't, this documentary will help explain the "back story."

If you have the slightest interest in gay cinema and gay art/theater, this is a must-see.