The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 29, 2025

Stephan Elliott's "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" (1994) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with Stephan Elliott; new program with actor Mark Holmes; various archival programs and documentaries; vintage promotional materials; and a lot more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Stranded in the Outback

Obviously, it would have been impossible to replicate the chaos and glitz that make Las Vegas a special place in the Outback. However, Stephan Elliott could have quite easily flooded The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert with the same hilarious trash material that dominates Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls, which is one of its closest and undoubtedly most impressive relatives. Elliott brings bits of similar material in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and the trashiest components of it make the journey from Sydney to Alice Springs somewhat intriguing. But a lot more of it was needed. Indeed, it is quite clear that this material is treated only as colorful ornamentation, while the remaining material is supposed to be the main magnet. It is a difficult and ultimately unconvincing trick because the mood swings are too big, the contrasts that emerge with them too random, and the drama that is supposed to be taken seriously too artificial. Unsurprisingly, in its current form The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert looks and feels like a staged circus, which would have been perfectly fine if all of the acting in it was like that in Showgirls.

In Sydney, three men who make ends meet as drag performers team up to do a show in a casino in Alice Springs. While equally good at what they do, their personalities could not be any more different. Tick (Hugo Weaving) is lonely and hurting, often quietly reevaluating decisions made while he was a married man. Adam (Guy Pearce) is a human version of the Energizer Bunny, always ready to have a good time and initiate fireworks that are hard to contain. Bernadette (Terence Stamp) is the oldest and most experienced of the three, something of a reformed contemporary philosopher, juggling spicy words that can shame a drunken sailor. To get to Alice Springs, the three board an old bus, acquired from a group of friendly Swedish visitors, which they name Priscilla. However, soon after they enter the Outback, Priscilla breaks down, an old-timer with a heart of gold (Bill Hunter) emerges to help and joins their journey, and Cupid fires off a few arrows in unexpected directions.

Elliott’s screenplay clearly wants the journey through the Outback to be outrageously funny and illuminating, capturing the essence of a lifestyle that most people would be puzzled by. For this reason, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert routinely slows down and produces quiet, introspective scenes where the travelers reveal bits of their past and philosophy of life. The plan is good, but its execution is not. The main problem is that the writing cannot properly balance the funny and the illuminating, and then convince that the journey through the Outback is not an act like the several staged for various crowds of mostly inebriated spectators.

The other smaller but perhaps more consequential problem is that The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert refuses to evolve into an adult trash spectacle like Showgirls, even though in different places it behaves like one. It is a huge error because the least restrained and most offensive material is the best.

A great soundtrack does a lot to create and, where possible, maintain an atmosphere that matches the trash aesthetics of the most effective material. It gathers classic tracks by Gloria Gaynor (“I Will Survive”), ABBA (“Mama Mia” and “Fernando”), Patti Page (“I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine”), and White Plains (“My Baby Loves Lovin’”), amongst others.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Imprint Films' release of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray are Region-Free.

Please note that some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray disc and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

Screencaptures #1-25 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #28-37 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

The release introduces a new 4K makeover of the film, prepared exclusively for Imprint Films. In native 4K, it can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with Dolby Vision and later spent time with its 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray.

It is very easy to declare that the 4K makeover, especially when viewed in native 4K, is a fine upgrade in quality over the previous 1080p presentation of the film on this Blu-ray release. In many areas, and particulalry during the outdoor footage from the Outback, delineation, clarity, and depth are unquestionably improved. Density levels are good, too, but I do not think that they are noticeably better. However, trained eyes will easily notice that during indoor and darker footage, some fine nuances are not always as convincing as they need to be. Even some outdoor footage produces less than convincing visuals, like the one seen here. Color reproduction and balance are good. However, this is another area of the 4K makeover that reveals avoidable inconsistencies. For example, there are several areas where odd neon-esque nuances begin blooming, and this is clearly a digital anomaly. You can see an example here. (A similar, more pronounced anomaly is present on the recent 4K makeover of The Usual Suspects). Image stability is excellent. The Dolby Vision grade handles darker and nighttime material well, but some of the fluctuations in the more subtle darker nuances create the impression that more detail should be visible. I did not encounter any age-related anomalies to report.

The 1080p presentation looks good as well. However, it could have benefitted from additional encoding optimizations. I think that in certain areas grain is not quite as nicely exposed as it should be. Even though the native 4K presentation produces a wider range of colors, I think that the 1080p presentation is still equally pleasing.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The 5.1 track is clearly the better option. It noticeably opens up various sections of the film and when music is used, which is very often, and there is crowd/organic noise, it is a lot more satisfying than the 2.0 track. I don't think that surround movement is a factor, but there are some decent effects on the 5.1 track. The dialog is always clear, stable, and easy to follow.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, Stephan Elliott recalls a disappointing experience at the Cannes Film Festival and the exact moment he did the first draft for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Elliott also discusses in great detail the sense of humor that permeates the film's narrative, his interactions with Polygram and the music that ultimately ended in the film, the shooting activities in the Outback, the film's reception, etc.

• Trailer - presented here is an archival trailer for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, Stephan Elliott recalls a disappointing experience at the Cannes Film Festival and the exact moment he did the first draft for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Elliott also discusses in great detail the sense of humor that permeates the film's narrative, his interactions with Polygram and the music that ultimately ended in the film, the shooting activities in the Outback, the film's reception, etc.

• Trailer - presented here is an archival trailer for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• "Between a Frock and a Hard Place" (2015) - presented here is Alex Barry and Paul Clarke's documentary about the making, shooting, reception, and lasting appeal of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The documentary is narrated by Terence Stamp. In English, not subtitled. (61 min).

• "Priscilla: A Celebration for Everybody" - in this new program, Stephan Elliott recalls his disastrous experience with Frauds (1993) and the conception of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and the initial feedback for it, which was drastically different in Australia and America. (The Americans were the first to embrace the film). Elliott also comments on the shooting process. In English, not subtitled. (29 min).

• "The Average Little Boy" - in this new program, actor Mark Holmes recalls his experiences before and behind the camera during the production of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

• "Birth of a Queen" - in this archival program, Stephan Elliot discusses his background, Australia during the 1990s, and the conception and production of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Also, there are some quite interesting observations about the stage acts, the costumes the performers use, and the music. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• "Behind the Buss: Priscilla with her Pants Down" - presented here is raw fotoage from the shooting of various sequences, as well as several trims. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• "Tidbits From the Set" - in this archival program, Stephan Elliott, Terence Stamp, Guy Pearce, and producer Al Clark, amongst others, discuss their involvement with and work in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• "Ladies Please" - a documentary about the three real drag performers that inspired Stephan Elliott to shoot The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. The documentary was produced by Andrew Saw in 1995. In English, not subtitled. (51 min).

• "Backstage" - an archival program with raw footage from the shooting of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and comments by cast and crew members. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Deleted Scenes - presented here are several deleted scenes. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• "The Bus From Blooperville' - presented here are several outtakes. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Trailer One - an original Australian theatrical trailer for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Trailer Two - an original U.S. teaser trailer for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Trailer Three - an original U.S. teaser trailer for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Photo Gallery - a collection of production and promotional stills from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

• Booklet - 34-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by Salty Christie and production information.

• Cards - six collectible art cards.

• Cover - reversible cover.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paul Verhoeven remains the most impressive seller of contemporary cinematic trash, followed from afar by Álex de la Iglesia, whose own patented blend of it is often too strong and disappointingly tasteless. Stephan Elliott's The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert has decent trashy genes, but it attempts to be illuminating while selling a lot of sugary material as reality that most of the time drags. It is an unfortunate error because the least restrained and most offensive material in it is the best. This three-disc combo pack introduces a good new 4K makeover of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert with an impressive selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features. RECOMMENDED to fans of the film.