Drag detective Crunch and her gang of friends are on the hunt for hidden treasure in a forest outside of Ottawa. Unfortunately, there’s a catch: the loot is guarded by a wild Aztec mummy and its zombie children. Plus, a band of supervillains is interested in the same prize. On their adventures, the friends undertake shenanigans that might leave moviegoers holding onto the edge of their seats. Premiering at the Mayfair Theatre on January 27, Enter the Drag Dragon by director Lee Demarbre is the self-proclaimed “first dragxploitation action film” to hit the big screen.
Jade London as Crunch. Photo: Petr Maur.
This kung fu horror-comedy-musical title nods to the martial arts film Enter the Dragon featuring Bruce Lee. However, the Ottawa-made flick is more stylistically reminiscent of Kill Bill meets Everything Everywhere All At Once. Demarbre places viewers in a vibrantly coloured world filled with kitschy visual effects and costumes. There’s no shortage of high kicks finessed in platform heels, either. Enter the Drag Dragon throws out many moments of oddball humour. Several of its Ottawa-centric jokes provoked audience laughter, especially the one about a strong sewage smell wafting from the Parliament OC Transpo station.
L-R: Phil Caracas as Fast Buck, Sam Kellerman as Crunch and Beatrice Beres as Jaws. Photo: Petr Maur.
There are other notable capital locations captured onscreen, such as the ByWard Market. In fact, the movie’s lead characters live in the Mayfair Theatre, which they claim is haunted. As such, viewers get rarely-seen glimpses of the historic cinema, including inside the projectionists’ booth and a sweeping shot over the building’s roof. There are several other aerial views, including a chaotic-yet-thrilling skydiving sequence completed in full drag.
Scene from Enter the Drag Dragon. Photo: Petr Maur.
Demarbre, who also brought audiences Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter, described the film as a passion project made without the help of an investor. The additional talent involved in its production include screenwriter Mark Pollesel, cinematographer Randy Smith, and composer Dave Bignell. Although Crunch is played by three different actors, the cast pulls the movie’s plot together through sheer acrobatic absurdity. This hilarious film is filled with all the clever gags that independent and locally-produced cinema affords.
Enter the Drag Dragon screens at the Mayfair Theatre on February 1 and 2 at 9:15pm. Tickets are $12.50 or two-for-one for viewers who dress in drag. The film also shows at the ByTowne Cinema on February 4, 7, and 9 at 9:15pm and 9:30pm. Tickets are $11.95 on the ByTowne website.
