'Queens Of Drama' Blu-Ray Review - A Whimsical Kaleidoscope Of Unabashed Queerness & Creativity
For in-depth thoughts on Queens of Drama, please see my colleague Cody Allen's review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Queens of Drama makes its Blu-Ray debut with a lovely 1080p video presentation in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio that showcases the visually dynamic cinematography well. The bubblegum color palette is like visual candy, and every hue appears to be dialed into its intended shade. Every shot feels like a window into the early millennium with visuals that are equally gorgeous and grotesque. The flesh tones are natural with a consistent showing across the ensemble. The image is clean with a pleasing visual language. The exaggerated period production design and the dreamy aesthetic allow for clear textural details. Black levels avoid most signs of banding outside a few fleeting moments, as they largely maintain their depth. Highlights are brilliant without veering into blooming. The presentation shows off an impressive depth of field, even if practical locales are not put into practice very much. This Blu-Ray is a cracking representation of this movie that should please fans.
Audio Quality
Altered Innocence gives this Blu-Ray a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that executes all of the nuances of this soundscape with ease. The dynamic and effective mix sounds incredible here as it both captures the playfulness of the style and the transcendent beauty of the music at the core of the narrative. The environmental sounds of this musical odyssey engage the surround speakers in a lively manner. As the characters move throughout their journey, there are some distinct ambient details that flesh out the setting. Dialogue always comes through clearly without being overpowered by any competing elements. The music is effective and well-balanced while maintaining its fidelity. There are numerous moments that deliver some nice texture to the proceedings. The audio track provides a really rich experience full of nuances that bring this narrative to life exactly how it was intended. This film is presented in the original French with optional English and Spanish subtitles.
Special Features
Short Film by Alexis Langlois:
This disc provides an option to watch two short films from director Alexis Langlois, and it is cool to explore this world a bit more within the inventive imagination of the filmmaker.
Terror, Sisters! (27:49)
The Demons of Dorothy (29:25)
Music Video for Pas Touche! (3:36)
Camera Test Featurette:
A 25-minute piece that shows the process of testing out different camera set-ups with commentary from director Alexis Langlois.
Karaoke Videos
Pas Touche! (3:02)
Bikeuse Amoreuse (3:25)
Go Musclées (2:17)
Tu Peux Toucher (3:13)
Trailers:
This disc provides the Theatrical Trailer (1:37) for
Queens of Drama.
There are also trailers provided for
She Is Conann, Eat the Night, The People's Joker,
and
Dressed In Blue.
CD Soundtrack (14 Tracks, 45:46)
Final Thoughts
Queens of Drama is a whimsical kaleidoscope of unabashed sexuality, creativity, ambition, and independence. A narrative exposing the trappings of fame is nothing new, but director Alexis Langlois brings a subversive twist to the proceedings to make everything feel especially fresh and vibrant. The passion pulsating between our leads is captivating, and the music stands out as a worthy artistic achievement of its own. There is a lot at play here, but the film does an impressive job of keeping everything on the rails. Altered Innocence has released a Blu-Ray featuring a sterling A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features. Recommended
Queens of Drama is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Diabolik DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Altered Innocence and MVD Entertainment have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
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'Actually there aren't any, but I manage to make it stretch out'. Lehrer, it seemed, would have been content to live out the rest of his life in the classroom, but in 1978, the British theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh approached him about creating a musical revue of his songs. As Mackintosh had just produced a well regarded revue of his hero, Stephen Sondheim, Lehrer agreed, and two years later Tomfoolery opened at the Criterion Theatre in London. The success of the show brought Lehrer back into the spotlight just long enough for him to explain why he had stopped performing and writing songs. 'What are laurels for if you can't rest on them?' he asked. Lehrer's songs retained an enthusiastic following in the 21st century – his nuclear holocaust ditty We Will All Go Together When We Go seemed more relevant than ever – and when representatives of the rapper 2 Chainz sought permission to sample his song The Old Dope Peddler in 2012, he replied: 'As sole copyright owner of The Old Dope Peddler, I grant you mother------s permission to do this. Please give my regards to Mr. Chainz, or may I call him 2?' In 2022, uniquely for a recording artist, he announced on his website that he was relinquishing all copyright claims on his work, putting all his songs into the public domain. Tom Lehrer never married and always brushed away questions about his private life, describing himself as 'fundamentally a loner', but with a few good friends. Tom Lehrer, born April 9 1928, died July 26 2025 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. 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