About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

A colorful spin on revenge exploitation films.

Pros

• Good sense of humor
• Solid cast
• Likable characters

Cons

• Awkward shifts in tone
• Limited plot
• Slow pacing

Description

• Starring Krystal Summers, Kelexis Davenport, Willam Belli, Erica Andrews, Tom Zembrod, Jenna Skyy
• Directed by Israel Luna
• Rated NR
• DVD Release Date: November 9, 2010

Guide Review - 'Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives' DVD Review

When drag queen Bubbles shows up for her dancing gig with a black eye, her co-workers know that the man she's been seeing is nothing but trouble.

They're all about to find out just how much trouble, however.

To help cheer her up -- and help themselves get some action -- Emma (Grashun) and Rachel (Slurr) convince Bubbles to go with them to a party with a couple of hot guys. When the trio arrives at the out-of-the-way location, though, they discover that it's a trap set by Bubbles' deranged ex, Boner.

He's upset because he feels that Bubbles tricked him into thinking that she's a woman, biologically speaking. Not content with raping and assaulting her when he found out, though, Boner recruits two friends to entrap her and her friends so that he can continue the physical abuse.

But Hell hath no fury like a group of trannies scorned, and the drag queens aren't about to take the assault lying down. They're ticked off, after all, and they have knives.

The title Ticked Off Trannies with Knives pretty much explains all you need to know about this movie. There isn't much depth to the story; at its core, it's a standard revenge tale -- albeit one with a decicedly colorful cast and more of a sense of humor than this sort of film normally exhibits.

Think I Spit on Your Grave as directed by John Waters.

As can be expected from that description, the shifts in tone are drastic and awkward, jumping from serious topics like rape and hate crimes to slapstick and fart jokes. As such, the power of the message -- and the inevitable revenge -- is dulled by the sense that we don't know what to take seriously.

For a low-budget film, the cast is surprisingly strong, delivering the hip, often funny dialogue with naturalness and great comedic timing. The characters are likable, and really, you could drop the whole revenge plot and make an entertaining movie with them just shooting the breeze.

Granted, the threadbare plot doesn't provide much more than that as it is. For horror/exploitation fans, there isn't a whole lot of gore, and the vengeance isn't as extravagant as you might expect (painful, yes, but pretty straightforward). And because of the minimal storyline, the pace drags a bit, especially near the end.

Ultimately, though, Ticked Off Trannies with Knives is solidly entertaining and for fans of camp who want a lighthearted throwback to the grindhouse exploitation of the '70s.

The DVD

Special features include commentary, featurettes and bloopers.

Movie: C
DVD: B-

Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the distributor. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.