On Friday evenings IndieWire After Dark celebrates avant-garde cinema in the age of streaming, screening films from all periods of cinematic history at midnight.
At first BAIT : an unusual choice of genre and why we are now studying this particular niche. Then ANSWER : A spoiler-filled answer to the all-important question: "Is this old cult film really worth recommending?"«
Lure: Dime bait (Wait, what are those "clitoral jewels"?)
When Logo premiered RuPaul's Drag Race in 2009, featuring the queer artist's search for America's next drag superstar through a triumphant, unscripted series, it marked the beginning of drag's slow but steady expansion into the mainstream.
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Sure, conservative lawmakers have been particularly aggressive in targeting drag performers in recent years, imposing bans and censorship, but today, drag queens (or at least those who find success on "Drag Race") can also become major media personalities, parlaying their fame into endorsement deals, red carpet appearances, and even appearances in other reality shows, TV series, and films.
This week, the "Drag Race" franchise reaches its natural stage on the big screen with the release of "Stop That Train!", which relies almost entirely on audience familiarity and the existing support of the queens the show has already provided a platform for. Sure, the comedy features plenty of celebrity cameos (among them Sarah Michelle Geller, Lisa Rinna, and Joel McHale), but its true stars are RuPaul herself and former "Drag Race" superstars Jujubee and Ginger Minj.
Of course, this is not the first comedy о Transvestite films produced by major studios are a staple of the 1990s. Classic films like "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!" and "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" were released in the 1990s. Furthermore, cross-dressing is a common plot device in major Hollywood comedies, from "Some Like It Hot" and "Mrs. Doubtfire" to "Tootsie" and "The Birdcage.".
But these films didn't feature professional drag queens (despite RuPaul's iconic cameo as Rachel Tension in "To Wong Foo," dressed in a Confederate flag costume). Instead, actors like Guy Pearce and Patrick Swayze, sporting heels and wigs, portrayed gorgeous divas. Drag queen films centered on true professionals of the once-underground art form had smaller budgets and were more raw than the new "Stop That Train!", which even today would hardly be considered a particularly expensive production.
Take, for example, Vegas in Space, a cult film that also serves as an important reflection of the San Francisco drag scene of the late 1980s. Released by Troma Entertainment in 1991, the film took its core creative team—director Philip R. Ford and star Doris Fish—eight years to raise the necessary funds. The result was a low-budget parody of the sci-fi film Buck Rogers, set in a kitschy, utterly stunning world where gender roles are reversed. The crew spent 18 months filming, with almost all of the shooting taking place in a single apartment.
The amateurish, casual nature of Ford and Fish's independent film about queer culture is evident. "Vegas in Space" is set on the planet Clitoris (yes, that's right), a glamorous women-only resort. The opulent setting is created with a few obvious miniatures, light projections, and a few sets consisting of cheap curtains, creatively arranged. This charming and slightly casual approach is perfectly appropriate for such a kitschy and irreverent comedy, ultimately replacing gloss with an equal mix of artistic audacity and carefree joy.
Vegas in Space is set in the distant future. Captain Tracy (Ramona Fisher) and his lieutenants Mike (Ramona Fisher) and Steve (Lori Naslundmeil), three space explorers from an Earth ruled by a benevolent empress, take gender-transforming pills to become women and infiltrate a neighboring, menacing planet ruled by their leader's supposedly evil sister. There, the spies investigate the disappearance of the "Girline," a rare gemstone recently stolen from their home planet.
Their investigation soon draws them into a complex conspiracy theory unfolding right under the noses of the shadowy government of Planet Clitoris. But the plot is merely the basis for the film's true appeal, which lies in its subtle sense of humor, superb costumes, and ingenious use of the limited resources of independent filmmaking.
«Vegas in Space was a labor of love for the late Fish, one of San Francisco's most renowned drag queens of the era. It exudes her inimitable style. In addition to co-writing the screenplay with Ford, Fish designed the sets, costumes, and miniatures, as well as hair and makeup for the entire drag queen cast. Tragically, Fish did not live to see the film achieve the cult following it deserved, dying of AIDS just months before its premiere. But as we celebrate Pride Month in 2026, Vegas in Space remains a testament to the legacy of a truly great artist and a reminder that drag culture had real value long before Drag Race brought it to the screen. — Wilson Chapman
Note: Screening of the movie "Vegas in Space" in Las Vegas, Nevada.
As a bisexual woman with a volatile relationship, during Pride Month I sometimes feel less like a beloved member of the community and more like a secret double agent. In that sense, Princess Angel and I could have a blast.
The thing is, every June, while all my lesbian and gay friends seem to be celebrating their queer identities around the clock, I often get distracted by the golden retriever I'm currently dating. It doesn't happen every year, but it happens quite often. That's how I found myself watching "Vegas in Space" while visiting a guy in Las Vegas... Nevada.
I worked on After Dark from his apartment while he finished his shift, enjoying the atmosphere of the legendary American city that somehow manages to be both aggressively heterosexual and aggressively homosexual. Vegas is full of bachelor parties, drag shows, Elvis impersonators, wedding chapels, showgirls, men in leather, casino grannies, and enough glitter to blind Liberace.
The real Las Vegas is a gritty fantasyland built on an unwavering commitment to spectacle, and the same can be said for Ford and Fish's Vegas in Space. However, I knew this cult classic, available for free on streaming platforms, would have a hard time winning me over with its corny-sounding premise—stuck somewhere between the sexual politics of 1956's Forbidden Planet and the disappearing genitals scene from a Star Trek-inspired Black Mirror episode. If I wanted a '90s-style space adventure with an all-female cast, I'd watch Spice World. (It also has aliens, by the way!)
But somewhere between the Pee-wee's Playhouse-style skits and the revelation that our heroes are traveling aboard the USS Intercourse (!!), "Vegas in Space" became "an oasis of glamour in a universe of mediocrity." You don't need official LGBTQ+ status or a "special warning about clitoral intelligence" to understand why this gender-bending sex comedy is hilarious. And if you stop judging the script by conventional (read: straight) Hollywood standards, you'll fully believe in Ford and Fish's dream.
What captivated me about "Vegas in Space" wasn't so much the filmmakers' ambitions as the incredible sincerity of the cast and crew. Even as they strive to imbue the planet Clitoris with a sense of otherworldly grandeur, the team nonetheless creates an endlessly playful and warm world for audiences who might not consider their work entertainment worthy of universal acclaim.
The fact that Ford and Fish attempted this with such limited resources only heightens their ambition. It's truly difficult to be genuine and confident at the same time. Most people opt for irony, but "Vegas in Space" demonstrates an incredible level of conviction. Moreover, the sheer force of creativity and inspiration on display here truly helped me better understand the culture I've admired for years thanks to "Drag Race." I saw the DNA of many competitive elements onscreen in Ford and Fish's film, but more importantly, I also understood why this style of comedy has always had such a profound effect on me.
This is a surefire hit for me, too. I've always been drawn to stories about strange, all-female societies, whether it's sci-fi cartoons, Rick and Morty, or old British comedies like Monty Python and the Holy Grail. (Note: Yes, I know these are boyish media. I am a boy sometimes!!)
Mostly, though, I found comfort in watching people with such unabashed imagination embrace both their masculine and feminine sides. (Even if, in the male-to-female transformation scene, the actors sometimes sounded like the characters from Substance and a farm animal in the midst of orgasm.)
By the time the credits rolled on "Vegas in Space," the guy I was dating was already on his way home from work, and I was no longer alone on Planet Clitoris. It felt weird to spend part of Pride Month accidentally dressed as a Vegas housewife. Maybe that's why Fish and Ford's film resonated so strongly. "Vegas in Space" isn't really about escapism. It's about not letting other people define the role you play in a world you never wanted to live in.
On the other hand, having spent some time in the Nevada desert, I'm not entirely convinced there's much difference between the so-called Beaver System and the Las Vegas Strip. Gay or straight, everyone loves slot machines. — Alison Foreman
Vegas in Space is available to stream for free on Fandango at Home via Prime Video.