Stop! That! Train!
15Trains – the poor person’s plane and the rich person’s bus. You can go wherever you want, as long as the rail tracks go there.
It’s also an unlikely place to sit next to someone who asks you if you’ve ever seen a grown man naked – unless you’re on a train to Bolton, then it’s almost guaranteed.
Now imagine if you will, a film like the classic 1980 comedy Airplane!, but it’s actually set on a train. That’s right, a train. So it’s like a plane, but doesn’t have wings, or jets, and it doesn’t fly. Because it’s a train.
You have now imagined, with a little help, Stop! That! Train!. Buckle up...if you’re on a plane. Or a rollercoaster. Or perhaps even a space ship. But definitely not a train...
Tell me when you think they've stopped noticing us.
It hasn’t been a great day for Tess (Ginger Minj) and DeeDee (Jujubee), having just been fired as train stewardesses for Stank Rail.
They see an opportunity however, when they decide to board a Glamazonian Express train posing as stewardesses, and get to work.
Despite being snubbed by a gang of snooty stewardesses headed by Amber (Brook Lynn Hytes), they go about helping out the passengers.
Meanwhile, at the Train Command Center, Donna Dusk (Rachel Bloom) has noticed an impending disaster, with the Glam Express train on a head-on collision with a stormaganza. It’s so bad that it’s brought to the attention of none other than President Gagwell (RuPaul Charles), but it looks like Tess and DeeDee are going to have to do their bit to save the day.
Dear god it's like looking in the ugly mirror!
Although there had been spoof films before it, such as Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein from Mel Brooks, Airplane! certainly brought bigger audiences with its zany style.
There have been many since, including The Naked Gun films, but none have blatantly crossed the line between respectful homage to downright rip-off like this – but at least it does it fabulously.
It’s a wet, sticky dream for all fans of drag, culminating with a role for queen of drag RuPaul as POTUS, with a trainful of drag glam.
It basically takes the blueprint to Airplane!, crossing out the title in crayon, and scribbling the word ‘train!’ over the top of it.
In doing so, the film is brimming (that’s definitely a hard ‘b’, get your mind out of the gutter) with visual gags and throw away lines, making it the most glamorous spiritual successor in high heels to the flying classic. They don’t always land - but what do you expect, it’s not a flying train – but the hit/miss ratio is pretty balanced, so whatever your fancy, it’s bound to be tickled.
The chance is that that hit ratio will rise if you’re a supporter of the 2SLGBTQI+ community + NR (National Rail), because it’s so darn colourful and quirky, but there’s still silly fun to be had if you’re boring and don’t fit into any acronymised group.
It’s taken its sweet time getting here – but that’s trains for you – but Airplane! now has some adorable company, where they can whisper inappropriate nothings to one another, facing their respective disasters, with the spoofiest of spoofs.