Matrixston Wow! Such a good movie.

BoardChiri Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

evening1 I never thought I'd come across a drag performer I could take seriously, but I liked Charles Busch both as an actor and the central talking head in this intriguing documentary.The film does a great job showing how Busch drew inspiration from classic film and opera, as well as his dysfunctional family, where he lost his mother early and learned to equate performance with love."I was desperate to become a childhood star but there was no one in my family willing to exploit me," Busch states in a typically endearing confession. Yet I found it hard to care about the many excerpts from Theatre in Limbo. They were often too campy, soap operatic, and sitcomish to capture let alone hold much interest, but I realize many would disagree with me.I really admire the way Busch created his entire professional world. He needed to act, so he became a writer to create scripts, and he created companies so that he could perform. Now that's indomitable!

MOSSBIE To see any reviews of Charles Busch, it appears he is definitely more of an East Coast phenomenon since elsewhere there is less of an adoration of formal theater.I would consider the reviewer from Wisconsin more "Eastern". To see an ensemble group producing camp theater which is more serious in presentation than outlandish raucous camp one is used to in, say, LA, where the brassier, the better.For San Franciscans,EVERYTHING is camp and dying a fast death in the Castro but still available in clubs, but definitely not "theater" with, say, an intermission.....just drinks at the bar while feathers fly onstage. As for the rest of San Francisco, it is a more "straight" theater town but has one of the best satirical giant productions in BEACH BLANKET BABYLON which is now a SF institution with humor that outlandish to very "in" and much more relaxed, informative and not a showcase for a drag like Charles Busch who falls into a "diva" category...That would never work on the West Coast and is one of those distinguishing markers which separate the snobbery than has been handed down through the years from taste, fashion, society, and money. With the outbreak of the computer industry,and the billionaires flourishing in CA, art is in a state of limbo because there is also a big divide between what is offered in SF vs. LA. I found the entire Busch idolatry overdone, very "clicky", and his self deprecation indulgent and that heart business was like Laurette Taylor playing "humility". DIE MOMMIE DIE was amusing but just a takeoff on Douglas Sirk films.His ensemble was just so adequate as to make me wonder if their performances were sincere or a put on.

nycritic Sometimes being 'too gay' can be an asset. In a world that celebrates clones and a sheep mentality, there are those who from the get-go march to the beat of their own drum and decide to make something useful of their own existence, even when they may be moving counter-clockwise and well aware of it. THE LADY IN QUESTION IS CHARLES BUSCH introduces us to -- who else -- Charles Busch, a performer I was until DIE MOMMIE DIE unfamiliar with. Without being too self-promoting (even though it's logical that Busch be in nearly every frame of this documentary, being the central subject), the movie details how as a child Busch became obsessed with movies from Hollywood's Golden Age. He quickly identified with the heroines of such features such as NOW VOYAGER, LADY IN BURLESQUE, and THE WOMEN, competed with his siblings for the attention of his father, and later moved to San Francisco to make something out of his life as a performer only to return to New York City at the middle of the AIDS crisis where he became introduced to the Limbo lounge via a performance artist. It would be there where he would create what has now become a massive following, displaying the wild excesses of camp that has been elevated to a near art form. Seeing snippets of "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom", "Kiss the Blood Off My Castanets", and "Theodora -- She Bitch of Byzantium" were immense treats, but in revealing the powerhouse performer Meghann Robinson was in "The Lady in Question", it becomes a mini-tribute to this incredible actress with a voice and personality that went beyond what I've seen in movies. THE LADY IN QUESTION IS CHARLES BUSCH, despite dragging just a tad with the opening night of "Taboo", doesn't over-stay its welcome but is a fantastic glimpse into the life and times of this great actor and playwright. I only would have wished to have been there when it all happened at the Limbo lounge. At least, with this movie, as with DIE MOMMIE DIE, I can see his mannerisms capturing acting styles from an era gone by (and he has them down pat to perfection, especially seen in a silent-movie clip where he plays the heroine in her dying moments holding a glass ball in a tribute to CITIZEN KANE). It's enormously entertaining to a fault. I loved it.

heidianna Last night, I had the good fortune of seeing this movie for the first time (but hopefully not the last!). This was my first introduction to Charles Busch, and what an introduction it is! The directors have done a great job of giving us a beautifully well rounded picture of who Charles Busch is, professionally and personally.The movie itself is filled with sincere comedy, and raw emotion. You are introduced to Mr. Busch's biological and theatrical family, and together, they swirl a biographical tale of the tremendous talent that is a Grand Dame of the Stage, and a wonderful author.Emotionally touching is the tribute Mr. Busch gives to his aunt, and his two sisters, whom have all influenced his work heavily. The profound friendships he makes during his almost accidental rise to stardom along side his comedy troupe leave you laughing and crying. You witness the comedy troupe as being more than just co-stars. They were a well oiled family. With titles such as "Vampire Lesbians of Sodom," they had to have a keen sense of humor to execute the finely honed wit, high drama that takes you back to the early Hollywood starlets, and pop culture references that Mr. Busch crafted into hit after hit.I wish that I had been able to see some of his earliest performances live, but with this film, it's the next best thing. Footage from his plays, pictures, and stories telling about backstage conditions are such a rare treat to hear.The directors are to be commended for finding a way to tell the biography of Charles Busch that is informative, enjoyable, and truly inspirational. Charles Busch has never let anything stand in his way. He stayed true to his one passion, acting. When one play, book, or movie ends, he reinvents himself and starts something new. I recommend this movie to anyone in need of inspiration to stay true to oneself while pursuing their own Great American Dream.And you can bet, I will not miss out on Charles Busch's next endeavors!