Stop! That! Train! - Drag Race Spoof

A Stormaganza of Drag

The plot of "Stop! That! Train!" centers on a freak weather phenomenon called a "stormaganza" that turns a luxury train into a runaway disaster. RuPaul herself appears as President Judy Gagwell, running on the slogan "she fun!" The film is a spoof of classic disaster movies, with a 90-minute runtime filled with sight gags, song-and-dance numbers and cameo appearances from Sarah Michelle Gellar and Lisa Rinna. Ginger Minj and Jujubee play Tess and DeeDee, train stewardesses who swap jobs from the low-grade Stank Rail to the glamorous Glamazonian Express. Their friendship is tested as they try to stop the runaway train.

The film deliberately rejects a "twee camp" approach. According to Ginger Minj, the characters are not defined by their drag status; they are simply Tess and DeeDee. This decision was made to keep the satire broad and to avoid turning the film into a campy joke about drag. Jujubee echoed this sentiment, saying the film is "a very queer fever dream" but also a "big gay Trojan horse" that lets audiences laugh before realizing the performers are drag artists.

Behind the Scenes

Director Adam Shankman shot the entire film in 19 days, a pace he enjoyed because it matched RuPaul's own preference for efficiency. Shankman has previously directed her in the 2020 series "AJ and the Queen" and has experience with confined spaces, citing the cramped carriages of the Glamazonian Express as a challenge that forced limited camera movement. He explained that this constraint made moments like Nicole Richie's coffin scene feel immediate.

The screenplay, written by Christina Friel and Connor Wright, never mentions the characters' gender or drag status. Shankman insisted that keeping the characters as ordinary women would prevent the film from becoming "twee camp" and would allow the disaster spoof to resonate with a wider audience. He compared the film to classic spoofs such as "Airplane!" and "Hot Shots!", but also noted that Minj and Jujubee's performances were grounded in real emotion, similar to "Thelma & Louise".

Political Punchlines

Shankman stated that "the film’s existence is political" and that the goal was to let viewers laugh at absurdity for 90 minutes before realizing they had been entertained by drag performers. The film has already made a statement for LGBTQ+ visibility by opening in U.S. cinemas in June and then in British and Irish cinemas last weekend, a move that avoids a straight-to-streaming release.

Ginger Minj, from Florida, highlighted the significance of the film opening in her hometown of Leesburg, a Republican-leaning area where drag bans have been proposed. "It was incredible to see our film open in my hometown and see so many people come out to see it," she said. Jujubee added, "We’re not the butt of the jokes - we’re the people telling them."

For those tracking the film’s performance, see the latest stats and standings. The film is currently playing in UK and Irish cinemas.