Splice the spiritual DNA of John Waters with martial arts, gore and rude, run-amok mayhem, and you have Enter the Drag Dragon, Lee Demarbre’s antic celebration of high camp.

Ottawa’s Mayfair Theatre, which Demarbre owns and runs, is the home of Enter the Drag Dragon’s Crazy Dragon Detective agency, which consists of the drag queen Crunch (variously played by Sam Kellerman, Jade London and Matt Miwa). Crunch and best friend Jaws (Beatrice Beres) live on popcorn and martial arts movies, courtesy of the struggling theatre owner and kung fu instructor Fast Buck (Phil Caracas). Anyone who thinks the nation’s capital is boring had best buckle-up. As Crunch says, “never cross a cross-dresser.”

What starts out with Crunch taking on the search for a lost dog, soon leads to encounters with the criminal goon squad The F.I.S.T. (led by mob boss Gorch, played by Natalia Moreno), the violent Bible-thumping gang N.A.G. (which stands for Never Again Gay), and a sleazy construction boss called Foreman (played by B-horror king Lloyd Kaufman, of Troma Studios and Toxic Avenger fame).

At stake is a painting, which is secretly a map to an Aztec mummy’s treasure, stolen art which was stolen back by a rotten cop named Samantha (Judy Deboer). But treasure hunters might want to think twice, given that the booty is overseen by an Aztec mummy and his zombie army.

However, it’s not the destination that counts in Enter the Drag Dragon so much as the crazy journey. Enter the Drag Dragon is a rapid-fire epic of outrageous sexcapades, gore and random gags, from the people who brought you Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter, with tongue-in-cheek songs and soundtrack by John Carroll and Dave Bignell.

The movie, which held its world premiere in Ottawa at the Mayfair Theatre, to lines wrapped around the theatre, also won the top prize at the recent Horror Underground Film Festival, and continues to win fans with its celebration of B-movie/grindhouse sensibility.

Director Demarbre says the film, shot during the pandemic on a shoestring budget, is a callback to the movies he used to watch in his youth. “The movie looks like it was made by a teenager, not a 50-year-old Id,” he says. He was also motivated to highlight his hometown of Ottawa. “It’s terrific to see it on the screen, with all its untapped settings. If Woody Allen can romanticize New York, I can do the same for Ottawa.”

Opening Across Canada:

TORONTO – March 4 + 9 – Fox Theatre (2236 Queen St E.)
– Lee Demarbre in attendance March 4, for Q+A  TICKETS  Facebook Event Page

KITCHENER – March 18 + 23 – Apollo Cinema (141 Ontario St N.)

SUDBURY – March 25 – Sudbury Indie Cinema (162 Mackenzie St.)

NORTH BAY – March 25 – The Gateway International ​Film Festival 
– Lee Demarbre in attendance for Q+A

HAMILTON – March 30 + 31 – Playhouse Cinema (177 Sherman Ave N.) 

More cities to follow

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About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.