Peoria Babylon
{{short description|1997 film}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Peoria Babylon
| image = Peoria_Babylon_DVD.jpg
| caption =
| writer = Steven Diller
| starring = David Drake
Ann Cusack
The Lady Bunny
Matthew Pestorius
Paul Adelstein
Marilyn Pittman
Deane Clark
| director = Steven Diller
| producer = Michael Caplan
| distributor = Culture Q Connection
| released = {{Film date|1997|11}}
| runtime = 90 minutes
| language = English
| country = United States
| budget =
| editing = Erick Bergstrom
| music = Bradley Parker Sparrow
Joanie Pallatto
| cinematography = Erick Bergstrom
}}
Peoria Babylon is a 1997 American comedy directed by Steven Diller. It premiered at the Chicago Lesbian and Gay International Film Festival in November 1997.{{Cite web |title=Peoria Babylon, A Film about Sex, Art and Peoria, Illinois |url=https://montrosepictures.com/films/peoria-babylon/ |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=Montrose Pictures |language=en-US}} The cast features David Drake and Ann Cusack.{{Cite web |date=1996-09-22 |title=NO DIFFICULTIES FOR TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-09-22-9609220078-story.html |access-date=2023-05-17 |website=Chicago Tribune}}
Plot
Candy and her gay friend Jon are owners of a financially troubled art gallery in Peoria, Illinois. After exhausting their savings, they concoct a devious scheme in order to save the gallery in this screwball comedy.
They team up with a hunky con artist, the mob and a lesbian porn queen, but at the end little is left standing but their friendship.
Cast
- David Drake as Jon Ashe
- Ann Cusack as Candy Dineen
- Matthew Pestorius as Matthew Perretti
- Paul Adelstein as Brad Kessler
- The Lady Bunny as Octavia DiMare
- Marilyn Pittman as Doris Kessler
- Dan Turek as Bill
- Deane Clark as Raul Kessler
- Michael Hagedorn as Ted Jamison
- William McGough as Detective Dillon
- Andrew Carrillo as Cop
- Anna Markin as Tina Rotblatt
- David Gould as Stanley
- Tom Ciappa as Private Dick
- William Graham Cole as Swensen
- Helen Caro as Adele
- Kel Mitchell as Beave
- Jeff Kenny as Willie
- Sam Perry as Minister
- Hank Donat as Poet
- Nikki Lewis as Sandy
- Lou Wynhoff as Museum Guard
- Ted Lyde as Wayne
- Wendy Lucker as Reporter
- Tom Holycross as Cop #2
- Dan Callahan as Drag Queen
- M.J. Loheed as German Tourist
- Aja as Drag Queen #2
- Tom Phisella as Hick Man
- Rita Symons as Hick Woman
- Phyllis Diller as Painting Owner
- Lora Adams as Angry Art Patron
Reception
The Chicago Tribune called it "…wonderfully funny…charming all the way around." (November 7, 1997) and the Chicago Sun-Times said that it was "Wacky and witty." (November 14, 1997).
In Media Audiences and Identity: Self-Construction in the Fan Experience, Steve Bailey states that "Peoria Babylon, aims its satire at the world of high art and the peculiarities of the international art market".{{Cite book |last=Bailey |first=Steve |title=Media Audiences and Identity: Self-Construction in the Fan Experience |date=8 September 2005 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=9781403945426 |pages=89}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0358012}}
Category:1997 LGBTQ-related films
Category:American LGBTQ-related films
Category:American comedy films
Category:1990s English-language films
Category:English-language comedy films
Category:Films set in Illinois
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