The Boulet Brothers' Dragula
The Boulet Brothers' Dragula | |
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Genre | Reality competition |
Created by | The Boulet Brothers |
Directed by |
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Judges | The Boulet Brothers |
Theme music composer |
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Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 3 |
No. of episodes | 27 |
Production | |
Executive producers | The Boulet Brothers
Executive producers for OutTV (S2,3):
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Producers |
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Editors | |
Camera setup | Multiple |
Running time | 36-65 minutes |
Production companies |
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Distributor | |
Release | |
Original release | October 31, 2016 present | –
External links | |
Website |
The Boulet Brothers' Dragula is a reality competition television series produced by Boulet Brothers Productions, hosted by The Boulet Brothers.[3][4] The series aired originally on Netflix in the United States, on OUTtv in Canada, and Amazon Prime in the United Kingdom and Australia. From season 4, the series will move to Shudder in all territories.
The series is created and hosted by the Boulet Brothers, who challenge a different set of eleven drag artists from around the world to compete in an underground style drag competition each season. The artists compete for the chance to win a cash prize and the crown of "Dragula - the World’s Next Drag Supermonster".[5] The show celebrates underground and alternative drag art,[6] and bases each episode's challenges on the four principles of the show - "Drag", "Filth", "Horror" and "Glamour".[7]
Competitors on the show are tasked week to week in a variety of challenges ranging from costume creation, special-effects makeup, live performance and acting abilities. Each episode a winner is chosen, and the contestants who end up on the bottom must face extreme "extermination challenges" which test them physically and psychologically to prove they have the punk spirit required by the judges to remain in the competition.[8]
History[]
The Boulet Brothers Dragula is created and produced by the Boulet Brothers, and their production company Boulet Brothers Productions. The reality show is loosely based on their club event and nightlife pageant of the same name.[9][10] The first season of The Boulet Brothers Dragula premiered on October 31, 2016 and aired as a six episode pilot series on the YouTube channel Hey Qween!.[11]
Later that year, the show was picked up by Canadian network OutTV who ordered a full remastered and expanded version of Season 1, as well as a full second season of the show.[12]
Season 2 premiered on October 31, 2017 and aired on Amazon Prime and WOW Presents in the United States. The season aired on Amazon Prime in the United Kingdom, OUTtv in Canada and SBS Viceland in Australia.[13]
The series' third season premiered on Amazon Prime on August 27, 2019. Dragula became the first American reality television competition to feature a drag king after Landon Cider appeared as a contestant in Season 3.[14] Beginning October 31, 2019, seasons 2 and 3 of the series moved to the American streaming service Netflix.[15]
On October 20, Dragula had a special episode called "Dragula: Resurrection", where the Boulet Brother's brought back seven past contestants to compete for a spot on season 4. This season had streamed on Shudder, and the winner was Saint from the third season of Dragula.[citation needed]
Format[]
Each episode opens with a scripted scene starring the Boulet Brothers that introduces the episode’s theme and challenge.[16] The rest of the episode is filmed in a reality TV documentary format. The competitors are issued that week’s challenge, and must work among each other, work out their interpersonal issues and create their looks and performances for that week.[17]
Floor show[]
Each episode features a main “Floor Show” where each of the competitors display their looks and performance on the main stage. The performances and looks are judged, and one competitor is chosen the winner while the two or more lowest scoring competitors are put up for “extermination”.[18]
Extermination challenges[]
The show features "Extermination Challenges", fear-based physical and psychological tests created to push the competitors to “face their fears” in order to remain on the show. Past extermination challenges have included being buried alive in a coffin, being pierced with gauged needles, skydiving, eating cow intestines, and surviving an evening in an extreme haunted house.[19] The competitor who fails the extermination challenge is "killed off" by the Boulet Brother's in a scripted scene at the end of each episode.[20]
Judges[]
The Boulet Brothers serve as the primary judges on the show, and are the only regular judges on the panel.[21] Each episode they are joined by a rotating cast of celebrity musicians, directors, writers and horror alumni including Henry Rollins, Milly Shapiro, Amanda Lepore, Bonnie Aarons, Felissa Rose, Danielle Harris, Rachel True, and Cig Nuetron.[22][23] American horror film director Darren Stein and drag legend Peaches Christ are the only judges to have appeared in all three seasons of the show.
Series overview[]
Season | Premiere Date | Finale Date | Winner | Runners-up | Winner's Prizes | No. of Episodes | No. of Contestants |
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1 | October 31, 2016 | January 16, 2017 | Vander Von Odd | Melissa Befierce Frankie Doom |
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7 | 9 |
2 | October 31, 2017 | January 16, 2018 | Biqtch Puddin' | James Majesty Victoria Elizabeth Black |
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10 | 10 |
3 | August 27, 2019 | October 28, 2019 | Landon Cider | Dollya Black Priscilla Chambers |
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11 | 11 |
Resurrection | October 20, 2020 | Saint | N/A |
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1 | 7 | |
4 | October 19, 2021 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
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TBD | 10 |
Season 1 (2016–17)[]
Season 2 (2017–18)[]
Season 3 (2019)[]
Season 4 (2021)[]
The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Resurrection[]
A spin-off film titled The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Resurrection was released on AMC Networks' Shudder on October 20, 2020. The film was written, co-directed, and produced by the Boulet Brothers. Digital Spy described it as "part-horror movie, part-documentary and part-reality competition".[24] The film featured a competition between contestants from previous seasons of Dragula, with the winner returning for the fourth season of Dragula.[25] The film's soundtrack includes music from Orville Peck and Kim Petras.[26]
Contestants[]
Contestant | Hometown | Original season | Original placement | Outcome |
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Saint[a] | Acworth, Georgia | Season 3 | 10th Place | Winner |
Dahli[b] | Phoenix, Arizona | Season 2 | 7th Place | EXT + ALIVE |
Frankie Doom | West Covina, California | Season 1 | Runner-up | EXT |
Kendra Onixxx | Moreno Valley, California | Season 2 | 8th Place | EXT |
Loris | Hollywood, California[c] | Season 1 | 5th/6th Place | EXT |
Priscilla Chambers | Asheville, North Carolina | Season 3 | Runner-up | EXT |
Victoria Black[d] | Orlando, Florida | Season 2 | Runner-up | EXT |
- The contestant won The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Resurrection.
- The contestant was exterminated but came back to life in a post-credits scene.[27]
- The contestant was exterminated.
Reception[]
Since its original online airing, Dragula has received positive reviews,[28][29] and was dubbed “Required Horror Viewing” by Fangoria.[7] Vice writer Jeff Leavell reviewed the series as being "loud, weird" and that it "pisses on heteronormativity". He also said that Dragula should not be thought of as "just a show about drag queens who love grotesque, hardcore queer performance art", and that "in its own way, it's encouraging us to stand united, whether you're a supermonster or not".[3]
Adam Zee of Wussy Magazine praised the series for its philosophy towards drag, exemplified by the Boulet Brothers' statement that "We are not here to judge your drag. Drag is art and art is subjective." Zee commented that:
"While it seems simple, this simple idea is what truly distinguishes The Boulet Brother's’ Dragula from RuPaul’s Drag Race and most other reality competitions. The Boulets place significant value in the artistic merit and anti-establishment traditions of drag. They have directed their focus on drag artistry that is unpredictable, outlandish and disturbing rather than getting queens to conform to show business standards. The only molds contestants must fit into are challenge-based or the loose overarching tenets of Filth, Glamour and Horror. Even then, 2 out of 3 is usually good enough to get by."[30]
The show has also received favorable coverage for its inclusion of all genders and types of drag performers in the competition, and the series was the first televised U.S. show to feature a drag king and an AFAB drag artist.[31][32]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Get Hooked". The Boulet Brothers' Dragula. Season 2. Episode 1. 2017.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "The Lesser of Two Evils". The Boulet Brothers' Dragula. Season 3. Episode 1. 2019.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Leavell, Jeff (18 January 2018). "'Dragula' Is Loud, Weird, and Pisses on Heteronormativity". Vice. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ Dommu, Rose (27 January 2018). "10 Questions With the Boulet Brothers". Out. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ "Boulet Brothers crown drag king winner of 'Dragula' season 3". Washington Blade. November 6, 2019. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ Goodman, Elyssa. "Blood, Guts, and Glamour: How "Dragula" Made Drag Dangerous Again". Them. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "FANGORIA | The Boulet Brothers' 'DRAGULA' Is Required Horror Viewing". Fangoria. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ Fontelieu, Jason (August 29, 2019). "If you're not watching Amazon Prime's 'Dragula,' you're missing out - The Diamondback". The Diamondback. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ "10 Questions With the Boulet Brothers". www.out.com. 2018-01-27. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ Podell, Michael; ContributorWriter (2016-02-26). "An Interview With Filthy Royalty, the Boulet Brothers". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ "Why You Need To Be Watching Dragula". The Odyssey Online. 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ Networks, Hornet (2017-08-07). "Here's What You Can Expect From Season 2 of the Boulet Brothers' 'Dragula'". Hornet. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ "Sink your teeth into season two of 'Dragula'". Topics. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ "'Dragula' Is First U.S. Reality TV Competition With a Drag King". www.advocate.com. 2019-08-07. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ Owens, Paige (2019-11-07). "Boulet Brothers' 'Dragula' moves to Netflix following season 3 finale". Alternative Press. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ "TV Review: 'Dragula: "Drag Monsters Of Rock" & "The Demons Blood" (S3 E03 & 04)". ScienceFiction.com. 2019-09-23. Retrieved 2020-03-08.
- ^ Dutta, Anisha (2019-10-30). "The Boulet Brothers' Dragula Season 4: Release Date, Cast, New Season 2020/Cancelled?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
- ^ Fontelieu, Jason. "If you're not watching Amazon Prime's 'Dragula,' you're missing out - The Diamondback". dbknews.com. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
- ^ Villarreal, Daniel (2019-08-09). "One of TV's biggest drag competitions is finally getting a drag king". Queerty. Retrieved 2020-03-08.
- ^ Lusky, Bridget (2019-11-28). "Hello Uglies: Dragula's mix of horror and glamor brings new depth to drag". Film Daily. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ "Meet the spooktacular judges of Boulet Brothers' Dragula season 3". GCN. 2019-08-09. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
- ^ admin (2019-11-06). "Boulet Brothers' Dragula Finally Hits Netflix! Start Binging". HorrorBuzz. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ Thurman, Trace (2019-08-23). "Season 3 of "The Boulet Brothers Dragula" Makes the Jump to Amazon Prime Next Week!". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
- ^ Chase, Stephanie (September 30, 2020). "Dragula confirms Halloween special featuring all-star queens returning". Digital Spy. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
- ^ Millican, Josh (September 29, 2020). "THE BOULET BROTHERS' DRAGULA: RESURRECTION Hits Shudder October 20th". Dread Central. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
- ^ Nakamura, Reid (September 29, 2020). "'Dragula,' Horror-Drag Competition, Gets Halloween Special at Shudder". TheWrap. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
- ^ Earp, Catherine (31 October 2020). "Boulet Brothers Dragula: Resurrection's Dahli responds to that post-credits scene". Digital Spy.
- ^ "Dragula is a Truly Horrifying Experience". 2016-11-06.
- ^ September 2019, Daniel Falconer | 26. "The Boulet Brothers discuss Dragula, drama and bringing horror to the art of drag [EXCLUSIVE]". www.femalefirst.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ "'Dragula' is the Future of Drag and 'Drag Race' is a Tired Ass Showgirl". WUSSY MAG. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ "Dragula: First US Drag Competition Series with a Drag King". ScreenRant. 2019-08-10. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- ^ "It's About Time: Dragula Winner Landon Cider and the History of Drag Kings". www.themarysue.com. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
Further reading[]
- Cash, Christopher (5 November 2017). "Boulet Brothers: Dragula Season 2 Premiere". Tn2 Magazine. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- Dommu, Rose (20 January 2018). "Dragula Season Two Was Great, Season Three Can Be So Much Better". Out. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- Earp, Catherine (6 September 2018). "Dragula's The Boulet Brothers reveal the secrets to staying together for so long". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- Earp, Catherine (7 September 2018). "Dragula's The Boulet Brothers reveal the after care they give queens who appear on the show". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- Earp, Catherine (5 September 2018). "Dragula's The Boulet Brothers reveal how they feel about the show being compared to RuPaul's Drag Race". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
External links[]
- "Dragula Archives". Hey Qween! TV. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- "The Boulet Brothers' DRAGULA". OUTtv. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- "Boulet Brothers Dragula". TV Guide. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- The Boulet Brothers' Dragula at IMDb
- The Boulet Brothers' Dragula on Facebook
- The Boulet Brothers' Dragula on Instagram
- 2010s LGBT-related reality television series
- 2010s Canadian reality television series
- 2010s American LGBT-related television series
- Drag (clothing) television shows
- Television series by World of Wonder (company)
- OutTV (Canadian TV channel) original programming
- 2010s Canadian LGBT-related television series
- American LGBT-related web series
- Canadian LGBT-related web series
- 2016 Canadian television series debuts
- The Boulet Brothers' Dragula