Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives

Filmmaker Israel Luna wins points for coming up with one of the most memorable film titles of the year. Sadly, that's the only clever aspect of this no-budget endeavor that attempts to recall the seedy style and antisocial attitudes of 1970s grindhouse flicks. Cross-dressing Bubbles Cliquot (Krystal Summers) picks up a guy named Boner (Tom Zembrod) who becomes extremely displeased when his romantic interlude turns into a scene from The Crying Game. Boner recruits some thuggish pals and they brutally assault Bubbles and his/her fellow transvestite pals, but the “girls” survive the violent ordeal and regroup to enact an appropriately humiliating revenge on their assailants. Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives sparked mild controversy when GLAAD protested its premiere at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, condemning the film for trivializing the violence faced by many transgender individuals. Ultimately, the wisecracking interplay between the transvestite heroes isn't funny, while the violence feels like a half-baked homage to Quentin Tarantino. Not recommended. (P. Hall)